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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  Love My Maxima - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Derek - August 10 - 10:23 pm

  This is a terrific car. I look forward to getting behind the wheel! I bought the SL for the smooth ride, leather, opening moon roof and Bose stereo. The V-6 power is immense. I cant complain about a thing, this was a good purchase. It has a huge trunk and a lot of passenger space. It is more attractive than the Toyota Avalon. I am very happy with all of its features and at 106 degrees so far this summer, the air conditioning is perfect in Phoenix. I highly recommend the Maxima 3.5SL. I recommend the "Valentine One" radar detector if you plan on enjoying this cars power. I am going driving!

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  The Iron SUV - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By FlipFlop - August 10 - 8:03 pm

  I bought this vehicle with 15k miles on it and currently have 257k miles logged. Other than the usual wear and tear that all cars through this one has performed fantastically well. Mileage is 17 mpg city/hwy/4wd it doesnt matter. It is comfortable to drive and has plenty of get up and go for freeway driving and great stability when off road. The majority of my driving is highway and this vehicle will cruise at 75-80 and never miss a beat.

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  Constant Transmission problems from day 1 - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Bill N - August 10 - 5:45 pm

  I own a 200- Nissan Altima that I had pretty good luck with that my kids drive so when the time came I bought a brand new 2013 Nissan Altima again with the 3.5 liter engine. Almost from the beginning I would get a shudder in the car around 2000 RPMs when the car downshifted. When you press on the gas it goes away. If you come around a corner at 10-15 miles/hour and step on the gas the car downshifts and will shake all the way down the street until you step on the gas. The dealer replaced the transmission and it was fine for about 2 months. One day I turned a corner and went up a slight incline and it started again. I took it back to the dealer and they reprogrammed it which did nothing. Each time I bring it in they cannot get it to do it and say there is nothing wrong. After a long day of driving it will do it repeatedly and violently. The car only has 20,000 miles on it at this point and I dont have time to run 45 minutes away to a dealer every time it is shaking. It is very frustrating that Nissan acts like this is not a systemic issue when on line the complaints are consistent and frequent. I have filled out 3 surveys from Nissan asking to be contacted and never heard back. I like everything else about this car but if the transmission does not work correctly, the car is junk. After 2 Nissans I will never buy another one. Not sure what the issue is with this company, but making quality cars is no longer a priority.

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  Gotta Try the Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By rdallas - August 10 - 7:10 am

  I had owned two Altimas before purchasing the Rogue. I enjoyed my Altimas - never had any trouble, but the Rogue is a BLAST! I purchased the SL with moonroof, wind deflector, Bose with the dark interior. The Rogue has a luxury look to it and drives as good as it looks. Very happy with my purchase!!!

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  The Big let down - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By big mike - August 10 - 6:16 am

  I have owned my Titan for 16 months and ive had to have the rear axle replaced twice. I was told it was a bad design by Nissan. Ive also had brake issues with the rotors warping and premature wear. The gas mileage is terrible. The salesman told me it will average 15 to 18 and I have calculated 9 to 12. Although I will say this truck has enough power to race in nascar, it just doesnt quiet measure up as a work truck. When I went to traded it in the value dropped $12,000. Needless to say im still driving it. My next truck will be a Chevy!

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  Gas Gauge Issues as Well! - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By jinglesdelarock - August 9 - 6:00 pm

  Yes I am having gas gauge issues as well on this car! I had no idea that this would be an issue when I bought it. I have it scheduled to be fixed tomorrow, good to know from the review below me that it may not be fixed even after several attempts.

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  2010 Sentra 2.0S - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By haveaclue - August 9 - 3:16 pm

  What a nice car, especially with the I- pod interface as standard. Rides nice/quiet on the road. Base price was down $600.00 from 2009 in the S line. Been driving GM cars for the last 20 years, purchased 10 Brand New, and with the new change they are not for me no longer, cmon a Colbalt more money then the Sentra. Way to go Nissan!

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  Best vehiclel Ive ever owned - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By MACK - August 9 - 10:06 am

  Nissan has hit a home run with the Murano. Comfort, handling, equipment, build quality...all excellent. Its one of the only vehicles Ive owned which makes me want to buy another one when the lease runs out on this.

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  so far so good!!! - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By tyfast - August 9 - 7:46 am

  I have about 39000 on my trunk now and it has been a good truck. The only problem i have had is the heater control switch will not move to thefull open position and the only way to six it is to take the hole dash off. So i just keep it at 80% and it is enough to keep me warm and the only other thing is the driver side door handle trim is coming off. I drive in the snow everyweekend on my way snowboarding, I still have a brand new set of of Tire chains i bought when i got the truck and they still have never been out of the boxes. Love the truck.

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  New Pathfinder Owner - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By newpathyowner - August 8 - 4:33 am

  I was looking for a bigger suv than my 04 Suzuki XL-7 and so far Im glad I chose the Pathfinder. Ive only had it for a week, but no major complaints. It rides very well, hardly any road noise, a lot of power and it looks good. So far, so good, so very, very good!