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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  Very Satisfied - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Tex - January 23 - 3:23 am

  I just purchased a 2005 Off Road 4wd model after much research. I love it. This may be one of the most underrated vehicles manufactured this year. The Xterra is solidly built and roughly 15-20k less than the Landrover LR3 or Discovery. While the latter may have the most advanced 4 wheel drive system of any SUV on the road (and posher interior), I bought the Nissan because I value reliability over anything else. I work in the back country and I cant break down. The Off Road edition has a stiffer feel and ride than the 4wd SE models I test drove and if anyone intends to use this vehicle for off-roading I would strongly suggest that you opt for the OR model over an S or SE.

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  dont buy a nissan - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By ron - January 22 - 11:26 pm

  Nothing but problems with the z. Front end problems that nissan didnt repair because they couldnt get the tires to fix the problem.( P.S. dealership sells tires) Air conditioning problems that they temporary fix by recharging the system not stopping the leak. ( they get $90 from me to recharge the system ..nothing if they fix it) Squeaks and flex noises that will drive you insane. And now a fuel hose recall that will need the whole rear end to come off for a fix! Would you take it up to 100 after nissans mechanics got done with it?

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  3.5 SL; Nav, Tech, LEDs, Mud Guards; no spoiler - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By sonaz - January 22 - 3:33 pm

  Great MPG highway. On a recent trip from D.C. to NJ I got 34.2 round trip. Short, slow(city), and hilly driving is another story. That kind brings MPG way down. The car does have a kind of groan while accelerating or maintaining low-medium speed but I dont find it bothersome. Otherwise its quiet. The CVT is awesome in Ds mode. Very nice acceleration. I have tehe heated seat issue where you get heat either at bottom cushion or the back but not both at same time. Repair attempt failed. Need to go back with it.

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  Love it so far - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By FormerDakota - January 22 - 2:26 pm

  I love driving this truck. My wife has a minivan but unless we are taking a trip, we take my truck and the three kids fit comfortably in the back seat. I love the bed and the things I can do with the adjustable bed rails. Gets what the sticker said it would for MPG when I use regular unleaded. I lose about 22% if I use e85 so I only use that when it is 22-25% less than regular. So far, that is often but my small town BP sells it so it is convenient for me. Fun to drive, nice to look at, and very functional. I need to go back to the dealer to fix the Bluetooth but otherwise, no complaints.

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  Good Truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By RANDALL BOWEN - January 22 - 1:40 pm

  Very impressive truck. It rides quiet and comfortable, handles well, has more power than I expected, good gas mileage, looks cool and gets a lot of compliments from other people.

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  Transmission Shot - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Norman Dell - January 22 - 10:10 am

  I purchased a 04 max, from the beginning ive had problems. The headliner had to be replaced because the fabric was peeling. The brakes have been awful, had to replace the sun roof, not the oval shaped one. The mileage is currently 71,000 miles and my transmission is completely shot. The car would jerk in the gears, especially when Im reversing then shifting to drive. The dealer says there are metal shavings inside the transmission and it needs to be replaced. This is gonna cost me $4900, parts and labor. I owe 2 more months payment on the car. When I finally own it, I cant drive it. Was gonna buy an Armada, but now I will never buy another Nissan again. Very disappointed.

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  Titan vs. Ram (Titan wins in landslide) - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By James - January 22 - 5:50 am

  Former Dodge owner (was going to buy another) but Titan had better performance (acceleration, 4-wheel ABS) and way more features than similar Ram (R-F Stereo, pwr rear window, utili-trak bed/spray-in liner, rear sonar, rear panel storage). It would have cost an addl $4k to get Ram to similar features and Titan was less to begin with. As for the Titan itself, the captainÂ’s chairs (and back seats) are very comfortable and there is tons of leg room in the back (not so much in the Ram). Gas mileage has been so-so, all city driving (including moderate hills) gets me 13.7-14.1 mpg but a truck is a truck. I havenÂ’t really done enough interstate miles to get a good evaluation of that mileage.

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  Love My Cube !!!!!!!so did a reindeer - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Neal - January 22 - 5:33 am

  Cant wait to get it back from body shop! Everybody stops me wants to know how I like it and everybody looks at it like what? Tell them im one laughing-at the gas tank Hate driving my 305 Hyundai since i got the Cube. it is a great ride and drive very comfortable for mid size people great power-

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  Very Good Car - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Nissan Fan - January 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a very reliable and durable car. I bought mine in March 1995 and now the car has 119K on it. No major problems. Only major maintenance is that Ive replaced the exhaust system (except cat. conv.), timing belt and got it tuned up around 100,000. I dont really have any negatives to say about this car. I hope to get another 100K out of it. For a low end car, it is a lot of fun to drive.

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  Great Car ! I expect 200K Miles of it! - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Todd - January 22 - 2:00 am

  No problems other than reg maint. Low deal cost for tune up, fuel filter, transmission and coolant flush at 72K miles.