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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  Excellent Nissan van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Rus - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had this van for two months and love it! It is very comfortable with lots of room. I had the DVD package for the kids and it is the best thing. The engine is very powerful.

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  My Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Gary Macquire - May 11 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I spent several weeks researching, viewing and driving minivans and suvs. My Nisson Quest sl beat them all in power, comfort, ergonomics, style and features. The DVD play/sound system is a real plus for long trips. The placement of the console/shifter is unique.

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  Grinding Parts - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By CF - May 11 - 5:33 am

  My 2008 Sentra has 25,000 miles and just took it in to the dealership because seems to downshift with difficulty, and also because of grinding/scratching sound coming from transmission (or engine)? Nissan Dealer agrees that he hears the grinding sound, but says this is NORMAL. What? Normal to hear parts scraping or grinding? Are you kidding me? Great, now what do I do?

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  Transmission issue - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ndun - May 10 - 4:39 pm

  I noticed that every time i step on the gas from stop the car feels like auto transmission shifting/jerking and the RPMs drop suddenly from about 3500 to 2500. The dealer is saying that its normal but I dont trust them. Does someone else experience the same jerking problem? Also its a shame that the car doesnt have Blind spot monitor. All competitors have it.

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  Will never buy another Nissan! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Brittany - May 10 - 4:30 pm

  This is my first Nissan purchase and it will be my last. Two weeks after I purchased the car, I had to bring it to the dealership to have the battery replaced. A couple months later the service engine soon light came on and I had to bring it to the dealship. The car stayed in the shop all day only to find out they had to order fuel filler tube so I had to bring it in again! My paint is chipping, the electronic seat button on the drivers seat has fallen off, the arm rest on the interior of the car always pop out of place. This was a relatively low priced car, but these are things that should not go wrong in the first year of a cars life! Overall Im not a happy camper!

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  GOOD SUV! - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Johnzy - May 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought this SE pathfinder in the spring of 2000 and got a good deal on it so thats why i bought it, but thats not the only reason. I love this thing for its 240Hp engine, BOSE stereo, just cause its a nissan. Im not to impressed with the gas mileage but I got it anyway and i have to deal with it.

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  Worth for the Money - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By mrx - May 9 - 1:26 am

  I bought my nissan altima 3.5sl in march 2005. I like the interior & exterior. Fun to drive. Had a very minimal problem on wheel alignment, where i had a tough time communicatiing the same to the dealer. Finally took to another location of the same dealer to do my alignment. Not sure what caused this, it might be the stearing or something to do with the tyre itself. Otherwise great car to drive. Thank to Edmunds for excellent information about the cars

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  Nissan is a name you can trust! - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Darren - May 8 - 12:43 pm

  This is Xterra #2 for me. My first was a 2000 XE V6 which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had it around two years and put around 30,000 miles on it before I needed money for getting married and buying a house. Now a couple of years later Ive replaced my lost treasure with a 2003 SE 4x4 V6. Theres really no difference inside except for the gauges and radio package. The Fosgate sound system is awesome and the sub really hits nicely. The transfer case shifts nice and smooth with easy transistions between 2 and 4 wheel. This X has really lived up to the expectations and quality that I know to expect from Nissan.

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  Perfect Car for now ! - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Ed Eberl - May 7 - 5:30 pm

  After testing several cars including the Corolla, Focus and Mazda 3, the Sentra was the best choice. The interior room is as big or bigger than my 2003 Dodge Stratus. This is the perfect choice in a bad economy with insane gas prices. I beleive the Sentra will be the next smart size family sedan replacing midsize cars, which are quickly become todays gas guzzlers.

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  Looks good - but check under the hood... - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By brad Hogan - May 6 - 7:40 am

  Ive had several mechanical issues that just seem to linger - like a bad cold... Ive replaced both sensors - they keep going out. Its December and its 30 degrees outside and the heater doesnt work - at all. They say it has to do with a wire that has broken from ANOTHER sensor. Also, the car will just shut off - usually when Im going slower. But the car will usually start right up - thats always fun when youre coming to a stop light and the car just quits and you have to put your foot through the floorboard to stop the car. To Nissans defense, they have recalled for that very issue - well see if it gets fixed or not. I doubt theyll reimburse me for the other repairs