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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  GREAT CAR - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Canadian owner - May 27 - 12:10 am

  This vehicle has done well even in the extreme temperatures that we have here in Canada. Im in sales and as a result spend alot of time in my vehicle. My hats off to the company for making such a great car. Im picking up my new one on Saturday!

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  04 Murano Loaded - SL - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Bill W - May 26 - 1:16 pm

  Love the vehicle, flashy, quiet, rides great. Nice features, good layout. Overall, the best car I have owned. Road noise is almost non existent, stereo is awesome (Bose), back lighting in the dash is JUST OK. Really handy is the automatic control setups for two drivers, press 1 and its the wifes configuration, and 2 for mine. All sets automatically, excluding steering wheel. Love that feature. Seperate air controls for both drivers, very nice! Added 3rd party device to get MP3 player to work with stereo, but its great to press Sat and use whatever I want to plug in to it (includes XM radio) without using FM. Very happy with vehicle. Gas mileage and having to use SUPER unleaded stinks.

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  Front Brakes Suck - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Jay Veenis - May 26 - 8:53 am

  After only 20,000 miles the front rotors have been turned down twice. The front braking system was replaced once and it appears that it will require more attention at 26,000 miles. There seems to be 4 - 5 thousand miles between brake repairs. The rotors become warped and either require machining or replacement. It appears that the brakes are undersized. The same braking system is used on the Titan, which has a similar record.

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  Fantastic Car - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Chris - May 26 - 7:26 am

  My Nissan Maxima is a fantastic vehicle. Its very powerful at all speeds, extremely comfortable, very quiet, looks great, very fuel efficient, gets 27 mpg city, 46 mpg highway, has great seating and trunk space. Great dealer service. I cant imagine a finer vehicle for even double the dollars. I highly recommend the Nissan Maxima.

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  My Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Darby - May 26 - 3:03 am

  My experience has been really great with the truck. It pulls nicely and has everything I would ever need in a pickup. It turns a lot of heads. I have the No Fear package on mine which includes a 6 inch lift.

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  Transmission problems - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Former Nissan lover - May 25 - 8:56 pm

  After reading several reviews about this car I am compelled to write my own. My 2005 Pathfinder is my third Nissan. I was going to purchase nothing but Nissan in the future. That has now changed. At about 70K miles the Fuel sensor failed then I stated to have trouble shifting. The coolant and transmission fluids were mixing due to a faulty line. These are major $$ problems. I bought another Nissan because I NEVER had a problem with my other two. I loved this car when I first saw it and I had to have it. When I finally got it I knew it was too good to be true.

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  Former Skeptic - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By NEW HBD FAN - May 25 - 5:13 pm

  Traded in my Audi A4 for the Altima Hybrid. Its as comfortable, as quiet, as loaded with features, as beautiful... and I get 42 mpg on my 75 mile commute instead of 29 mpg on the Audi. I just set the cruise control to 65, ease up on the pedal around town, and the car does its magic. Add the regular gas instead of premium, and the $2500 tax credit, and Im saving a lot of money. OK, I give up something on zip and handling, but I definitely gain something just knowing Im not spending all that money on gas and supporting the dictators who run most of the oil producing countries... plus having a hybrid has a certain cache that makes up for the loss of the luxury car nameplate.

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  Large Truck Finally - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Joe E. - May 25 - 6:43 am

  This Titan truck is a head turner. It is fast, large roomy interior, XM radio, sound system is the finest, and the navigation system is really nice. The ride is smooth and a really quiet ride for a truck. I owned a GMC, Ford, and a Toyota over the years. The Titan compares evenly. Im looking for dependability. This Nissan will provide it. It will pull a toy trailer with ease!

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  Great Value - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By Ricochet - May 25 - 2:00 am

  A very good value. I bought the truck with 20000 miles on it and it is now above 90000. I have yet to have a single problem with it. Being a teenager, it is almost impossible to describe the abuse Ive put the truck through and it takes it all without complaint. Very sturdy truck.

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  Bad paint job and rattles - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Honukele - May 25 - 2:00 am

  The Xterra is perfect for our one-baby, two-dog, surf-board, and kayak carrying lifestyle. Even towed out a stuck Cherokee once. (4WD, no less!) The paint job (white) was really bad. Warranty work was done to repair serious rust below the radiator. Also look for rust spots wherever there is s spot weld. Also, there is a mysterious rattle on the front passenger side that the dealer was unable to fix. Overall, we like the vehicle, however, I recommend hunkering down and taking a close look under the grill at the paint below the radiator and in other hidden areas for signs of rust.