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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  BAD TRANNY POOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS HELP - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By Adam - January 13 - 6:11 am

  My son bought my 2011 Nissan Rogue with 32,000 miles on it, has it regularly serviced the other day the check engine light came on with only 68000 miles on it. He took it to a Nissan dealership, the service manager told him the tranny (problematic cvt tranny nissan knows about) was needed to be replaced. Oh by the way it was 5600$ dollars to replace. He called nissan for any type of assistance and Nissan rep was not only rude but very unwilling to talk to him, all he kept sorry I understand how you feel. This is our 5th Nissan and he didnt care just kept reading from a script sounded like. A car with Nissan supposed quality and known transmission problems you would think they would help in some manner

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  Good Car - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Camay - January 12 - 1:23 pm

  Excellent car for student, wish it didnt have so many little rattles in the door panels. Overall pretty good.

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  Since no one else has left a review - 2013 Nissan Titan
  By Kris Minnier - January 12 - 1:08 pm

  I have owned my 2013 Titan for almost 2 years now and have not had an issue. I have owned several full size trucks and to date this is my favorite. I put magna flow exhaust on it and is by far the best sounding note out of all the V8s I have owned. When we get snowstorms of 12 plus inches and the roads are not cleared the ol girl plows through it with ease. I plan on driving her until she just cant get down the road safely anymore which I hope is another 15 + years. I know of the few things that tend to fail such as exhaust manifolds and wheel seals but from all the research I have done and continue to monitor the engine and transmission are solid, which is the main reason for purchase.

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  Well worth the money - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By colleen - January 12 - 11:53 am

  After 6 months, Im writing a review. I still believe this was the best purchase Ive ever made. I still love this car, the interior, the CVT, the comfort, the stereo... well everything! I believe this is a must have vehicle!

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  Comfortable Fun Reliable - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By JvGinPDX - January 12 - 7:56 am

  I purchased the car about a year ago from a dealer. The car had 100k miles on it, I have driven it 13k miles. My previous car was a Porsche 924, I liked the sporty handling of the 924. I wanted a larger car, I am 63" tall, not many cars are comfortable for a tall person. I test drove a 94 Toyota Camry, it was a quality car, but boring to drive. My Maxima SE handling performance reminded me somewhat of the Porsche. The four wheel disk brakes saved the day when I noticed a car stalled right in front of me on the freeway. I the brakes stopped straight and true when I slammed on the brakes. (I have ABS) The Max more power than I expected. I have just done basic maintenance on the car.

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  It does exactly what I need it to do. - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By thepatriot - January 12 - 7:50 am

  I purchased this truck new about a year and a half ago. I have driven it nearly 17,000 miles in that time. There are a few complaints, but mostly good comments to make. This truck does exactly what I need it to do. The engine is powerful enough to accommodate standard needs, and still gets decent, for its class, MPG. The 4WD system and HDC all work smoothly, and the brakes certainly get the job done. The one negative I have overall is the transmission. Its not horrible, but on long trips through mountain passes you will notice it can be a bit of a gear hunter unless you try and tame it down by taking OD off. If you do that, it is much smoother, but revs higher and it will reduce your MPG.

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  2006 Nissan Altima - 3.5 SE - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Joan - January 11 - 8:40 pm

  I love my new Nissan Altima, from the sporty look with the hallogen headlights, sun-roof, spoiler and sleek design to the roomy interior and having all the radio/CD controls on the steering wheel. The gas mileage is great also, even with having a 3.5 (6 cylinder, which gives me the power I need when I need it most getting into traffic, yet the gas mileage is great. I would reccomend the Nissan Altima!!

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  PROBLEM CAR - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jagger2 - January 11 - 1:32 pm

  Please do your research before you purchase this vehicle. I have been a loyal Nissan customer for nearly 20 years and have owned several Nissan vehicles. Didnt think twice about what could possibly go wrong with a brand new Altima. Basically relied on my experience which was my huge mistake. The vehicle just had too many defects. First the whining noise and shortly after, brakes made a loud slapping noise, the fuel slosh, screen goes blank and not to mention the rubber burning smell. Addressed all of these with Nissan and even filed a complaint with BBB and MD General Attorney. Nissan did absolutely nothing other than write a response stating everything was normal. Do your research first

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  My 1st Car = AMAZING - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By andyMB - January 11 - 10:40 am

  I love how the car is smooth for the most part. Slower acceleration than some cars, then again it isnt a sports car nor is the road a race track! It keeps up with fast highway traffic -140 max and on the one way roads it is small enough to squeeze on the side when passing other cars as opposed to most cars. Engine can be a bit noisy at times, but it is def. not loud when driving at high speeds like a lot of other cars, including luxury cars, like those buzzing sounds. In all fairness to this car, which I read a lot of minor or just plain stupid comments about, the car is an amazing one for the price, performance, and overall quality! (*It also depends on the driver and how s/he drives & car).

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  What a TRUCK!! - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By MrK33 - January 11 - 10:00 am

  This is one truck that you dont want to skip. It has a decent 143 hp 4cyl engine that gets great economy, especially with todays gas prices. Between my first 2 tanks of gas, Ive gotten 25.2 mpg in mixed driving. Thats BETTER than EPA highway, and the engine isnt even totally broken in yet! The seating is really comfortable, and you feel as though youre driving a larger vehicle, only its very easy to park. The HVAC controls are clean and intuitively laid out. In fact, the cleanliness of the whole dashboard is great. If you want a real truck, but dont want to get something unreliable (American made), or expensive, check out the Frontier!