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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  My little white truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By fireman - March 12 - 9:10 am

  The truck drives very smooth. The engine is very responsive for a V6. The truck turns like a big truck.

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  Nice SUV - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By James B. - March 12 - 12:20 am

  SUV has very nice features and more than enough power. We bought it on a Saturday, drove it during that weekend and noticed the hard downshifting when letting off the gas pedal at approx 40 MPH. Took it back to dealer Monday and service person rode with us. He said that there was a sensor that needed to be replaced. This did not fix our problems. The service dept said there is no fix at this time. They still do not have a solution.

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  Its a winner - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By L. Willis - March 11 - 9:06 pm

  This has been a fabulous experience as a new truck owner. I needed it to haul horses and travel my daily route across a poorly maintained dirt road in front of my home in outskirts of Phoenix (county land) to work in Scottsdale. Its at home in either place. Ive even used my truck to pull cemented fence posts out of the ground and it popped them right out. Ive always been a sports car type but I love my Titan!

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  Its a Sentra... but. hey, I like it. - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By finally.anewcar - March 11 - 3:53 pm

  This is my first "brand new" purchase.. and all around Im pretty happy with my choice. Everyone has said how suprised they were to see luxury features like bluetooth and keyless entry in a car priced less than 20k. Driving is smooth. Everything else works as its supposed to. The gas mileage is pretty good but Ive seen better. To compare it to a Toyota Yaris, you get better mileage with a Yaris but more features and quality with the Nissan at the same price.

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  01 Xterra V6 4x4 - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Mitch - March 11 - 11:36 am

  I have driven my Xterra cross country 3 times now and have taken numerous road trips. It is a great vehicle from every standpoint. The gas mileage is ok but is improved with small aftermarket parts. I off road often and have a Rancho lift kit and run LT 285s on the Xterra. Once in 4lo, the Xterra is unstoppable. Even when it was stock, it was very dependable off road. I like how the seats give you a commanding view of the road and are very comfortable. The 3.3L V6 is underpowered but matched with the 5 speed manual tranny, it does well enough. The Supercharged version that came out a few years later would be the way to go. It puts out 210 hp I believe. Either way, the Xterra is a great suv.

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  Stay Away - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By SteveS - March 11 - 11:00 am

  Purchase new as economical transportation. Owned Nissans in the past with much luck. However this vehicle will make me reconsider purchase of product in the future. Poor reliability - have invested more in repairs on this vehicle than my 93 Nissan pick-up.

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  Only 5,000 miles with issues!! - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By khuzbuz - March 11 - 2:17 am

  I have experienced problems with the AC blowing hot air and the rear brakes developing a loud metallic grinding/crackling noise. The first time I took it to the dealership they kept the car overnight - the service adviser said there was a service bulletin on the brakes and the brake cylinders needed some lubing. They had no idea why the AC was not cooling periodically. I picked the car up and after a week or so the brakes had the same issue and the AC was HOT all the time! Very uncomfortable driving in 100F+ weather with the windows down! The dealership kept it for 2 nights and figured the brake cylinders had to be replaced as well as the AC compressor. Covered by warranty but whats next???

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  great - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By darelle - March 10 - 11:23 pm

  my new altima is excellent. ive had it for about five weeks now. the acceleration is excellent i achieved 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds

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  Fun to drive - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By rayy - March 10 - 7:36 pm

  Great car, but with the standard seats its not comfortable on long trips--no lumbar support, and the head rest pushes your head forward in an awkward position. But I think that is typical of most cars nowadays. The tires typical of Nissan OEM tires only lasted about 36K miles. Great acceleration esp. considering mpg which is 27-28 on the highway. The main beef I had when buying this car was that you are forced into buying a $10K "technology package" if you want the nice stereo with Sirius radio. The standard stereo does have an mp3 jack which I use for my Sirius plug-in. Electronic key is great & prevents locking your keys in the trunk.

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  Best sedan Ive ever driven - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Reese P - March 10 - 6:46 am

  Incredible car for the price. Quiet and super comfortable. CVT transmission took a bit to get used to but car is fun to drive!