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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  Living large and loving it! - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Zoomnbyu - June 14 - 6:36 am

  We replaced an 03 Expedition. We went with the Nissan because we could get it equipped pretty much exactly the way we wanted it. Almost a thousand miles later we have really fallen for this truck. A few quibbles so far would be only a couple of interior fit issues and a booming noise in gear at idle. I would complain about the gas mileage, but that would be pointless! You get what you get in MPG when you buy a behemoth like this (I rated comparable economy). With three kids, frequent family trips and a boat that gets used nearly every weekend in the summer this quickly becomes the ultimate family vehicle!!!

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  Looks good parked next to our 1978 280z - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By Tony & Lesley - June 13 - 1:10 pm

  The car overall is wonderful. The only problems so far are that the seats are made for smaller/thinner people. If you are larger, they may not be comfortable. The access for a "lighter" style battery connection is up under the passenger side console. Not very convenient for plugging in cell phones, etc. The back cargo area is very limited. Our small dogs crate will not fit in there so we cant use the car for traveling. The blind spot in the rear quarter panels on both sides is bad and I have almost changed lanes on top of people twice. Limited rear view. As an every day driver though, it is fun and really turns heads. This is our 3rd Z car and we still have our original, a 1978 280 2 door

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  LOVE THIS CAR!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By trek2 - June 13 - 11:46 am

  I have owned my Altima for 5 months now and it is by far the best I have ever owned. The mpg Im getting is better than advertised. When I stay at 60 mph or under I get near 42 mpg on the highway I thought I would be disappointed in its performance considering its a 4 cylinder, but I have been pleasantly surprised. The 4 cylinder is a bit noisy, but easily tolerable.

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  Surprised - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Steph - June 13 - 10:30 am

  I dont really care for small cars. I once had a 1994 Sentra and it was too small. I had my heart set on a 2008 Max, but with the gas as high as it is, Im glad I got the Sentra. I am very impressed with this car, the speed, the interior, the exterior. The style is awesome, looks like a mini Max, if the Sentra still had the body style that they had before 2007, I would not have purchased it. The 2008 Sentra has much more room, and the accessories are the best. There are only 2 things I dont like about this car and that is the tight steering and as with any small car, the wind blows it around. I would recommend this car to anyone, plus Im a Nissan woman.

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  Few Major Problems - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By aj2001 - June 13 - 2:10 am

  I too have had issues with the windshield wipers which is seriously annoying. Other than that the only major problem ive had is that I had to replace the starter three times and the computer went out twice. I dont know if I bought a rebuilt one, but I was really angry that it wasnt as reliable as I had thought.

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  I love it - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By pompocho - June 13 - 2:07 am

  I bought the 2008 Versa SL on May 2008 and I really like it. I had to take it to the dealership for services because the air sensor keeps coming up. I took it back 4 times and they were not able to find the problem. I finally took it to SEARS and they were able to fix it. It is very economic and roomy. I have been reading about some ABS problem, thanks god I havent had any issue yet. The car has 28000 miles. Lets see when it reach the 50K. For now I enjoying it and I am planning to give it to my daughter who is turning 18 pretty soon.

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  Best truck on the road - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By feyded1020 - June 12 - 12:49 pm

  I drove the Tacoma and the Frontier both considerably to compare, and the ultimate winner as far as price goes and value, is the Frontier. The Tacoma has a weaker engine, the bed is flimsy, as well as the frame that the truck rides on, its not a fully boxed frame(Only HALF of the truck is semi boxed, the rest is just open framed) like the Frontier(every respectable truck manufacturer uses fully boxed frames for a reason, they are more rigid and provide better towing #s). On top of all this, the Frontier rode better, offered way more power and way more features for less money. Overall the Tacoma didnt hold up when side by side to the Frontier.

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  Car with lots to offer - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By gmo7092.5S - June 12 - 7:50 am

  Car is great. Looks really good. Like it in Silver the best. Handles pretty well. Lots of packages ..conv, conv plus and connection package. Looking forward to better reliability than I had with my Olds Alero v6. That was a fun car to drive, but too many issues with the head gasket leaking! Now I have a 4cylinder, but I am liking it. Coupe should have lights/design that sedan has! Love radio but does need quicker way to get from low #d station to higher without having to hold down seek and wait. Also, brakes are a bit touchy. Steering seems to not want to center for some reason. Wind noise is really loud with windows down on faster drive..super loud. Key fab buttons look alike

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  New Pathfinder - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By IlikeNissan - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Pathfinder. Our first SE was two-wheel drive, which was sufficient until we moved to Colorado.... we have been so pleased with the Pathfinder performance that we bought the Limited (4WD). We have towed an occasional small trailer, or sometimes a small boat in mountains, and its effortless with this vehicle. Handling in snowstorms, even on hills, has been excellent. Lot of standard items, even in the basic Pathfinder.

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  Original owner - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By primus2000 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  have owned this vehicle since december 2000 super performance and no problems