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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  2017 Nissan 370Z Nismo - 2017 Nissan 370Z
  By William Huff - March 14 - 2:01 am

  Awesome car! The car commands respect. Very fun Sports Car! You need this!

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  Pure excitement! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By hollywudz - March 13 - 9:33 pm

  This car is the ultimate driving machine. All fun no worries sleak and hot look with yet a sophisticated and professional look. theres plenty of room tons of comfort with outstanding performance. By far the best car for all around price. Im in love with it!

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  Buy this SUV! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Yinka Ajelabi - March 13 - 1:40 pm

  My wife and I got this car 5 months ago and we just love it! The exterior projects strength and confidence and the V6 270 horsepower engine sure backs it up. The interior is spacious and very well designed. the best part for is how well it handles in the city...really smoothly. You will definitely get THE bang for your buck, we definitely did.

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  Cool Soccer Mom - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Melissa - March 13 - 8:06 am

  Love the ride; the steering is solid and handles curves well. Have it had for almost 1 year now. Traded 01 Nissan Quest; still wanted the room without the low to ground vehicle. Even though this is not 4WD, it does well on loose gravel and low clearance areas. Pulls trailer with 4 wheeler extremely well.

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  Oil leaks, cvt, electrical issues. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Bighog - March 13 - 7:06 am

  Have had same issues as other reviews.Hesitation at stop to start has gone away with last recall to replace air tube and clamps. fuel door lock replaced twice, after 2nd time I just broke the lock shaft off and left it at that. I now have oil leaking from oil cooler seal, oil sump pan gasket, and main oil pan gasket. Entire engine has to be removed from bottom of vehicle to repair these items. Parts cost approx. $70.00, labor is $1350.00. Will be replacing wheel seals while the engine is out also since axles have to come out anyway, $40.00 for parts only. Luckily no cvt issues, knock on wood.

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  Happy with my Sentra - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By AKC - March 13 - 12:43 am

  Good value for money. Happy with performance and anticpate resale value

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  Nissan Sentra 2010 - no recomendation at all - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By auersperg - March 12 - 4:50 pm

  This is the worse car I ever had. Extremely high fuel consumption. Average more than 12 liters per 100 km. Mostly driving 2 persons, no speeding or excessive braking, 60% city 40% highways. Both dealer and Nissan refused to do anything with it, they say it is normal. My opinion official data about fuel consumption are out by 2 litres at least. Cheap material used everywhere, no space at rear seats. My recommendation - try to avoid this car. Bad dealers and Nissan support, they are just trying to catch you. I was driving many cars, did well over 1.5 mil. km but this is the lemon No.1.

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  Great Car - No Trouble - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By presto - March 12 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great car - put 150K miles on it so far. The only problems I have had is: replace speedometer. Wish it was a little better on gas though.

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  good car! - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By vananali - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Exellent SUV choice. Good power, nice, if dated ergonomics, pure exterior design, nice leather. Very quiet interior at highway speeds. Everything about this rig instills quality, solid feel. My only complaint is the numb, no feel steering - my wifes 2001Mazda Tribute, although not nearly as refined-feeling as the Pathfinder, is much more fun to drive. That car has also excellent power (200 hp), which it uses well since the Mazda is substantially lighter. I think they are equal off the line, seat-of- the-pants assesment. Anyway, the Pathfinder is roomier than Toyota 4-Runner and probably the best value for the $$$. Go try one, you will like it.

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  Good overall except!!! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By rvcbiomed - March 12 - 10:00 am

  The only problem I have run into is the suspension being ponderous. Still working with Nissan to figure out if this a one vehicle problem or are all crew cabs experiencing this problem.