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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  A Minivan for All who Hate to drive one - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Hughor97 - February 11 - 10:00 am

  When my wife and I found out that we were about to have our 3rd child,we thought that it was important for us to buy a bigger car.We have a seven- year old, who still uses a booster seat, a two-year old who uses a car seat, a new baby on the way,and grandma who comes home sometimes to watch the kids.We both hated Minivans,so we decided to buy a 2003 Explorer with 3rd row. After the baby was born,it did not take us very long to realize that the Explorer was not going to cut it. When Nissan came out with the 2004 Quest , we both suddenly said, "Wow may be aminivan does not have to look boring,after all." We went to the Dealer for a spin,we were in awe.

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  Love it! ...I think. - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Cory and Laurel - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I think we love this minivan! Chose between 04 Sienna, Odyssey, Quest, but found best features & value for similarly priced trim levels in the Quest SL. All the mentioned vans have a lot of great features, pwr windows (Quest has auto up and down on both sides), pwr sliding dr, rear climate control etc. But the Quest had even more! Love how you never have to remove any heavy seats from the van to carry cargo. On board computer has neat features eg. tire press., trip/fuel econ comp., bright interior lights, printed antenna, etc. Has a great powerful engine, but poor fuel econ. 11L/100km avg. Drive is more car like than Sienna (mushy) and Odyssey I thought.

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  Good Driving-Body interior ? - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Bcreasman - February 11 - 10:00 am

  The motor and driving is excellent so far. I have had problems with the body such as a rattle in the back electric hatch, window wind sound, and electric side door popping sound. All these were fixed. Hunt Nissan is where I purchased it, they are wonderful, they follow up on any complaint and make it as pleasant as possible to bring your vehicle in.This is a new body style, I think these are fixable problems. Although The Nissan Murano is NICE!

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  Great Night Driver - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By SquareDancer - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I drive a lot of night miles and the placement of a center console has been great. We average 23mpg overall and I am not disappointed, because I knew the weight and height of the van. My only regret is the Goodyear tires. The first set were all out of round and could not be balanced and the second set is showing signs of doing the same. I drive in the range of 75-80mph highway and the comfort could not be better.

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  Dr. Melendezs Nissan quest review - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By melendezmd - February 11 - 10:00 am

  The minivan is overall a excellent car. There are some minor glitches that are important to mention. Side sliding door make a noise on bumpy road. This is something I had read in another review. Nissan needs to fix this. The air Conditioning ventilators on the roof are delicate and come of easily, as do the roof lights.

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  The Titan Does It!! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By GLENNH - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Awesome engine and off road capability. Smooth ride, GREAT off road.

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  Best car I ever owned - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Arthur Spera - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Best car I ever owned. This is my second Maxima, I will definately keep buying if this is as good or better than my first(2001). Great body design, very reliable cars.

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  05 Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Marc H - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Altima last week, and I am glad I did. Had very good luck with our 94 Altima (owned over 8 years & put in $217 total in non-routine maint.). I drove several other cars (new and used), including Accord. No match in interior quality or driving experience. The car is very comfortable, even for taller people. Dealer made buying experience very enjoyable as well. I made correct decision in buying this car!!!

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  Nice Car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By TahoeGTIMan - February 11 - 9:23 am

  I purchase this car new in Oct of 08 as a 09 model. A week after I bought the car, the car started to have a long crank. There were times that it would not start on the first try. I took it to the dealer and they replaced the Fuel Pressure Regulator. Now the car has 22500 miles. I do drive far for work. So far everything has been alright. I am averaging 31MPG on this car. It starting to have the long crank problem again for the third time. I will be taking my car in for the third time for the same issue. This is getting annoying. Good car but i would not buy another Versa.

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  Wont buy a nissan again. - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Disappointed - February 10 - 8:36 pm

  In the period of time I have had this car it has broken more times than the entire life of my 91 CRX. This car was purchased to be a daily driver as the CRX is modified and I was attempting to keep low miles on it. However, Ive found myself having to drive the CRX more because this car breaks quite frequently. So far in the less than 12 month of owning it the fuel pump has been replace 2x, the starter has been replaced 1x and still wont turn over reliably, the tranny has been rebuild 1x, the a/c blower has been replaced 1x, the cd unit has been replaced 1x, and Im sure Ive forgotten a few. I will never buy a Nissan car ever again, and will trade in for a Fit soon.