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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  Superior performance and headroom in comparison - 2017 Nissan Sentra
  By Tim - April 26 - 6:40 pm

  Shop the price. We compared jetta , jeep , kia soul, forte, sentra sv showed better quality inside and out. Comfortable compared to VW jetta with a bigger cabin, and better quality interior. You cannot beat the smooth ride in comparison to the other vehicles we drove. Best value, and the only auto dealer that DID NOT switch up the eprice. Honored advertised price, Salesman @ Peoria Nissan were more knowledgeable than at other 5 dealerships here in A.Z. Love the Sentra SV.

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  Good Car, BUT Mileage is INCORRECT! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Riffkid77 - April 26 - 12:03 pm

  Car is great looking with the new style. Power is stolen by the CVT. Gas mileage is also extremely incorrect. Whether you drive with a lead foot, or as conservative as can be, your city mileage will be no better than 21. Highway is correct but city is not! Great quality car, yet the mileage situation turns me off.

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  Have loved my Maxima for years - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By LMS-Denver - April 26 - 12:53 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned, and I can honestly say Ive never had an issue with it. It tops the charts in reliability -- I closely followed the maintenance schedule and havent had a major repair in 14 years. Thats impressive. Its a comfortable, nicely styled work horse that does well in all conditions -- snow in particular. Not many people still enjoy driving their cars after 14 years. While it will never get the looks my Mercedes SLK does, I cant say enough about my Maxima always being there for me. A terrific car all the way around.

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  Poor Seats and Bad Gas Mileage - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By newowner2012 - April 25 - 11:32 pm

  I bought my 2008 FWD Rogue a week ago. I am so disappointed. I commute 60 miles round trip via Interstate to work, so little of my mileage is in town. I am lucky to get 23 mpg. I dont drive super fast, usually anywhere between 60 and top out at 80 on rare occasions. I see reviews on here of people getting fantastic gas mileage. I dont understand why mine is so poor! Any ideas? My gas costs have gone up $100/month (projected) and I had not planned for that kind of an increase! The seats for me are very uncomfortable. My upper back has no support. The upper part of the seat leans back too far for me and I find myself in pain. Terrible time seeing out the back - dangerous to back up!

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  Competent Vehicle - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By MJ - April 24 - 9:23 pm

  Purchased new December 1999. Currently has 93,000+ miles. K&N air filter increased the gas mileage by about 1.5 mpg. 18.5 mpg city / 20.5 highway. Recall on the exhaust manifold in the first year. Left rear window started dragging 2005. ($250-) Replaced Front brake pads at 45k and 90k miles. Surprisingly competent off road, and in the snow. Original tires lasted 72k miles. Rear bumper $400, taillight $115. Truck doesnt feel 6 years old. No squeaks or rattles. I drive it on rough logging roads regularly. Ill probably keep it for another 5 or 6 years and consider another Nissan. It has a surprising amount of articulation in the suspension and is really fun off road. Leer Canopy is great.

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  2006 Fuel Gage Faulty - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Mrs. R - April 24 - 5:00 pm

  2006 Nissan XTerra - At 35K+ miles fuel gauge faulty. After filling up gas, gauge reads empty. Nissan is NOT issuing a recall for the 2006 models. 2000-2004 have received a recall for the same problem. Cost to fix is approx. $500.

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  pricing - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By preda - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I am very pleased with this car but i just want to know how much doed it worth after 5 years with such low mileage.

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  Leoivench - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Leoivench - April 24 - 10:00 am

  The best small car on a market

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  really a blast! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By BobX - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I imagine that some of these negative reviews think like my brother, who thinks his Blazer is the greatest (e.g., softer seats), though I dont think it would make it in one piece through some places weve been. The Xterra gives us about everything we were looking for - ruggedness and handling as well as comfort. We just did a trip through eastern Oregon (1,000 miles total, and about 100 off- road) - it ran great, handled great, and my back end was still feeling fine when we got home. I dont know what more I could ask for, other than the things mentioned for potential improvements. It really has been a blast to drive, though!

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  Make sure its a good one - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By LeVeL - April 23 - 8:33 pm

  I made the big mistake of getting this car at an auction and have had nothing but problems - stereo, ac, shocks, exhaust, i can go on and on. Clearly the previous owner took no care of this vehicle, so I cant really blame these things on the car. The ride and handling suffered greatly because of broken shocks, fuel economy is hovering around 16-17 mpg in the city due to a lack of a tune-up. The car is fun to drive though and has good power. I think my next car will be another Maxima SE, this time a mint-condition one from a dealer. Highly recommended as long as its in good condition.