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:

• 

  This is a nice car - 2013 Nissan Versa
  By dqdave - October 2 - 10:03 pm

  1) Comfortable. 2) Practical. 3) Good gas Mileage. 4) Nice Drive. 5) Not a lot of power. But, enough power.

• 

  Nissan titan.. Almost a 10 - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By CHAD THEIMER - October 2 - 9:10 pm

  The truck is the best thing ever.. Gas mileage not so great. I do drive it hard so im only getting 11.5 To 15.0

• 

  BIG - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By mtoddc - October 2 - 6:26 am

  Picked up an 05 LE Crew 4x4 with nav, dvd, xm, sunroof, RockFos tunes, lots more. Unbelievable value, even fully loaded. Back seat roomier than my Sequoia 2nd row (trade in), best stereo around, drives like a car although definately a BIG TRUCK. Power keeps coming and coming, cant wait to tow the toys and see how it feels off road. Only minor gripe so far is although the Nav is great, it is not has intuitive or feature filled as my Acuras. Also poor gas mileage, but I knew that coming in. Test drive all the crew cabs first, and youll still drive away with the Titan. Even die hard Detroit fans will have to think twice this time around. Thank you Nissan!

• 

  Good value (if it doesnt break) - 2013 Nissan Versa
  By hdykiel - October 2 - 2:38 am

  I own the most basic model of the versa. For the price, the value is pretty good. The car is very roomy, more than what you would expect. Looks are also ok. Driving, it has enough power to get you places but take it easy on the road because it does not grip well and gets tossed around by the wind like a leaf. Reliability has been terrible for my car, I would be broke if it wasnt for the warranty. In one year and less than 18,000 miles, its had 4 significant mechanical problems already. Loose muffler shield, damaged sway bar links, malfunctioning valve, and foggy headlight.

• 

  Ready for New Car Already - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Emily - October 1 - 8:20 pm

  I dont know why I bought it in the first place - it just had everything I needed at the time (7 passenger and still had storage room). But Ive never been impressed with how it handles. Hit a pot hole and the thing feels like you could lose control. Lots of air bags and feels solid - think it would survive a crash okay. But there is something about hitting potholes. Its very roomy and I love the interior. Huge display screen is great! Only other bad thing is the gas mileage. A year ago that wasnt a problem for me. Now Im having second thoughts. At only 16 mpg, it certainly isnt cheap.

• 

  Runs good but cheap quality interior - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By daylight123 - October 1 - 1:56 pm

  We bought this van brand new in 2006. The tires that came with it needed replacing after one year. The driver and passendger sun visors keep breaking off. We have replaced them 3 times over the years. The interior light fixtures and air vents fall out regularly. Cup holders broke off. Seat folding handle is broken. C/D player broke after the 2nd year. The bearings needed to be replaced at around 75,000 miles. Right now at 94,000 miles the a/c is not working and the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Also, the dashboard indicator lights are not reliable. Have recently replaced the alternator - $500.

• 

  Horrible Owner Experience - 2017 Nissan Armada
  By Len Burton - October 1 - 12:27 pm

  I purchased my 2017 Nissan Armada in September and it has been in the shop for multiple issues. I bought my Platinum Armada thinking i wouldnt have any issues for a long time to come. Well that was farther from the truth..... The issues started the day I took it home and its currently in the repair shop for 12 days now for a total of 3 trips now. Im wondering if I made the wrong decision in buying a model in its first year on the market... because it has been in the shop for 23 out of the 40 days since the day I brought it home. I have been a loyal customer to the Nissan Brand for many years. I never thought that I would be writing a review about how unhappy I am with my Nissan Armada. Its just painful when you make a purchase of this magnitude and spend your hard earned money for a product that turns out to be a NIGHTMARE. Im not sure how this story will end but its already taken a toll on me. If I had to do it all over again I would have waited another year before buying the Nissan Armada. I have to say its looks nice with all the bells and whistles. When you cant drive your new vehicle without issues all of that goes out the window. Well I will have to wait to see how this all plays out and do a follow up to this review after I get my vehicle back. So stay tuned for part 2 of my saga!!!

• 

  XTERRA CHEAP SUV AND CHEAP RIDE - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By FROCKY356 - September 30 - 10:00 am

  NOT TOO BAD BUT VALUE DIMINISHED AND BETTER MODELS CAME OUT TO SOON AND WAS LEFT WITH AN UNDER POWERED SUV WASTE OF MONEY LOST OVER 8,000 IN VALUE LESS THAN 2 YEARS

• 

  Great reliable Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By frank3251 - September 30 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car with 22K on it. The car moves especially well for a V6 with only 190 hp. Engine is smooth and first rate, interior features are ok. Car is put together well. The clutch is mediocre if at all that much. Handling is ok, not really first class.

• 

  Very happy with my purchase - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By RK2003 - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I test-drove virtually all SUVs in the Muranos price range and theur is literally nothing that comes close to its handling, performance and looks. Has many of the benefits of the SUV in a much more driveable package. And personally, I think that the styling is both radical and beautiful. Its one of the prettiest vehicles on the road today and makes every other SUV look like a big box on wheels. Only downside is the ride can be a bit harsh on bad roads. It transmits road problems much the way a sports car does. The Murano gets more than its share of complements from stragers