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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  Traded Nitro for Xterra SE - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By nickstnick - February 13 - 5:26 pm

  Heres one for ya... bought Nitro 6 mo ago, never happy for a number of reasons. Xterra has excellent body fit, more acceleration smooth engine, good front seat legroom and overall is a better built vehicle smooth as a gravy sandwich. It sits higher, has similar gas mileage and low range transfer. Roof rack is a plus. I am much happier with this beautiful SE Xterra.

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  Maximum Mobility - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By William Johnson - February 13 - 10:06 am

  I love my 2016 Maxima!

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  Altima Valus (Ultimate Value) - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Claude McDowell - February 13 - 3:06 am

  We had a used 94 Altima SE for 3 years, enjoyed the car and had good resale value. We now have the 02 Altima SE. My wife and I believe it is truly the sexiest auto on the road.The V6 deserves its acclaim. Power and decent MPG (21.6). I love to drive it. It meets our expectations and more.

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  The worst car ever... - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By ramo1 - February 12 - 9:45 am

  The build quality of this car is really poor, the lens of the transmission console fell off (?), the front driver side splash guard came off on the road, the decorative cover of the driver side door lock came off for no reason, and the entire exterior door handle itself came fell off a few months later. These are items that hardly ever break down on any car. I addition I had to replace oxygen sensors at just 50 K miles, and exhaust pipe at just 56 K miles. After being a loyal Nissan customer (I owned Stanza, Quest, and Sentra in the past) I will never buy a Nissan again. I wonder what happened to the Nissan quality...it is not there anymore.

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  Wouldve been a 5 if not for 1 thing - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Nicko - February 12 - 8:28 am

  The car handles nicely for a 2.5L and the entertainment is nice. The only thing i absolutely hate about it is the seats. They are really uncomfortable and push your head forward if youre trying to rest your back on the seat. The bottom part of the seat is ok and holds you in place, id rate the back but the headrest restricts me from resting comfortably and the head rest sucks.

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  Great - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Simraan Dhillon - February 12 - 5:29 am

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  I got the power!!!! Nissan Frontier - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By diko617 - February 12 - 3:03 am

  Im really impressed with the redesigned nissan frontier. I test drive the Toyota, Honda and Dodge, nothing compares to the engine power of the Nissan Frontier. Its beyond comparisson to other mid-size pick up truck. A worthy investment! Its definetly the most powerful mid size pick up truck!

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  All the right stuff - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By cp4wd - February 12 - 1:43 am

  I wanted the most capable off-road vehicle without having to modify. Think Jeep Rubicon capability in a far more reliable and refined truck that also seats five. I live in Colorado where off-roading is a passion. With rear lockers, hill descent control, 9.5" of ground clearance and the new 4.0 265 HP engine, you have one rugged and extremely capable 4x4. Pleasant and fun on-road with a well thought out no-nonsense interior and full instrumentation. A winning combination all around. My Xterra has been 100% reliable with no mechanical or fit and finish issues. The Xterra has exceeded all my expectations.

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  My car is so awesome! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Barbara - February 11 - 10:10 pm

  I cant stop staring at this car... along with everyone else that sees it. It not only looks great it handles wonderfully. We have an 07 Altima sedan. I didnt think I could love a car more than that, until I got the coupe. I have the premium pkg. in both and wouldnt get anything else. The coupe is definitely smaller inside but it works well for me. There isnt one thing I dont like about this car.

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  2 years old and already major repairs. - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By tjleck - February 11 - 8:44 am

  The CVT poses major safety concerns. My car lost power on the freeway in heavy traffic slowing to less than 20mile per hour. My car is 2 years old and just over the power train warranty of 60k. I was told it would be 3k to replace the transmission. This reminds me of the old lemons of the 80s when quality was at all time lows. This is the last Nissan Ill ever own.