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 SUV - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Cynthia CA - October 4 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is great in every way possible. Purchased this car in 2007, the car has 40,000 miles on it, the only problem is the tire pressure sensor and was replaced by the dealer in, less than 20 min for free because I have 6 years warranty or 75,000. I traded my pathfinder for 2010 maxima to get better mileage. Sure enough the next morning returned the maxima and got my truck back. The ride and the confidence you have when you drive this truck make it worth the extra money for the gas. I love this truck and after what happened I appreciate it even more.

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  2nd Nissan bought in a month time - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Jay - October 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought an Altima 2.5 SL last month and absolutely found this to be a joy to drive. I didnt want to buy another Altima but I was surely sold on Nissan so I bought a Sentra. I enjoy driving this as much as the Altima. I would sincerely like to offer a word to a new car looker, buy one of these cars. You will be pleasantly surprised. I came real close to buy a Honda Accord, but found that the pricing and quality are far superior in the Nissan. I didnt even give the Civic a look see.

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  Bad Seats - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Smooth - October 4 - 10:00 am

  Seats are very uncomfortable and do not have enough adjustments. Rear cargo area is cheap, piece of carpeted plywood covers the spare tire. Used AWD last night for the first time, it stayed engaged even at 40/45 mph, the manual says it cuts off after driving past 6 mph. I may not entirely understand the AWD feature. Rear seats recline, very nice feature for rear passengers. Very smooth car like ride. Overall a nice vehicle but the seats are a real drawback, my 2001 Pathfinder seats were much more comfortable.

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  3000 mile review - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Jimbo - October 4 - 10:00 am

  Get 22-23 mpg, expected better with 4 cyl. 6 tall and felt squished in everything I got in except for Rogue, has best view of road including Murano. rear and side views not good, have already had some close calls. will not exactly cruise effortlessly at higher speeds like my 15 yr old 6 cyl Accord could which could still drive circles around Rogue but had to let it go. have to drive Rogue more gingerly/less aggressively but maybe thats a good thing. alarm will not arm automatically like Im used to. seat wont tilt. took a while to get used to tranny which is smooth but a little draggy. good luck opting out of satellite radio auto-renew, you are in for frustrating experience.

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  Luv my Altima - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By amyf1 - October 4 - 9:53 am

  This is my 2nd Nissan (prev owned a 93 Sentra) and I hardly had a lick of trouble with either of them. Take care of and maintain them and they go, go, go. Could use more power occasionally. I think the dashboard, controls, and storage compartments are very well designed as well as the cupholders!

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  1st Z - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By Craig - October 4 - 7:48 am

  I really enjoy the ride and quickness of this Z. It is comfortable inside and is a eye catcher out side.

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  Bad Buy! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By pdmj - October 4 - 3:06 am

  Even though this car looks like a best buy in terms of price (even the newer models), this car will rip you apart in maintenance cost. All parts are 3 times as expensive as other cars in the category. Annual maintenance is about $1200 up 60000 miles and there after just pray to god! Your maintenance cost may go even upto $3000 / year. I have a Honda Odyssey bought at the same time as that of Maxima, but in terms of maintenance Odyssey has no major maintenance needs. In all I would say Nissan NO GO!

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  bad car! bad car! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By venting67 - October 3 - 8:04 pm

  This car is RIDICULOUS!!! I bought this car used with only 36,000 miles, if that. This car has broken down soooo many times that I am both surprised and disappointed that the government has not stepped in and reprimanded Nissan. Other than normal maintenance, I have spent greater than $3000 in major repairs. I am soo over this car and will be trading it as soon as possible.

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  Great Truck - get rid of the rattles - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By John - October 2 - 4:43 pm

  I use my truck everyday to haul all types of things (family of 5, 1 dog, all travel accessories to keep them occupied), pulls trailers well, handles well in bad weather conditions, enjoy the ride height (higher than normal for 2WD truck models)

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  What a beast - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DK - October 2 - 12:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle used after I wrecked my 99 4Runner and I have not regretted the purchase. It now has 107k and Ive really only had to replace the rear muffler because of rust (I had to replace other things but I was the cause of the other things I replace). It drives amazing and has plenty of power, well a lot more power then my 4Runner. I love to go offroading and this vehicle has aced everything that I have thrown at it. It rides comfortably on the highway and maintaining a certain speed is easy due to its potent v6 engine. Towing is easy though its only rated at 3500 lb for the 5 speed manual. I am hoping to keep this vehicle until it dies!!