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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  Solid Reliable and a great value - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By k374 - November 2 - 8:06 am

  Ive owned my 04 for 4 years now. Just got done with a 1500 mile trip to Lake Tahoe and not a single problem, fuel economy average was 26.95 mpg!!! Its true that it lacks power but just use the lower gears and you will be just fine! I have towed 2000 lbs regularly without issues. As far as reliability goes, it is GOLD, I havent had a single problem so far. In the last 4 years and 55,000 miles I only had a flat tire once!! For the money you cant get anything better in the entry level compact truck segment.

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  95 nissan pathfinder - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ryan - November 2 - 7:03 am

  I like the car over all, it will get me where I need to go, but the acceleration and top speed are pretty bad. I have to do alot of work to mine, iv had to replace the brakes twice, the brakes arent very good. Its peppy, but not a performance car in any way. The problems I have with the car are all small. Only big problem Ive had was with the headlights. The previous owner ran wires directly from the headlight wire to something else(havent followed wire) and the fuse would blow when headlights were turned on, I disconnected the wires and problem was gone. The safety issue was plastic burning when headlights were on, possible fire in steering wheel... wouldnt have been good. happy w/ car overall

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  A great car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Tom - November 2 - 5:43 am

  This is a fabulous sports sedan. It was the last model year before the Maxima came out in the Altima body style. The acceleration was so smooth and effortless due to the 255hp engine. The ABS brakes and traction control system gave the car a 10+ in handling. Steered like a sports car. Because I am a low mileage driver, about 7500 mpy, the dealer offered me a great trade on a 2005 Altima, or I would still be driving it.

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  Rear Visibility would be nice - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Greg - November 1 - 8:00 pm

  I received this vehicle as a rental. The design of the rear quarter windows creates one of the worst blind spots in any vehicle Ive driven. The layout of the controls are not very well organized. The mirror controls are way to far out of reach. Fuel mileage was very poor at 17 mpg. My 15 year old F-150 with a V-8 does better! I wish the rental company could have given me an American vehicle.

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  Armada - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Hvy Dee - November 1 - 4:03 pm

  I had a 03 expedition and it had numerous problems. I traded for the Beast about one year ago. I am very happy I did, the beast is fun to drive and pulls a 7800# boat much better. Over all I feel it is a better vehicle.

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  Throw away the radio - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By mossman4 - November 1 - 1:59 pm

  Bad stereo, bad sound , No auxiliary jack, bad reception, disappointing.

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  Worst Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jem10 - November 1 - 6:34 am

  My family has owned many Nissan/Infiniti vehicles over the years and have loved them, until this one came along. We, along with many others, were faced with the dreaded transmission/radiator problem. We rebuilt the transmission, luckily had a warranty that paid for it. Then, 5 months later, the oil pump failed, which required a new timing chain tensioner along with many other simultaneous repairs, $1700 bill and 3 weeks in the shop. The TPMS light has been on for 1 year. I have had the system checked multiple times and the mechanics didnt know what was wrong with it. I have encouraged my entire family and all of my friends to choose something besides Nissans in the future.

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  Sweet Ride - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Perijt - November 1 - 6:20 am

  What a sweet ride! I just wish my wife would let me drive it more. I researched for weeks which car to buy, started out with Camry in mind and then moved on to Accord. In the end we decided to test drive an Altima just for the heck of it, not really having considered it in the beginning. We immediately fell in love with the smooth quiet ride, power off the line, smoothness of the CVT, and push-button start! After reading owner reviews of all three models, most of the Altima owners showed a genuine enthusiasm for their new cars. I can definitely say the same!

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  Great car. - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Lee - October 31 - 11:46 pm

  Love the car. It has been all I expected it to be. I like sitting very high and having the feeling of being in a large vehicle and getting the mpg of a smaller one. Fyi a previous reviewer, the rear seats do recline if you know how to pull a strap on the set bottom and push the back of the seat.

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  A lot of noise vibration. - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By alain - October 31 - 10:26 am

  First week my Roque had a noise then finally they had to change the belt tension er and the that noise is gone, but in compaction with other cars that I had, even older, this rogue is the most noise one I had. It have a lot of vibration coming from the engine. I am not happy with this purchase.