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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  What Ive Always Wanted - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Beathany - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Ive always wanted this vehicle ever since the model style changed from the old one. It was love at first sight and now that I own it, I fall in love over and over again everytime I drive it. The car is amazing and I highly recommend it as a first choice for affordability and reliability.

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  If it werent for the dang tires.... - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Big T - July 16 - 9:10 am

  I would love to say that everything about my car is rosy and great. However, Nissan for some inexplicable reason decided to install Continental tires on these cars (at least the ones sold here in Indianapolis), and the dang thing will chatter the teeth out of your head at 75mph plus. Other than that its a superb car and I cannot wait until I have the cash to replace those tires with Michelins. In all honesty I love this car. It has great power for a 4banger and is very smooth (if you dont have a lead foot like me). The only other issue Ive had is that it tends to sound a bit like a diesel when you start it cold. Im told that this is perfectly normal...if not a bit annoying at times.

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  Nissan Altima 3.5l SE Review - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By bunk22 - July 15 - 6:00 pm

  I purchased my Altima with the intent of it being my daily driver, 60 miles a day. Previously owned an 04 Maxima and loved the 3.5l engine. The Altima had 47,XXX miles when I bought it and 2.5 years later has 81,XXX miles. It is the A4 model with all leather interior. I change the oil every 4000 miles, rotate the tires and keep it in great shape. The engine is great, very good power to pass traffic or easily accelerate onto a freeway. The engine still runs beautifully; the car handles great; the interior leather looks awesome for 81K miles (though I do take great care of it). My only complaint in 2.5 years is that my 6- disc CD player just gave out.

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  Transmission Woes - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By BadChuggle - July 15 - 9:03 am

  This is my first Nissan. First off, I love the looks and design of the unit. After my first road trip with the unit 1500 miles I started experiencing the dreaded torque converter problem you will read about. It has lived at the dealer for weeks while they an Nissan diagnosed the problem. The long and short, there is no known cure for these symptoms. 30-45 MPH (5th gear) torque converter clunks with slightest variation in RPM (up and down). Worse yet is that at highway speeds (cruise on) down a hill, it happens over and over again (worse). Now 15000+ miles, cant stand to drive the truck because of the clunking. Make sure that you keep on the dealer for a fix! This condition is not right!

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  Avoid like the plague! - 2014 Nissan Sentra
  By 1angryconsumer - July 14 - 12:33 pm

  I purchased this car about 3 months ago. When I test drove it I didnt notice anything unusual. But after about a week of driving I noticed the car starts to "shudder" when slowing down to a stop or creeping in traffic. Every day, every time. It will keep it up until you either stop or accelerate. The CVT operates at two levels for 2014, basically Low and Drive. Its not dropping out of Drive to Low, causing terrible shuddering in the CVT. Nissan calls it "Juttering." So its a known issue! Ive been to the dealer 3X. Nissan Corporate Consumer and Regional Techs have been involved and say its "normal." Really? Thats BS, inexcusable and very poor engineering. This CVT is a disaster! AVOID

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  Many small opportunities to rise above the rest - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Peter - July 14 - 1:16 am

  Ive owned my Altima for a little over 2 years now. PROS: Good engine response and pedal feel. This car drives much better than its Toyota and Honda competitors. This car feels spacious and definitely has more comfort room than many other competitors such as the Chrysler 200. Fuel Economy is pretty good. CONS: Upholstery does not come in black, so it wont match a black interior option. There seems to be some unintended ventilation in the foot well when air flow is directed to the windshield. There is some BSR (Buzz, squeak, rattle) from the bracket housing the speaker(s) behind the rear seats during bass-heavy music. Headlamps are adequate but could be improved for better luminosity. There is some wind/road/transmission noise when on the highway which can get annoying - can be drowned out with music but we shouldnt have to do that. The Navigation system could use improvements with the interface and operation - When a turn is coming up, a lane suggestion would help so we know which lane to turn in. Also with Navigation, give a heads up on 2 incoming turns instead of just the immediate one, and let drivers zoom out on the map when getting close to a turn (Currently, the navigation goes into zoomed-in screen showing the turn - which helps - but wont let you look at the map until the turn is complete). Lastly, I got the underbody lights option for the car (lights up the ground next to the doors so you can see where youre stepping during night) - These need a more robust method of attachment to the vehicle. Salt from winter roads makes these loose and non-functional. OVERALL = This model is very capable in performing as a vehicle but it could use some help with noise cancellation and elimination of BSR. I think the CONS for this car are small improvements that NISSAN should be able to easily capture. If they can address these issues, then I think the Altima will be superior to all its price-bracket competitors in the sedan segment.

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  95 Nissan pathfinder SE - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By truck hunter - July 13 - 1:36 pm

  I bought this truck in really rough condition as my first vehicle. The exhaust leaks, the frame is rusted, the suspension is shot. But this has to be the most reliable vehicle ive ever seen! in -10 degree weather it would start right up, and plow through 3 foot snow banks in 4WD L like they werent even there. Ive never had a problem getting it started, or getting it out of rough conditions. I even used it to tow my dads huge Dodge ram 1500 back when his tranny blew. I really love my "screaming metal death trap" as I call it. weather going 65 down the highway or crawling through snow and mud, this truck gets the job done!

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  great for us - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By dbarbour - July 13 - 9:10 am

  This van has been great. Millage is good (21 city - 28 hwy), We now have 210,000 and have had very few repairs considering its age. Mostly routine repairs. I love driving this van, it is very comfortable, handles well and acceleration is great! I live in a northern state and it handles winter driving well even with only FWD and all season tires. However, I hate backing it up as visiblity is lousy.

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  Love it - Hate It - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Darlene - July 12 - 3:50 am

  Since I bought this car in April and the sun was shining in upstate NY that day, how it would handle in the snow and ice was the last thing on my mind. Well, I found out. Not good going up or down hills and since I live in a valley, the only way to get to work is UP. Ive had some scary times with it already. Im in search of a really good gripping tires for the front. I fell in love with the car style (love the rear), the leather, the moon roof, etc. The keyless thing was supposed to be a selling point, but I wouldnt buy another one, Ive walked away forgetting to shut the car off! I find Im losing my keys more often too, since you dont have to have them close by.

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  Nothing but trouble - dont buy it - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By GreginNJ - July 11 - 4:13 pm

  We bought a demo model of the Quest which was fully loaded (DVD, navigation, wireless headphones, leather, power everything, etc..) Its back in the shop for the FOURTH time as the rear lift gate arm keep breaking off. Now Nissan has to replace the entire rear lift gate and arm (the bolt the lift arm connects to is integrated into the entire door and is stripped). The dealer tried repairing it 3 times previously, replaced the lift arm twice, and every time it breaks of within a matter of weeks. The quality of the components is very, very bad. We had the cover on a power outlet break off, same with a handle on the middle seat. Now were scared because it just went beyond 36,000mi.