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:

• 

  My Titan has been very good - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By James - November 11 - 8:43 am

  My Titan has been very good in the time I have owned it. The gas mileage has been better than expected, especially considering the power the truck has. I have had as good as 23 miles to the gallon on the highway, and usually get at least 20 MPG. The truck rides nice and has a huge amount of space inside. We have used it to take long trips instead of our SUV because it is more comfortable and actually has more interior space.

• 

  It will do - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Kansan - November 11 - 4:43 am

  Just turned over 5,000 miles on my Versa equiped with 6spd and power package. Interior room is great. Kids like the back seat. Layout is functional for a car of this price. No defects so far. Gas mileage is a real disappointment. Rarely get 30 mpg in mixed driving i.e 50% hwy 50% city. No way will this care get 30 mpg with the AC on no matter how you drive it. Performance isnt great, but as expected for a car this size. But, for $14K with front and side airbags, it will do.

• 

  Disappointed - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By PF - November 10 - 10:33 pm

  I find it to be very noisy. Wind noise especially from the sunroof is annoying. Rattling from defroster vents on the top of the dashboard is annoying and appears to be a poor design. Thats just me being a little picky with engineering problems that shouldnt be that hard to correct. My big disappointment is that with only 28,000 miles on it the evaporator cannister and vent control valve failed and cost me $550.00 to fix at the dealer. Im out of warranty because its over 36 months old. I contacted Nissan, but they have offerd me no consideration helping out with the cost of repairs. I wouldnt have expected components to fail at such low mileage.

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Kelly - November 10 - 9:40 am

  I love my Altima and would encourage anyone to buy one too. It is sporty, comfortable and has great highway gas milage (for a non-hybrid car). I was also considering the Toyota Camry, but felt the Altima was the better choice for a person in their late twenties.

• 

  Great For the Money With Room for Improvement. - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By khuzbuz - November 10 - 6:21 am

  Having driven it for 1,400 miles I still feel its a great value. LIKES: The int/ext styling is nice and Nissan used high quality materials; rear legroom & trunk space is outstanding; great gas mileage; bluetooth/USB/AUX; XM radio; Auto headlights; quiet ride on highway; lit kickplates. DISLIKES: Underpowered (feel like Im gassing it more than I would expect to); small gas tank (Averaging around 300-330miles per tank); lack of storage compartments & center console is too far back for arm rest; cant extend steering wheel out as much causing awkward driving posture; driver seat should be more comfortable with lumbar adjustment; loud engine when accelarating; no maintenance reminder.

• 

  CVT TRANSMISSION - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By pswanee - November 10 - 6:02 am

  This is the third transmission installed on my 2008 Nissan Sentra. After 67,672 miles the first one broke down where the car had to be towed 95 miles to the Nissan Dealer. The second one broke down at 68,845, only 2 weeks after getting it back, 173 miles. Nissan extended their warranty on this CVT transmission, because of the problems, from 5 years 60,000 miles to 10 years 120,000 miles. Since the transmission broke down at 7,672 miles from the initial warranty, the BBB advised the Lemon law cannot be applied since it is after the initial warranty 5 years 60,000 miles even though it was extended. Nissan being aware of this will not buy back the vehicle but just keeps replacing the transmissi

• 

  Stylish, economical pickup - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By usaf52 - November 9 - 10:43 pm

  Initially bought the truck because I liked the styling & it received excellent reviews from auto critics. Have not had one complaint or any trouble in 13K of driving.

• 

  95 Nissan Maxima GLE - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By 95 Nissan Maxima - November 9 - 9:20 pm

  Great Car...Very Reliable...Still running strong at 240,000 miles, hoping it will reach 300,000 miles. Never done any major repair accept preventive maintenance.

• 

  Wow, where did this come from? - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Seth - November 9 - 3:30 pm

  Honestly, I never considered this car until my wife and I actually went shopping for a small SUV. We drove the CRV and just did not like that car, and I love Honda. It wasnt comfortable, and the design (both int and ext) was unappealing to us. Hence, we went to the Nissan dealer to just see what they had, actually to look at a pathfinder. We saw the Rogue sitting there on the lot and we were both intrigued. We talked to the salesman, and decided to go for a test drive. The drive was beautiful. So smooth, quiet, and comfortable. The interior is so well designed. The Bose sound system is wonderful. This SUV walks circles around each and every SUV on the market in my opinion. Nissan is now #1

• 

  Wicked Awesome - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jonny D. - November 9 - 3:20 pm

  Wow. Thats all I can say. I just purchased this truck, used, from a private seller and I have been in love ever since. The interior is plush, but not gaudy; it is simple, easy on the eyes and consistent with the trucks exterior look. Leather seats are very comfortable. The exterior possesses all the characterisitcs commonly sought after by the superficial man -- it looks very cool. But the best part about the truck, and the reason why I would buy it again even if it didnt have all this other stuff, is that it is so much fun to drive. It feels like you are coasting on air; the engine is strong and quick. It accelerates quickly and brakes the same. It is a blast.