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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  Great New Design - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By harry0724 - December 20 - 10:03 am

  Purchased new 07 ALtima 3.5SE with CVT. great performance with 270 hp. Touch screen navigation is very easy to use, with voice commands, Bluetooth, and rear view camera. lots of features for the money. this vehicle is far superior to the bland camry and accord.

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  Great Car, Needs improvements. - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By aam_flipp - December 20 - 2:40 am

  I recently just traded this car in for a 2010 Lexus RX 350. This is a good car to start off with if you ever want to try out a Nissan. I enjoyed this car. In the snow, its nimble and fun to drive around with, but driving up a snowy mountain pass with a full car didnt provide much of a driving experience. The horsepower was pathetic, and getting up to highway speeds is a large task for the Rogue. The one thing I heavily dislike is the CVT transmission. They told me that the CVT holds gears for more power, but I felt that no matter where my foot was pressed on the accelerator panel, it would not go any fast.Overall though, this was a good car and I definitely wouldnt mind having one again.

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  poor build quality - 2015 Nissan Pathfinder
  By OA - December 20 - 2:33 am

  have had my car for about 10K- various internal and external parts falling off, breaking or poorly assembled. Have been to the Nissan dealership and they are having a hard time repairing the car due to poor quality of Nissan parts and design. Do not know what I will do when warranty is over.. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone

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  Long-life reliable car - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Joe - December 20 - 1:23 am

  My Altima SE is a 5 spd manual which makes a 4 cyl a little more fun! Bought the car at 124k in fall 04 and will be retiring it soon with 190k. No real problems until last few months - engine is still great. Still using original clutch (needs replacement). Odometer broke a few months ago, and windshield wiper motor just died. Those are the only mechanical things to go wrong in the 4 years Ive owned it... not bad! I am now looking to buy an 05 Altima because they are very reliable.

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  My CC 05 Frontier LE - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Ric Clavel - December 20 - 12:40 am

  Although Ive only had this truck for 6 weeks (just over 1,000 miles), I am very pleased with the performance, quality, and the way its equipped. the size is just right for my taste and use. So far, a great truck.

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  Love the Ride - Hate the Brakes squeek - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By Diane - December 20 - 12:03 am

  Love this car. We have every option available and use them all. Great family car to travel with. My two complaints are the dealership has charged me and tried to oil the parts associated with the breaks to stop the squeak when driving slow. I now have 53,000 miles and have gone to my tire guy and they have oiled the parts which helps for awhile, the squeak comes back. Second complaint is the dealer has not been able to eliminated the rattle when the shade is open on the sunroof. Seems like both problems should be an easy fix, not for the Sarasota Nissan Dealer.

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  Going back to Nissan - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Bob - December 19 - 11:33 pm

  This is a well built and fun to drive vehicle. Everything about it is first class. I had a Jeep Cherokee and the GMC Sierra SLE Pick Up. Before them I had a 280ZX and a Nissan Pick up. The "09 Murano is everything I had hope it would be and more.

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  Fun to drive and good stability - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Luis Estupinian - December 19 - 10:53 pm

  I drove for about three hours in variable conditions and I felt this car comfortable and safe in many driving situations, nice turning in curves on the highways and good turns in the city, it has wide windshield that provides good visibility.

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  2015 Nissan Altima - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By jessica319 - December 19 - 4:36 pm

  I just purchased a 2015 SL which is fully loaded. I love the car! With that said the only disappointment I have is with the fuel economy. I previously had a 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5 which was a gas hog. However super fun to drive with take off. The 15 when purchased the millage shown that I had to go when full was well over 400 miles. Now when I fill my car up it only says I can go 318 miles. Is something wrong with my car?

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  The Black Widow - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By jefsal - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Cons: We are having nothing but MAJOR problems with the car. STAY AWAY. 1)We are in the process of having the ENGINE REPLACED. It has 14K miles on it. The engine is burning oil and requires more work than NISSAN thinks it is worth. 2) There is a major problem with many of these cars in the suspension causing the alignment to go off prematurely ruining the tires. NISSAN is quietly panicking over this 3) Had a stabilizer problem. Now fixed