Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Pseudo-car Crossover SUV - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By VegasBoy - December 5 - 8:13 am

  I drove a Nissan 350z 2006, Altima Coupe 2008 and 2009 Mercedes C300 Sports, before i bought this car because i am going to have a baby. Compare Rogue to this car this is what i get out of it. Rogue as Advertised really handles better than the c300, equal of altima and lower than 350z. braking and acceleration is the same as an altima.Road comfort rogue is below c300 but above the altima and 350z. Rogue is a Nissan with it comes their trademark quick acceleration and darn good braking. The interior is ok unless you are expecting luxury then better have Murano. Fuel Economy-rogue is better than the three around 24 mpg city, havent tested in highways. Rogue is a good fit for a starting family

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  Time Reveals Reliability - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By SmarterNow - December 5 - 2:46 am

  Ive previously owned 4 Nissans. Had balky starting problem/engine miss caused by 2 oil clogged crankshaft and camshaft sensors. Recall reprograms ECM to address safety concerns (of sudden power loss) rather than starting /missing problems. I replaced sensors myself to avoid $300 to dealer. Odometer 64K. Must now watch oil consumption for signs of disintegrating catalytic converters that cause $6000 destruction of engine. 2.5 engine also susceptible to blown head gasket/leaking coolant into cylinders. Nissan (dealers/Corporate) blame irrelevant oil maintenance to avoid reimbursing owners. Many, many complaints on Edmunds website. Ill be looking elsewhere for another brand.

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  Bullet Proof! - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Daddyniowa - December 4 - 8:20 pm

  When I bought this car it had about 59,000 miles on it. It is a five speed. The only modifications I have made is opened up the exhaust and installed a "Tornado fuel saver". I do use Mobile One full synthetic motor oil changed every 8,000 miles, and synthetic gear lube as well. I have owned a lot of Japanese cars in my past, and I have to say this one is one of the very best! I consistently get 32 to 34 mpg on the highway which is most all that I drive. It corners very well, and if you redline 3rd gear you are doing exactly 103 mph! Whenever I give a friend a ride or let them drive it they cannot believe the power and torque that it has. As as far as repairs there have not been any yet!

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  My second Xterra (after the original) - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Jay - December 4 - 4:13 pm

  Having previously owned the original model, I was not looking to buy another one until I test drove this beast. I was so impressed by the power and torque and the fact that the salesman let me drive it home for a whole day! That night I took it close by to a favorite hiking trail and was impressed by the off-road capability and just the overall comfort and convenience. Ive now had it for 2 years and still loving it. Ive taken it to numerous camping/backpacking trip, off-roading, hauling furniture and it has passed with flying colors. This is one vehicle that lives up to its ads and commercials-great job Nissan!!

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  For Me It Is a Fleet Vehicle... - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By nibblecuda - December 4 - 3:59 am

  I have driven the Rouge Select for 30k miles in the first 11 months of being assigned to the vehicle. Some days I may only drive a few miles running my kid to school, other days I will drive as much as 733 miles. First off, if you are in the market for a cheap suv / crossover / tall wagon that will get you from point a to point b and is better than public transportation, you may actually appreciate the Rouge Select. It is make from the left over 2013 Rouge parts and offered in the same year as the new Rouge, for a lot less money. So for as far as "value" goes, its not bad. There are many annoyances I have with the Rouge Select however. The small overlap crash tests are rated at marginal (better than poor) by the IIHS. The headlights are horrible / dangerous when it is raining. I ended up installing some good aftermarket LED fog lights to help (no factory fog / driving lights on my model) just dont tell my employer... The sun visors are small and fixed, so I typically spend my mornings that I drive south with one hand on my head to block the sun. In the evenings driving north, same thing. It always sounds like the rear right door is ajar or window is open, especially when the roads are wet (my coworkers experience the same thing). The front seat is uncomfortable (no adjustable lumbar in mine). This has been to the benefit of my chiropractor however. The OEM tires are, well, made by the lowest bidder and were never intended to be driven on ice or snow (mine is a FWD not that that matters when you are sliding through a red light asking for forgiveness to the person who has the green). Snow tires helped a lot! The OEM tires have about 20k miles on them and will need to be replaced soon. Bluetooth is ok at best for phone calls, but it does not stream audio so you still need to use the auxiliary input (more cables, thanks). It does have an iPod button however (do they still make iPods?). The back up camera is decent except when there is dew or rain as it is not well protected and collects water. It gets decent gas mileage (I am averaging a little over 27 with 80% highway miles), but, the gas tank is too small (still a gas tank from a car). I will only be able to get 350 to 400 miles on a tank when on road trips if I overfill the tank. Less if I am mainly in town. The brake rotors needed to be turned at 25k miles (same with my coworkers). Considering how many miles I put on, the car spends a lot of time with the cruise control on and not braking. My personal vehicles will go 60k or so miles before brake work is needed. The ground clearance is nice for when there is snow. Power is adequate from a dead stop for the class it is in. Passing power from 50mph is, well, kind of scary / boring / not that safe. There is a lot of drama coming from under the hood, but not much going on in the ways of actual acceleration. This is the first CVT vehicle I have driven, and it is different. I get that it helps improve the fuel mileage especially with the CAFE standards the auto manufacturers need to meet, but I do appreciate a hard shifting automatic. Speaking of gas mileage, if you are fortunate enough to live in a state which allows a choice at the gas pump (I dont as everything has a minimum of 10% ethanol), if you pay a little extra and get fuel without ethanol, you will get 10% or so better gas mileage with the Rogue Select. It does haul a decent amount stuff when you fold the rear seats down, remove the passengers side head rest and lay the seat all the way back. I have brought home a lot of home improvement stuff in it. At the end of the day, you may find the Rogue meets your needs, BUT if you travel a lot like I do, pass this one up, spend a bit more and get something that is comfortable, or ignore my advice and give the money to your chiropractor. P.S. I am in the process of giving the Rogue back and using my own vehicle for work.

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  3 Weeks and counting - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By flyerchas - December 3 - 10:33 pm

  Ive had my 2005 Altima 2.5S for 3 weeks now, and it just keeps getting better and better. Some creaks and rattles when I hit a bad bump, but other than that is as tight as a drum. The ride is great, and my break in mileage is over 30 mpg highway. Seats are very comfortable. Its big, comfortable, rides nice and quiet. What more can you want from a $20k car?

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  Excellent Car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Westies96 - December 3 - 4:46 pm

  I have had many Honda Accords and a few Camrys. I traded my 2007 Accord EXL with navigation for my 2007 Altima 2.5SL and dont regret it. I never had a Nissan before, but was persuaded by a friend of mine who has had 3 Maximas with no problems. I have had the car for about a month now and have about 3200 miles on it. My gas mileage is great with a combination city/highway of 26.8 miles per gallon. My only issue was that the car drifts on the highway. I had the dealer look at it and they said that everything was okay. I asked if it could be the tires (Continental tires were installed at the factory). I replaced them with Michelin tires. I havent had an issue since then.

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  Buy One, You Will Love It! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By E. Hughes - December 3 - 4:00 am

  I have had my 05 Altima for a couple of months now, and I love it. It handles great, rides comfortably, gets excellent gas mileage, and has a great new body style. If you are trying to decide between similar cars, choose an Altima, I promise you will love it.

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  Super Max - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Bob Testa - December 3 - 3:43 am

  Great car much better than my 300M, fun to drive great to look at. Recommend it highly

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  Overhyped Car - Too Much Noise/Vibration - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Jason - December 2 - 5:13 pm

  I was in the market for a new car and after reading reviews and test driving a lot of cars, the Nissan Altima was my eventual choice. First the good - great power for a 4-cyl and great gas mileage. Interior is plain but functional. Very stylish. But now the bad. After 1 week of driving - A LOT of vibrations in the floor and pedals from the road. It is to the point now that my feet physically hurt if I operate the car for more than 20 minutes. According to 2 different Nissan mechanics, this is "perfectly normal" and "why the car is so cheap." I dont consider $24K to be cheap and I certainly dont expect any car to operate like this one. This purchase is a regrettable one for sure.