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:

• 

  2004 Altima with 225,000 miles - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Bob S - August 5 - 10:00 am

  Cant beat this car. I bought it in 2005 and it had 19,000 miles. Now it has 225,000 miles and still going strong. I have replaced the alternator, crank shaft position sensor (car was stalling a lot), and A/C expansion valve. I live in FL so A/C is a must. A/C repair was the most expensive at $375. Overall it gets 5 stars. I am hoping to get to 400,000 miles before giving it up.

• 

  Our Maxima has been AWESOME! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Wicksy - August 5 - 10:00 am

  It is sad to see all the issues some are having with their Maximas. Ours has been problem free and we hope this continues. If the new one wasnt so expensive we would look at upgrading. Great car, and a great value.

• 

  Doors swing hard, bad console - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By wudzwomn - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I read these before purchasing. Nissan must not read, still same issues from YEARS ago. The console is too low, no resting your arm on. And the doors swing hard, wide. Easy to door ding others if dont watch it. Otherwise I love my new truck so far. Only 3,000 miles. The bed extender rocks. No fog lights is weird. Cab is roomy. I traded my Toyota Tacoma. Got almost as much truck at much better price.

• 

  Great deal for a practical commuter! - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By NasserMA - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for my mother and initially felt bad that I could not afford a nicer car for her. This completely changed once I got a chance to drive it! With the CVT, hatchback, upgraded interior this car is absolutely wonderful. I drove over 600 miles in one day and felt comfortable (Im 64"!) and relaxed. The CVT is extraordinarily smooth and efficient and had no problem with power up mountains. This car is awesome, a great commuter, and I managed an average of 34-35 MPG during the trip!

• 

  Love this SUV - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Anne - August 5 - 10:00 am

  We have been searching for a new SUV, our old 2002 buck was ready to die so we traded in our Buick for the Nissan rouge we picked it up yesterday, drove it today love the feel the power and smooth ride, great car, we got it in glacier Pearl. Ppl complain of the service light that comes on and think it is a major problem when it comes on it means that the gas cap is not closed properly or tightly enough, so make sure the gas cap is tight and the light will not come on anymore if you tighten the gas cap hope this helps well looking forward to driving some more, lots of room in the back for storing everything, great small SUV excited to have this car, gappy trails everyone

• 

  Smell of Coolant Already - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By mongo - August 5 - 10:00 am

  Im enjoying my new car, but I recently noticed the smell of coolant after driving it with the a/c on. I did an online search & found other Nissan owners experiencing the same issue. I havent taken my car in for an inspection, but after reading some posts, its unlikely theyll find a problem right away. I stress over the fact that I paid a hefty price to buy a new car so I wouldnt have to worry about mechanical issues for awhile & now this has come up. However, no other issues so far.

• 

  Sporty Value - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By whitng - August 5 - 6:03 am

  Traded up from a Sentra SE-R. Although much bigger, the Altima Coupe 3.5SE has more power and a luxyury-car like interior with the premium pkg. Im getting almost the same gas mileage as the Sentra, too! Handling is softer but the A/C is a great value for what you get.

• 

  Great College Car - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Felt32 - August 5 - 3:13 am

  I really enjoyed this car for 6 years until I wrecked it. This was a very good car for my college years. No complaints.

• 

  LOVE IT AT FIRST, BUT THEN.... NOT! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Altima - August 4 - 7:36 pm

  Pros: love the power, handling good, gas is okay (v6. what do you expected), anti-lock breaks, Cons: bad brakes (worn-out quick), highway noise, steering wheel vibration even right after well balancing. "Heat seal" this is a bad and annoying thing ive been dealing with. Nissan is well known about this negative thing, but has yet to come up with a better solution. Would i buy a nissan again? The answer is noooooooooooooo!!!

• 

  Awesome Car, The Truth! - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By TreeTree - August 4 - 4:35 pm

  I bought this car brand new, and never had an issue with it. Kept up with the maintenance/ oil changes and still going at great at 115,000 miles. Ive had a lot of cars, Pontiac, Olds, Ford, Kia, dodge(horror stories on transmissions), and Toyota.. This is by far the best car Ive ever owned. I have AWD and it handles the cold, harsh climate of Upper Peninsula Michigan just fine. Lets just say, Ive past many 4wD trucks on the side of the road during the snow storms and made it home safe and sound. I would buy another Nissan Rogue in a second, and recommend this car.