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:

• 

  Good Car, Needs some Care - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By raj - June 26 - 3:50 pm

  Bought the car from route22 nissan. nice car for a good deal and everything was smooth until I found out the AC is not blowing cold air. Called up service and they said its air conditioner and not air cooler and will only go 30 degrees of whats it outside.if its 90 outside inside will cool to 60 but I dont know if the AC has sensors as it turns off by itself and blows air and again it starts blowing cold air.The car is excellent other than AC.

• 

  Totaled - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By ijustdontknow - June 26 - 3:00 pm

  I had a 2005 Altima for about 2 1/2 years until it was just totaled in September. I loved this car. I had some issues but she would get up and go when I needed her too. I was having to replace some things but I had to remember she was almost 10 years old and had 208,000 miles... it was time. Not sure I would buy another nissan due to the fact during my wreck I received 2nd degree chemical burns from the airbag. I called the main number for Nissan to find out what chemicals in the airbag were, they had to call someone else to find out. A week later they called me back and said they couldnt give out that information to consumers. Really ??? Its a secret?? I went back to a Chevy..

• 

  Nice Car with Problems - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Disillusioned - June 24 - 6:50 pm

  Traded in a WRX because wanted a better highway cruiser. Nice car inside and out, but had a couple of issues. Windows roll down by themselves, once overnight during freezing rain. Nissan mechanics could not fix that problem. The other issue was the CVT. On wet pavement with a fast takeoff the transmission would stay at around 4000 RPM unless you backed off completely from the gas and waited a few seconds. Really liked the looks, couldnt live with the two problems. Traded Altima in on a VW.

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Gassy - June 24 - 8:43 am

  This is a great vehicle that is hampered by some annoying flaws. Its powerful engine and rugged off road capability make it fun to drive. Highway driving is decent and the gas mileage is about as good as one would expect. The exterior styling of this model is perfect and its a shame that the newer models changed this. The interior is spacious and relatively comfortable. My two main complaints are the stock tires and the in-dash stereo. The tires offer terrible traction particularly in poor weather conditions and need to be replaced. The CD player is useless and was obviously made with a cheap laser which constantly skips.

• 

  Better than I thought it could be - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Djtallmo - June 23 - 9:10 am

  I purchased a used Armada last month and have been impressed by the solidness of the vehicle thus far. In my 8500 miles of driving the vehicle, there have been no problems except for a wear mark on the drivers armrest. Navigation, homelink, DVD, transmission and engine have functioned seamlessly. The blindspots are not as large as I thought with the help of the side mirrors possioned properly. I am 6-10" and fit quite well comparred to the Toyota and Ford equalls. No regrets in purchasing the Armada and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

• 

  Transmission Torque Converter Issue - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Steve LeVesque - June 23 - 6:30 am

  When you take your foot off the accelerator just above 40 mph, the car downshifts with a noticeable thump. Then when you press the accelerator again, it upshifts with the same noticeable thump. It is so aggravating that I would not have bought the vehicle if I had known. I took it back to the dealer, they tested another 2008 and said that it was "normal." I did not have this problem in my 2005 at all. They said it was because they put a dual torque converter in the 2008 model. Also, it seems to be harder on gas than the 2005. And when I filled up the first time, I noticed a sticker on the inside of the gas cap door that reads "For best results, use premium gas." The 2005 did not say this.

• 

  I love this car - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Love It! - June 23 - 12:26 am

  This is the first car I purchased on my own. While in college I took it to Mexico on surf trips and offroading. I have never had a problem. Other than routine maintenance, Ive never had to do any additional service. I have one child and another in the way and while it is turning out to be a little too small, I refuse to give it up. It just has been that good of a car to me.

• 

  Overall love it - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By kdavis82712 - June 22 - 3:01 pm

  We got hustled into buying a 2014 Ford Escape SE. Traded it two weeks later for the 2014 Nissan Rogue SV w/ premium package. Best decision ever! The only issues weve had are 1. the nav screen will say loading & you have to cut the car on & off a few times to get it to work. 2. The air takes about 5 mins to get cool. We live in a pretty hot place but even when the temp drops, the air still takes awhile to get cool. Asked the dealership about it. They did nothing. For a brand new car 5 mins to have COOL (not cold) air is ridiculous. Anyone else have this air issue??

• 

  be careful - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By noa - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I love the car but the biggest problem with it is that it has the worst paint job. it gets scuffed from the littlet thing that touches it.

• 

  An outstanding car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By 03passatguy - June 21 - 2:05 am

  Weve owned our 2002 Maxima GLE since it was new. Its been a bull: smooth, comfortable, reliable. Next to nothing to fix - except the CD player - outside of normal maintenance. We still own it. It still drives beautifully. Congratulations, Nissan.