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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  2008 Nissan 350Z Interior - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By nissedoff - October 30 - 1:58 pm

  The interior paint/coating on all plastic panels (door, dash, etc) scratches off with normal use to reveal a white plastic. Nissan knows about this and chooses to do nothing about the problem. I own five different cars all older then the 350 and more mileage, I dont see this in any of those cars. This is unsightly and started soon after warranty expired, 36 months. I have to have all these panels removed and painted by body shop. Also, my power windows motors quit, also known problem Nissan chooses to not solve. I do not recommend Nissan.

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  Spec-V 02 - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By spec_v_d - October 30 - 10:32 am

  This is the second 02 spec-v i have owned. The first was just crap but it was because of the original owner treated it like crap... previous owner was a young girl who did not know how to drive a stick. Now i got another and it had the new motor, tranny, and clutch installed by nissan due to recall on the original motors. Car has about 50k miles on it and i couldnt love it more. I have owned lots of tuner cars and i must say this is by far my favorite. Handles great, amazing power for the 4 banger. I have a few mods to the car nothing to crazy just cold air, exhaust, and suspension. gets pretty good gas milage could be better though. All in all i give this car a 4.7 out of 5

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  great car so far - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Greg - October 30 - 9:43 am

  Fun car to drive.. Gas mileage has been as advertised. Only 2 minor complaints.. Rubbing noise coming from trim around drivers door.. Shade from sunroof doesnt close all the way about 1/2 the time

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  Awesome Truck - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Benito Camelas - October 30 - 7:50 am

  Bought this truck over a year ago, have over 26,000 miles and it is the best. Powerful, comfortable, good stability, good brakes, excelent handling! Installed two magnaflows and improved a couple of miles per gallon. This truck is well built and will keep high resale value.

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  My fourth Z and the best so far - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By Joey L - October 30 - 4:55 am

  Since I have bought four of these so far, you can safely assume I think highly of this car. Since I have had such good luck with previous models I bought this sight unseen and assumed it would be OK. It has been a great experience so far. (Only 2 months). I have always relied on a Z for basic commuting. I only need to bring myself and a briefcase so a 2-seater is ideal. They have all been nimble and quick, even the 300ZX. The direct comparison I will make is to the 350Z that I just traded in. First I assume it will be a good resale value because I got back much more than I expected for a ten year old 350Z. ($7500!) The experience is overall the best yet. The 370 is the quickest yet, But: The 350 was made to be faster with a lighter push on the accelerator, giving the impression of being quicker. With the same amount of pedal travel, the 370 accelerates less quickly. However, about pushing half way down it clearly is quicker than the 350. Flooring it really shows it to be MUCH quicker from 0 to 40 or so. And a lot louder too. Yet the mileage is 4 better than the 350 (23 vs 19). The steering is very precise, but the steering wheel moves with a very light touch, easier than any past Z. The interior feels very similar to the 350 with a few upgrades. The seat, although manual, fits me like a glove. There is a much better layout of storage areas. The 350 had no glovebox, and the 370 does and has rear storage areas also. The USB connector is in the center console storage box. Unfortunately the interior lights are all regular incandescents which I hate since they can kill the battery if left on. I changed 5 of them out for LED lights. You can find these for a few bucks on Amazon. I was initially unhappy about paying for the upgraded Bose stereo in the sport package (you have no choice if you want the larger brakes and viscous slip differential). However I must say it sounds better than I expected, and better than the Bose stereo that came with past Zs. But not nearly as good as the premium systems in either the BMW 335 or the Grand Cherokee which I have experienced long-term. I like the exterior much better: it looks muscular and aggressive. And they got rid of the shark tooth front. The LED running lights are decent looking as well. There are not many of these cars around and I am just fine with that. There are 100 BMWs and mercedes and vettes and porsches for every Z that I see and I dont care. I love the way this car looks and I can afford a 911. I just think its nuts to toss out $100 k on a car. In fact I see more GT-Rs than Zs around here. The brakes are much better than past models. I have the sport model with larger discs and they slow the car very well for street driving. One point to make, the rear visibility is not so hot. I perceive a pretty big blind spot on the two rears, so if you have problems looking over your shoulder, this might not be a good choice for you. I can make up for it by altering my position in the car to look with the side mirrors. For some reason the passenger mirror is not a panoramic mirror, just a flat one. Im not sure why they did that but I would suggest they change that. Bottom line: This car is an unqualified bargain for $34k. If I live long enough I will get the 390Z or 400Z or whatever the next one is named. Great work Nissan!

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  Nice Car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Toni - October 30 - 12:03 am

  I have been pricing and looking at Altimas for over a year. I rented an Altima before purchasing this one. I purchsed this one out of town over the phone. It was several days before I picked it up. The salesman was excellent and the car was ready when I got there. I have no complaints about the dealership. The car performs well. I do not have the excitement I thought I would with the car. Im still driving my 14 year old car with 331,000 miles, so Ive only driven this one 3,000 miles. It performs well on the road and overall, I think it is a very nice car.

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  Aces - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By DC - October 29 - 9:26 pm

  Ive had this car for almost 6 years and not had a single problem! As a side note, I am extremely dedicated with scheduled, dealer delivered maintenance. I would definitely buy another Maxima. The dealers have been great and the car has been flawless. I got 58K miles out of the factory tires and after having the dealer replace them with like tires, Ive gotten 63K on the next set. If youre thinking of buying a Maxima....DO IT!

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  Fun to Drive - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan>Man - October 29 - 1:56 pm

  I just got my Maxima 3.5 SL with leather and Bose and I love it. If you want a car to go from point A to point B you can get Camary(V6) to Accord(V6), but if you need FUN to drive car and power when you need it, this is the car. I tested both Altima(V6) and Maxima but I think Maxima more refined even though they both have same V6 motor. I also added $5/month option from using to get my oil change and tire balance for upto 100K in any Nissan dealership in the country.

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  FROM MAXIMA TO ROGUE - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By DOUG - October 29 - 7:43 am

  Traded my wifes 2007 Maxima se on a Rogue. Reason was the ability to use regular fuel. I had hoped to get better fuel mileage but didnt really believe that I would. The Rogue is a nice little vehicle. My wife misses the power and handling of the Maxima but she likes the Rogue. She has 5,000 miles on it already, and has averaged 26.4 mpg. Not bad. She likes the bluetooth and I like the Bose. The CVT takes getting used to. When we bought the 2007 Maxima I thought that I would never get to like the transmission. But after a while it grew on us (we put 48,000 miles on the Maxima) the rogue could use a locking gas door in these times, and a way to open the hatch from the drivers seat. Over all we like it.

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  Armada AH YES! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By PJ - October 28 - 3:40 am

  I have not had my vehicle for very long, but I think its awesome. The ride, comfort, looks, dependability. It is top of the line as far as I am concerned....no better anywhere. Two downsides that I am not happy with. 1. I have leather seats (love them) I sometimes slide on pressing the brake. 2. Fuel economy Poor.