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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  Nice car to drive, some changes to be made - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By britishmoose - February 24 - 5:49 am

  I just received the car about 6 months ago and love it so far. Its an overall great car as Nissan is known to produce well-reliable cars. The pros of the car are definitely the fuel efficiency, small compact size, the security of the driver seat and the space this little car has. The only thing that would be great to change is the amount of power this car can put in into high speeds, esp. while merging on the highway or simply having an exhilaration thrill. Wouldnt trade the car for anything else but horsepower could use a hand.

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  New Fan! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By TW - February 23 - 10:16 pm

  Bought used w/ 22K and got great deal. Had to replace a brake cylinder within couple months. Love its unassuming quickness. Fun pulling away from kids in loud 4-bangers. Way more features than what Im used to (had 4 basic VW Jettas). Nothing broke yet. turning radius is joke - my 99 Yukon turns much sharper. Like the sporty feel but is a little rough over bumps. lacks MP3 player access port. trunk is spacious enough for two. Next car might have to be the Z.

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  Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Altima - February 23 - 9:13 pm

  I was considering the Camry and Altima. After test driving, the Altima was the hands down winner. With just over 1k Im averging 27 mpg. The 4 cylinder has plenty of power.

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  Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff - February 23 - 6:10 pm

  This is the best truck around. I have driven in Chevies, Dodges, and Fords and they do not compare. The Tundra is less powerful, smaller, and less sporty inside and out (current model). As far as other complaints about gas mileage, I get as good or better than my friends in domestic full size trucks. Nissan put in all the features on their first try with a full size truck.

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  New 2k2 GLE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By pasquale/pscarponi - February 21 - 11:30 pm

  As a previous Nissan owner, 95 Maxima, and 88 Pulsar, I was impressed by the reliability of my Nissans. Having been an owner of Fords, Chevys and Plymouths I was easy to impress. My new 2k2 GLE appears to be as good as or better than my 95 GLX. I have not had any problems, defects, or quality defects (but I only have 1700 mi on it).

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  Good Vehicle to Date - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Corrpro - February 21 - 8:43 pm

  I bought the car new in Feb. 2005. I only drive it between 6000 and 7000 miles per year, so to date it only has about 15,000 miles. But it has been a very good car so far. Compared to my last 2 Dodge Intrepids (94 & 99) it is a much faster, smoother riding car. I love the features such as the heated seats and heated steering wheel. I do think that some interior improvements are needed, especially with the dashboard and controls. I havent checked out the newer models yet, so maybe they have addressed this. As stated before, there have been 2 recalls, but I had no problem with either issue, and had them both taken care of during one visit to the dealership.

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  2007 versa commuter - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By garrett - February 21 - 8:50 am

  I drive 100 miles daily and find the Versa to have good comfort. 4 big men can ride in it no problem. I like the 6 speed manual but a lot of time spent in stop and go traffic will leave you worn out. The only problems Ive had is excessive cranking at startup. Took it to the dealer twice and they changed parts but couldnt fix the problem. I suspect a relay but it usually is no problem.

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  Best SUV Ive owned - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Joe - February 21 - 12:53 am

  We had an expedition prior to owning this Armada. We actually went to the Toyota dealer to buy a Sequoyah and they had this used vehicle on the lot. My wife and I test drove this vehicle for about 20 minutes we only test drove the Sequoyah for two blocks. So much fun, so much space. 43" of leg room in the second row whole family loves this vehicle.

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  Fun money pit - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By howy67 - February 20 - 4:10 am

  Bought the car in 10/2003 with 28000 miles on it, coming off a fleet lease. Now has 73000 miles. Wifes car - she enjoys the car, good visibility for short petite person. Grown kids refer to it as the green goblin. Its a nice solid, if overpowered car. Expensive repairs over the long haul (e.g. MAF, coils, muffler, gas vent canister, ball joint,drive shaft boots). No go in snow-overpowered, skidish.

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  good value - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By defabian - February 20 - 2:26 am

  This is a good value car. Yes, I would have preferred the handling of a Honda Civic, but with the Sentra, I got a reliable car, reasonable performance, and many, many toys (remote keyless entry, alloy wheels, 300W 7-speaker sound system, spoiler, etc.) for $5,000 less than the best price I could get on a base model Civic. The compromise - an older design due for an upgrade and average performance, including handling and fuel economy. Overall, I feel very good about my selection.