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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  Best in Show - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By T-Dog - June 6 - 10:00 am

  This is by far the best mid-size SUV on the market. I drove them all, and the Pathfinder has the most bang for the buck, great acceleration, and decent towing capabilities. The back seat could offer a bit more room, but it will be fine for 2 full size adults.

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  LOVE MY MAXI - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By the greeder - June 6 - 12:20 am

  I love my 07 maxima. I also drove an 07 Camry and an 06 maxima, but once I drove the 07 maxi it was over. Just love the sporty looks inside and out.I only have one complaint and it really has nothing to do with the car itself. My husband and I wanted the SL because of the woodgrain look but now are having a problem buying a spoiler for it because ours didnt have one on it.

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  Fun Car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Justin - June 5 - 7:56 pm

  I have only owned this car for 2 months but I am extremely happy with it. I am 6 4" and fit in it just fine. This site really helped in my decision to purchase it. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a good fun car at a fair price.

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  Update - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Mike - June 5 - 1:40 pm

  After more ownership, things just get worse. Poor build quality: more things keep falling off/apart. Intermittent failures such as door sensors claiming that a door is ajar when it isnt. Climate controls are AWFUL! Blows 110 degree hot air even down to 65 F setting on the display and the next notch below (60F) blows cold air with NO heat! Impossible to get comfortable. Have to press the seat 1/2 memory buttons with about 50 pounds of force to get them to activate. Many other nit picks. Our worst vehicle by far, and weve owned more than a half dozen SUVs over time!

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  My New Rogue SL AWD loaded - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By KYTexan - June 5 - 1:06 pm

  We love our new Rogue. Traded out of a RAM1500 quad cab, now getting almost double the mpg which is very nice. Drove all the vehicles in the small SUV segment, liked the Nissan the best overall. I splurged and got all the options; leather, moon roof, heated seats, paddle shifters, etc. I will be ordering the rear wing/spoiler as it wasnt available when I purchased my Rogue. Ive had a ton of folks say they really like its looks. Avg MPG so far on 2 tanks of gas is 22.6 with a 60/40 split of city/hwy driving. Pretty good for something my wife and kids can fit in comfortably.

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  Not worth the price or problems to come! - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Sha29 - June 5 - 12:34 pm

  This car had everything I wanted and a great paint color when purchased. However, I should have done some more research before spending over $30000 for something Ive had nothing but problems with since. Shortly after we purchased this, I noticed my car would start to shudder when I would go around corners or have to slow down then regain speed. It has also happened while driving down the highway at 65-70 mph. I mentioned this multiple times to my dealership when I would take it in for my oil change but they have told me every time that it is nothing and they cant seem to find a problem. I spoke with someone that use to work there and was discussing the problem Im having and he suggested I call Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if they will do anything. He also warned me that Nissan is very bad about notifying customers when there are recalls. I contacted them and reported my issue, opened a case and awaited a response. I received a call last night from this lady that tells me she has done some research and that there is nothing wrong with my car, that is how the CVT transmission works. I asked her why it didnt do that in the beginning and she couldnt answer that. I also asked her about all the reports I have found on the same issue and her response was that it is based on the VIN and nothing showed for my car. The option she gave was to take it to another Nissan dealer to get a second opinion which means adding another 250 miles on my car and making me closer to my warranty expiring. I would not recommend another Nissan to anyone! I now have an overpriced car with a huge issue that is only worth about half of what I paid only a year ago. BUYERS BEWARE!!!!

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  Nissan Sentra - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By emilya01 - June 5 - 8:02 am

  This is my very first car, got it from a dealership used and with roughly 116,000 miles on it. I had the car for maybe a week and it started giving me trouble when I started it. It could sit for up to 5 or more hours and start fine but if it sat for 1 or 2 hours it would take 2 or 3 tries to get it to start up! Replaced the battery...wasnt it...replaced a battery cable...wasnt it. Finally got the fuel pump replaced...works great every since then! Only down fall was the price..$550 to replace! Other than this, I love the car and is great for a first car, small and rides great! Just make sure you have it looked over by a mechanic before you make your purchase(: hope this helps!

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  Great vehicle - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By crawldog - June 5 - 6:57 am

  We purchased a platinum premium about a week ago...After going with the intentions of buying the Infiniti JX we decided to drive the Pathfinder and actually like the drive and ride of it better. On top of that it saved us $10,000 compared to the JX, now we realize there are some options you cant get on the Pathfinder that the JX has but we could not justify the $10k difference...also its avg 22 mpg around town on the first tank!!!

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  From a Ford to a Nissan - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Rogue17 - June 5 - 6:10 am

  After years of driving Fords I bought my first Nissan back in August when I decied I wanted to go back to an SUV I absolutely loved it!!! I compared the Rogue SL to the Escape Titanium loved them both but the Nissan was about $8,000 less and has all the features that the Escape had. Its more fun to drive and has a sportier styling. Theres not much difference in the gas millage between the too. I just might a Nissan man from now on

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  Almost a grand slam - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By wizjam - June 5 - 4:43 am

  There is a lot to like about this car! I shopped around and after trying several competitors, the 3.5L won me over with its smooth power, quiet ride, and extremely comfortable seats. Before I got this car, my daily 45+ minute commute was an ordeal. But now the daily commute is comfortable, and I arrive without stiffness or back pain. When traffic is heavy, I just sit back, turn up the Bose system, and enjoy the extremely comfortable ride. Overall, the car hit a home run that would have been a grand slam except for a few details with the Nissan Connect app - its buggy.