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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  One satisfied customer - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By contilover - July 1 - 11:03 am

  Up to now Ive driven 850 miles and car performed exceptionally well. No even small problems at all. Its fun to drive. CVT, when you are used to it, provides very smooth and comfortable ride, especially at traffic jams, and "stop and go". Brakes are excellent. Seats are comfortable, dash is elegant looking, especially at night. My Rogue is stripped down SL AWD version, so I cant say much about performance package, Bluetooth etc. The fuel economy was one of the selling points for me, and Im having about 28.5 mpg with 70/30 mix. Considering that car still is braking in, that mileage is very good. Talking about reliability, there is no issues at all yet. Everything looks like build to last

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  The safe alternative - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Baz - July 1 - 3:06 am

  We bought this car for what it is, an honest reliable car. We are concerned with the quality of the interior finish and poor mileage, we expected better than the 15 MPG, so long term ownership is already an issue after only a few weeks! The quality of the dashboard is horrible as compared to other cars in this price range, Nissan Management should look very serioulsy into this! The car is roomy, drives nice (on smooth roads), handles as expected for an SUV, and great for hauling kids to school, it just feels safe and we bought this instead of the 4 door Jeep Wrangler for this reason.

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  Reliable workhorse - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Mr. T - July 1 - 1:40 am

  We found a Titan with 3600 miles on it & traded in a 2000 Chevy Tahoe. The Titan has been such a nice surprise for us. We tow a 6000lb RV and it blows our old Tahoe away with its towing capability. Smooth transmission and even better fuel mileage while towing vs. the Tahoe. As far as fuel economy goes, that too has been a pleasant surprise. Were getting about 15 to 15.5mpg in town driving. You have to keep your foot out of it for sure. Its actually a little better on fuel mileage than the Tahoe. I love the interior design & feel its definitely an improvement over the Tahoe workmanship. Smooth ride. Only downside is it is loud! I had the dealer switch out exhaust systems. All around we love this truck!

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  WORST CAR EVER! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By steversteves - July 1 - 1:24 am

  I hate this car so much, I would give anything for someone to crash into me and total it. I have invested so much money in fixing this car its disgusting and after you fix one thing, the other thing breaks. I bought it used with new tires and breaks and it was a very handsome car. Since owning it I have had numerous issues with the tires, I have had the drive shaft blow out on me, leaving me stranded in the middle of a city where I was alone and far away from home, breaking system problems, sensor problems, drive quality issues, heat shield issues and the windshield cracks like its no ones business. I am counting the days till its gone! I drive it in constant fear of it breaking down.

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  Italian Style, German handling, Nissan?! - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By m0ntyandm0lly - July 1 - 1:20 am

  Judging by the looks I assumed I coudnt afford this vehicle. When I saw one at the dealership I was amazed. There is nothing else with comparable amenities / performance / style in this class. My ideal vehicle is a VW Toureg w/ V10 diesel, but this is close for now and only lacks slightly in overall build quality and cost about 20K less!

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  My love "maxeen" - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Jay - June 30 - 11:13 pm

  Like most guys I know we love our cars so much,and spend endless hours keeping them that we end up spending more time with our car than our wives/girlfriends. So we end up naming them. My cars name is Maxeen. She is my first foreign car and I absolutely love her and Nissan dealership.

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  highly recommended to buy - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By clark - June 30 - 5:53 pm

  A dependable, best v-6 with the least money can buy. Im very happy with it.

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  Love It - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By lemurmonkey - June 30 - 11:47 am

  I love this truck. My brother has the 2door Nismo and I drove it for a weekend and fell in love. I needed the 4 door for my 2 kids. (no nismo needed here either) The V6 rumbles when you push it higher than 3500rpms. I havent towed anything yet(but I have no fear of under-performing). Very comfortable compared to other trucks. Read the reviews out there and you will find this is the best truck in its class. I purchased used at 45K miles, so well see how reliable this thing is. Great looking truck, fast off the line, very capable 4x4, comfortable interior, and feel of high quality materials(unlike Chevy/GMC Canyon).

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  Brillant teenager car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Jeremy - June 30 - 4:23 am

  This car is perfect for the young teenager. Safe, sporty, and super mpg. Price is reasonable and quality is great. First car or college car, Nissan Versa is a homerun with parents.

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  Loaded Sedan for the Price of a Hyundai - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Joshua M - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Why buy a brand new piece of junk when 10k will get you a low mileage, fully loaded Maxima packed with V6 power? I recently auctioned my 2003 Toyota Tundra off to the highest bidder on eBay to get back to something more my speed, and the Maxima fills those shoes. I opted for a bright red SE Limited Edition, which adds the leather interior, Bose Stereo System, and a few other extras. This engine is smooth! I make up errands to run just to drive the car. This is truly affordable luxury and sporty sophistication. Original sticker price on my car was over $29,000.00 and I picked it up for just a hair over $10k.