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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  My Maxima is falling apart.... - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Peter - October 9 - 2:16 pm

  I brought car used at 40k miles from my Sister - mint condition, California car. Driven mostly 7-8k per year (light). Powerful, smooth, quiet and great for a road trip, but..... The car is fragile! The starter went out at 65k($375 replace), the front strut bearing plates broke at 75k ($750 including struts and labor), the check-engine light came on at 76k (Evaporator system problem ($650), Rear brake calipers slightly locking up due to frozen/corroded parking mechanism ($600 to fix refurb calipers inc labor). I have no clue why the car is falling apart right before my eyes. Im going to trade it soon. Sad, what a powerful and smooth vehicle. :-( Peter

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  Classy Equipment Hauler - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By starpix - October 9 - 11:33 am

  Perfect vehicle for me, often carrying large photo equipment. Hauls all my long cargo when needed with more secure privacy than most SUVs. When I am not hauling equipment it provides a classy ride and great performance. I felt very safe on rainy and slushy roads thanks to great handling and road holding. All this with good highway mileage. Could use a little more low end torque.

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  love Love LOVE IT - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By scdunn474 - October 9 - 10:16 am

  I love this car - It is soo wonderful to drive and has style that cant be beat. I have not had one problem with this car.

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  Good basic transportation with suspension issues - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By vtgeoboy - October 8 - 11:28 pm

  I bought a used 2008 Sentra with about 60k miles. Overall it is a good car, very spacious interior, and good gas mileage (35 mpg on highway). However, there have been suspension issues. As you can see on some Nissan owners forums, the rear wheels are permanently out of alignment. This is an easy fix - a tire shop can install a shim kit. If you dont do that, you will burn through tires. Soon after that, one of the front wheel bearings started making a loud rumbling. That was replaced, but the ABS sensor was rusted into the hub and had to be replaced - ABS sensor is $200. Fuel filler door stopped working - plastic cable end broke.

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  Awesome Ride! - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By T - October 8 - 7:36 pm

  This is my third Z and I am more impressed each time. Ive had a hardtop, T-tops, and now a convertible. I absolutely love it and cant wait to until the next time I can take it for a spin. I take the long way home just to make the experience last longer. My Z totally makes my day and improves my mood after a long hard day at the office. I actually can forget about work once I get in. Its fast and fun. Taking corners is a blast! It absolutely rocks! So much thinking has gone into this car. Get the GPS, especially if you are logistically disadvantaged! The stereo is impressive. Its beyond an incredible value. At this price point, its a major steal!

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  Love my Red Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By lsutyger - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive been looking at these for nearly a year (owned a 96 Nissan P/U before). This truck has lived up to all my expectations, and shattered others. I would reccomend it for anyone looking at a full size truck.

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  A GREAT Sports Sedan - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Regg - October 8 - 10:00 am

  This is my 1st time buying a car and I am VERY impressed with the Maxima. I compared this car to the Acura TL, G35, IS 300, Saab 9-3 Aero, and the Maxima won! This car has every option to keep you comfortable while driving, and performace/handling to make anyone looking at sports sedans very satisified. I chose the Maxima b/c it has the performance of the BMW, the reliablilty of the Acura, the uniqueness of the Saab, and the luxury of a Lexus. This car is just as good any other entry level sports sedan but cost less then $30k.

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  Suspension - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By ken - October 8 - 8:43 am

  The second week took it back for alignment and tail light assembly. Third month replaced l/f strut. Now tires are cracking. Bumpy ride, dealer says it is normal. The car is too high, hard to control on a highway in wind. Try to pass on a highway,you hear the engine too loud and take a will to get to the next gear. I was ok buying used nissan. Now I spend more time in the shop than on the road. Bought it for my wife,I wish I hadnt. Have a car problem and a wife problem. Gas mileage is decent but not worth the hassle.I should have bought something else. Hard to imagine keeping his for few more years. Hope this is helpful.

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  shame on nissan - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By gemini23 - October 7 - 3:35 pm

  Am leasing 2012 maxima sport after turning in my 2009..Shame on Nissan! The 2009 Maxima was all class inside & out.Appealed to young & old alike. Handling was exceptional as well. I dont know what Nissan was thinking when they changed this once beautiful car.What made the car an eye-catcher,a pleasure to drive and to own is now gone. Smaller interior, no real room for a third person in the back,extremely uncomfortable for rear passengers.Exterior..smaller lights, smaller sloping hood, smaller rear light fin. Smaller everything. No longer catches the eye & no handling improvements (as claimed) that I see.Obviously gearing toward younger generation. What was once a class car in now just a car

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  Much better options on the market than this car - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Michael S. - October 6 - 10:53 pm

  I recently rented the Altima and drive it for 5 days. I will start with the good parts of the car. The CVT transmission is smooth and the engine power is adequate. The trunk size is a decent and seats were ok for long drives. The fuel mileage was excellent. Now for the negatives. The interior of the car is just cheap. There are lots of hard plastics everywhere. The nobs feel cheap, and I dont see it holding up. The driving dynamics of the car was horrible. I felt that I had to always make corrections going down a straight highway. The transitions badly needs to be reprogrammed as it always feel like it is in too high of a gear at lower speeds which makes the engine on the verge of stall. I am sure this was done to drive better fuel economy. I just dont know why someone would buy this car or a similarly price Honda Accord which is like a luxury car compared to the Altima.