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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  Beware of rotor problems - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Duane - February 16 - 9:56 am

  1. This is an excellent performance car, but I did not take enough time test driving to realize the ride with the low profile tires was going to be too hard. 2. I just spent $400 with the dealership to have the brake rotors turned to eliminate serve brake chatter at high speeds. With 30,000 miles and my prior experience, this is an unacceptable reliability issue. No coverage on the brakes even with the extended warranty. Bummer and the last Nissan I buy!

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  The Titanic - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Mr. Nissan - February 16 - 9:43 am

  Love Nissan & love the Titan! Have towed cars, moved people in & outta houses. Has amazing power, its roomy, comfortable and extremely quiet when driven. I think its the best deal when compared to the competition. Its tough and does whatever you want it to do. Nissan tried the full size pick up segment & did a great job. It has power, room, it fun 2 drive, it a beast of a vehicle. I just wish it had better fuel economy and interior materials.

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  Edmunds did not post my review of my car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By MyCar - February 16 - 12:31 am

  Edmunds did not post my review of this car nissan altima 2015 because I was telling the truth . These ppl must have connection with nissan ppl. I owned this altima 2015 2yrs ago. Please DONT BUY THIS VEHICLE . The real problem starts appearing when you have mileage above 30k. My car CVT broke down at around 32K. Before it broke ,these were the symptoms I was experiencing but I did not know at that time. First ,If your front passenger side seat will vibrate a lot. Second you RPM is always high . The worst thing was, the dealer did fix because of warranty but after 2000 miles it broke again. I heard that once your transmission is broken you will always have the same problem unless you put the new one. STAY away FROM NISSAN CVT. NIssan has a lot of problem for CVT transmission especially for 2013 and 2014 model but I found on my 2015 too. I suggest go for toyota or HOnda because my friend who are driving these have no problem even after 50k miles.

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  Nissan Rogue SL 2008 Review - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By valleyca2 - February 15 - 7:03 pm

  Bought Rogue SL 2WD with the premium package last weekend. Have driven about 600 miles so far. The crossover is really fun to drive, handling is superb, very quiet even at 80 MPH on highway. The exterior design is very nice and refreshing, I think Nissan designers have done a great job. It has much better outside appeal then Rav4/Honda CRV. The interior is very well laid out. The second row is comfortable for this size of the vehicle. Has MP3/aux input as standard - what else! The gas mileage on the highway so far has been in 27 and change range, right on mark what shows on the sticker. So far no complaints. Fun vehicle to own.

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  Nissan Never Again - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By robertk - February 14 - 5:53 pm

  Recently bought this 1998 Pathfinderw ith only 59,000 miles. I drove it only 3,500 miles over a nine month period and the transmission died. I would have had better luck with a Chevy or Ford! The driver seat is small and uncomfortable. The gas milage is terrible, but I knew that buying it. The back seats fold down setup is poor. The rear window leaks and the front windows dont close tight enough to stop the howl at higher speeds. I used the ratings and comments on this site to make the choice to buy this SUV. I really dont like this truck and now I feel like I made a bad choice.

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  Gotta love it! - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By TSG - February 14 - 11:33 am

  I just picked up my 2010 LE with everything except the DVD package. It is well worth the price. Interior and exterior are phenomenal! The fuel economy is what it says and therefore one cannot be disappointed. The Bose speakers sound wonderful, the seats are comfortable, and everything inside feels just right. I could not be more happy with my purchase!

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  Good value for money - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Bergolive - February 13 - 11:50 pm

  We drive that car on horrible northern Canada roads and up to now (2 years of ownership) absolutely no problem with it. We knew the Odyssey reliability is better than the Quests, but the price and style of the Quest finally got us, and we do not regret at all. The front seats are not very comfortable, but the rest is good. Good value for the money.

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  Still solid at 194k miles - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By kismet1113 - February 13 - 10:36 pm

  I have the 06 S "Special Edition" model. I bought it used with around 30k miles and at 194k Ive not had one mechanical issue. The single cd player in the car started eating cds and cant be used and the 6 disc Rockford Fosgate changer likes to eat them as well...so I dont use them. I think the entire Rockford system is junk and just a cheap version of their normal products. The backseat is not meant for adults at all, it is miserable for hauling adult passengers or anyone over about 54" tall. I used my Sentra to commute 3 hrs a day for work and it never let me sit and never broke down. Keep up with maintenance and its a good car.

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  2009 Maxima - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By goddale - February 13 - 3:33 pm

  No major drawbacks about NissanÂ’s best Maxima yet. These are minor inconveniences and as a result, I would recommend this car. I wish sunglasses cases actually fit todayÂ’s sunglasses.

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  amazing car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By mike - February 12 - 9:10 pm

  I was due to change my car. At the time I was driving an 03 Altima 3.5 with 5 speed. I was only moderately pleased with the ride, handling of the car. The interior of my 03 was disappointing. I find that it is as if Nissan is overcompensating for the weak points in the older models. The interior rivals any high end sedan, The creature comforts are amazing. These include auto open close sun-roof, cvt transmission, dual zone air, push-button start.etc.I chose the nav system, and it is excellent. The only slight drawback is the somewhat elevated noise level on acceleration with my 2.5 engine. At cruising speed, there is no discernible noise.