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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  Be Careful! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Regretting Purchase - May 11 - 2:40 pm

  First hour off the lot, I already had problems. I looked up at the pillar on the drivers side (the spot where the headliner meets above the window), and I see a wet spot. Had to take it back to the dealer. Apparently there was a blockage in the drain hose from the sunroof. Next day, I get a call. The front of the car is soaking wet. The evaporator has also malfunctioned. So I bought the car Wednesday, drove for a total of 40 miles (20 miles home, and then 20 miles to the dealership), and will finally be able to drive it again Friday afternoon.

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  Great truck BUT not so good truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By oldrunner - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought this truck in 2006 and really liked it until the timing chain guides failed. Found on the internet that this is a common problem. There is also a tech bulletin out on it. But Nissan would not cover the repair. $1400.00 later it is running well again. Check the internet before you buy, there is a wealth of reliability info there.

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  Overall I love this truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Seth - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this truck for nearly two years. I bought the truck with only 15,000 miles on it, and I now have 55,000 miles on it. The only repair I have had done to it was the timing chain tensioners/guides, but they were covered under warranty without question. In my opinion that was a poor design. However, everything else on the truck is perfect. I replaced the BF Goodrich tires with Michelin ltx ms tires because I do not drive off road. I hear people complain about gas mileage, but I get 17.5 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. In my opinion that is excellent for a truck with this much horsepower. The handling is excellent, I drive 50 miles daily on paved mountain roads and I love the handling.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By pmadd - May 11 - 10:00 am

  Have had our 2007 Murano for almost 3 1/2 years and have had 0 problems with it and have enjoyed it thoroughly during this time. It is fun to drive (for an SUV), handles exceptionally well, and has fairly good fuel economy for an SUV/crossover.

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  6 month report, 6,000 miles - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By bargainman - May 11 - 10:00 am

  Actually, weve had the car almost 7 months now. For the past 25 years Ive been a huge Honda/Accura fan. When I 1st saw this car I fell in love. White with glass roof and tan interior, simply gorgeous! It truely drives like a 4 door sports car as promoted. Had it up to 100mph on the turnpike the other day and it rode as smooth as glass. Havent had any service issues. The CVT does feel somewhat unorthodox. Feels like a 4 cylinder at low speeds. I could have bought another TL, but bought this and saved well over $15k! No regrets.

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  We love it! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Frank & Jessie - May 9 - 2:10 pm

  Bought the car primarily for my wife. She is small, 5 feet, and always had to sit too close to the steering wheel to reach the pedals. This one has the adjustable pedals, and it is the first car she is completely happy with in all respects. Went for all the options, nav system, etc. Would highly recommend!

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  Best in class - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Manny - May 9 - 4:20 am

  With over 77,000 the car still runs like new. Only replaced the brakes once on front and once on rear. I followed all suggested maintenance on the car and just switched to Mobil 1 synthetic and now the engine feels like new again. I have a SRI intake, racing header and 2.5" cat-back exhaust and the car gets about 33mph average. This is THE best car I have ever owned, second best was my 89 240SX.

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  CVT - Beware - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Steve - May 9 - 12:53 am

  Just a word of warning for anyone wanting to keep the CVT Altima for any length of time. My CVT just imploded with 46,000 km on it. Maybe warranty they say, maybe not. Takes two days to do the paperwork to get the new transmission approved... if it gets approved. Not impressed. The car is very noisy when driving and lurches when going downhill. I will never buy another CVT again. I can only imagine the cost of replacement for this thing. This will be a real cash cow for Nissan as the trannies start to fail.

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  Happy Nissan Owner!! - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By GLE Sedan - May 8 - 4:06 pm

  Ive been very happy with my Maxima purchase. Ive only owned the car 4 months, but only routine maintenance is required. (Car has 142,000 miles) No major problems, except bad water pump seal. Minor oil leak, which is the oil pressure switch, diagnosed by my mechanic The 3.0 engine I LOVE, along with the super-quiet, comfortable ride. I thought about trading it in for a 95 Camry (with car payments-no thanks)!! Then I decided not to because my Max is so beautiful in/out, along with the Nissan reliability! Drives too damn good to even THINK about giving him up. Change all fluids regularly and itll last forever. No car payments! Nissan Maxima is the way to go for reliability!!!!

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  Best darn truck out there - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Rolie - May 8 - 8:10 am

  Wow, talk about a nice truck...my 2005 Nissan Titan is rock solid and fun to drive. I havent pulled my boat yet, but that 9,500 lb towing capacity will make the job effortless. The limited slip 4WD got me around in the last snow storm just fine, thank you. And the looks I get....people stop me everywhere I go and make small talk about it....quite a looker too. My truck is bright red.