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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  09 Altima hybrid base model - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Happy Owner - February 28 - 9:53 am

  Got base model for $21995 after rebate, incl destination fee. If the price hadnt been so low, the fuel benefit wouldnt have outweighed the added cost. LOVE it. The accel. is as good as my old accord, & better than my wifes civic. Poor Braking distance is non- issue; it feels like it can stop on a dime, even at 3500 lbs. The eCVT is ideal; I have never driven a continuous transmission. Has abundant safety features for my family, and I was even surprised that alloy wheels are standard (although I dont know the added benefit of alloys, just that they cost more). A small thing I love is the key. Just have it in your pocket, & you can open the trunk, unlock doors, & start the car!

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  Best car Ive ever owned. - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Spilner - February 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with 86k on it and have not regretted it a single time! I was amazed at the gas mileage (22-25 city, 27-30 hwy) and the power and torque is great. I can run even with modded mustangs and newer turbo bmws and can smoke most other cars. Ive beat pretty hard on the car for about 12k miles now and its held up to everything without complaint! The only problem I had was with the stock Bose subamp cutting out but theres an easy DIY fix for that which takes about 15 mins. Nissan built this car to last 200k and its very obvious the quality they put into this car. Just make sure to have a set of snow tires on hand =P

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  Its fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Sharon - February 27 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my minivan over a year now and I still love it. The model is the 3.5 SE, It has all the skylights, bells and whistles. Mine is dark gray with the rouge and black interior. We took it on a family vacation last year from Massacusetts to Washington DC, to South Carolina. I have 3 kids and there was room for all of them, and all the luggage we brought with us. I have the 2 DVD package, and the navigation system and it definitely was worth the money.

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  Speakers - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By mikey - February 27 - 10:00 am

  The left speaker on the 2002 maximas is defective from the factory. It works intermittently and is very annoying, dont replace with another Nissan speaker. It doesnt solve the problem replace with and after market speaker only, the system will work like new. Also rear suspension very giggly on high speed sharp turns causing wheel hop which might cause a crash.

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  Good-Bye Nissan - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Carolina - February 27 - 10:00 am

  Overall, I have been very disappointed at this car. Paid top dollar for it, very roomy and loved the dealership. This car, though, would have costly repairs FREQUENTLY even after I took very good care of it as I followed the maintenance schedule. After being told that I needed to put in about $3,000 in repairs to replace catalytic converter, replace rack and pinion and alignment and then of course their additional suggestions such as fuel injection service and engine oil flush, I decided to get a new car. I have had enough! Im looking at the Sonata, Camry and the Accord. Hope to have better luck with another car.

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  Nice Car - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Roger Chambers - February 27 - 10:00 am

  Well, this car is a good car. Two years and 60,000 miles later I can say this is a pretty sturdy car. If youre expecting BMW/Benz/Infiniti quality then youll be disappointed. This is one of the best cars one the more affordable side of the pocket. Pros: A lot of power, easy maintenance (oil change and big services). I enjoy the IntelliKey system. The turn illumination is also really nice. Cons: To experience the power is lose a lot of gas. The build seems flimsy (but is still deceptively sturdy). The car gets the job done and is a nicer way to get from point A to point B than many alternative.

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  Love the car, despise the battery! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By kdk - February 27 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my 07 Nissan Sentra!! Lately, I have been having nonstop battery problems. In the past 2 weeks the battery has been jumped off a total of 6 times! That just did not seem like it should be happening to a car that is a little more than 3 years old. Apart from the less than impressive battery, my car hasnt given me many troubles. Ive had a few variations in my MPG. Sometimes I would get around 30 MPG. Then other times I would ONLY get about 12 MPG! Certain parts were tweaked and cleaned, and now the gas mileage is relatively normal. The car is cute and suits me (a college student)! It is also very spacious (very convenient for moving in and out of the dorms)!

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  Shoddy Workmanship = Lots of Repairs! - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By KAG - February 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Sentra because it had a lot of features I wanted for the right price. All 4 tires needed to be replaced at 36K. 1st week returned to the dealer for a clanking noise under the car - it was missing the clip that holds the exhaust pipe before the muffler & the headrest wouldnt adjust. The fuel door stopped opening after a few months, & Nissan only covers that for 1K miles. Paint was bubbling & peeling off the hood after a few months as well & needed to be repainted. Both sun visors needed replacing. Rather large rust spots on the rear door jams & small ones on the roof at around 30K required 2! SEPARATE trips to body shop for rather extensive repairs! Only avg 27 mpg. Shoddy!

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  My new Juke - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By bbubba20 - February 27 - 10:00 am

  Just bought it and fell in love with it right away! I was looking for a used car, I just want to test drive it to see how it was and bought it same day! Fun fun fun is all I can say.

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  Join Me in A Recall Campaign - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By sxz62 - February 27 - 10:00 am

  Less than half a year since I bought this car brand new, I found it hard to fill the gas tank and then the "Service" light was on and it was the fuel control valve causing the problem. It was replaced but the problem comes back again. Caroline from this site has had the same problem, and Nissan issued similar recall before. I believe all the OOW owners should get it replaced for free although I am still in warranty.