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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  Great affordable car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By CJ & Rich - February 8 - 4:20 am

  We replaced our old Ford F 150 extended cab with the new Versa. Our other Vehicle is a 2001 Ford F250 crew cab, so going small was a big issue for us. We were used to having lots of room. We have had our Versa for 3 months. So far, we love it. It is very comfortable especially for its size. We recently took a 700+ mile trip down to Florida in it. We are not little people by any stretch of the imagination, yet we were quite comfortable. Gas mileage was a strong 36 to 38 miles to the gallon....we love that!

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  DONT BUY IT! UNLESS YOU ARE STUCK WITH NISSAN AND HAVE NO OTHER OPTION - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By iamjade - February 8 - 4:05 am

  Brand new car, and there is condensation in both side mirror lights. Nissan claims this is normal. This car is beautiful to look. The car is very roomy and is easy to drive in the city (just watch out for the wide turns). On the highway the handling is terrible and a lot of wind noise. I get frustrated when i have to sync my ipod because it doesnt work the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd time. If you are interested in an Maxima, Please Go check out the Acura TSX/TL, Honda Accord, Lexus ES, Toyota Camry/Avalon.

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  Beauty And The Beast - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Al Seider - February 7 - 9:56 pm

  The new Maxima really is the Beauty and the Beast! It is extremely attractive, both inside and out and is very well constructed of quality materials. People stare at this car and frequently compliment me on it. The beast part is the revised engine. Put this thing into Sport Mode and it blasts up to high speeds in what seems like nanoseconds. It blows away my 2012 Maxima as far as acceleration goes. The new CVT is deserving of the highest praise possible. This is a CVT that absolutely does not behave like one. It provides immediate responses, is super smooth and feels just like a regular automatic transmission. It feels very "connected" to the drivetrain. There is no perception of slippage or hesitation - this thing just moves! Id far rather have this excellent CVT than some of clunky 8 or 9 speed transmissions I have driven that are constantly changing and cant quite decide which gear to select. I challenge anyone who drives this to honestly admit that this is one of the best transmissions they have ever driven behind. The interior quality rivals that of much more expensive cars. It truly has one of the nicest interiors at any price. I could rave on and on about it. Nissan has certainly set a new standard in ergonomics, interior detailing and the quality of materials. As expected with Maximas, it rides, steers, handles and brakes very well. Pay no attention to the purists who condemn it for being a front wheel drive with a CVT. This is an exceptionally well engineered vehicle. I have reached 29mpg on the freeway which is incredible for an engine of this size, and I like to AWAKEN the beast under the hood. The only criticisms I have is that the audio system on the SV is not up to the standard I expected. I would have probably opted for the SL if had realized how mediocre the sound system is in the SV. Also, the Continental tires are very noisy and dont provide for a particularly smooth ride. It is impossible to use the sound system or have a normal conversation at freeway speeds because of the tire noise. Why Nissan manufacture a superlative, best-in-class vehicle like the Maxima and then condemn it to a set of inferior tires is beyond me. Nissan, PLEASE do something about this. I will be replacing these rolling pieces of garbage with Michelins or Yokohamas which Ive had on my previous Maximas. Unfortunately a pricey upgrade for a vehicle so new, but I cant live with the constant tire noise.

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  The good & the bad (transmission) - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By djf4 - February 7 - 7:46 pm

  Purchased on 2-18-13 the suv drives and handles well. The vehicle is roomy inside and not too large on the outside. Averages about 25 mpg at 70 mph and over 26 at 55-60 mph. Expect 20-21 mpg in local driving. Well pleased with the Pathfinder except for transmission problems. On slow acceleration, 20 to 25 mph,the transmission will shutter/shake. The problem repeats at about 40 mph. On 4-17-13, the Nissan dealer, who was very helpful, advised Nissan is aware of the problem but has no fix at this time. A Nissan Service Bulletin, dated Jan 13, did NOT fix the transmission! Hope the repair comes soon as I fear the transmission will fail while traveling.

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  Better than CR reviews - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By dabbler - February 7 - 6:36 pm

  Consumer Reports gave this car a low reliability rating but from my experience it has been great, with a couple of exceptions. Like others I noticed that the tires wear out at 30,000 miles and the brakes wear out at 20,000. And I thought my wife used the gas and brake at the same time. My favorite attraction: Safety: it had curtain air bags standard while others gouged the consumer to get them. I hear complaints about the readouts being in the center. They should get some reviewers that are not old fashioned and fixed in their ways. It only took a little while. My first attraction: it didnt have a ho-hum interior, but has a little excitement to it, even with just the standard package.

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  An easy choice - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Krup - February 7 - 12:40 pm

  I was a 15 year Jeep owner. Every 5 years I would ramble into the Jeep dealership and buy my new jeep. No longer. The Rogue won this time over all the Jeeps and other competition on gas mileage, price and looks. This CUV is smooth, quiet and very sharp.

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  Great SUV but beware after a few miles - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Kenadams381 - February 7 - 10:00 am

  First i would like to say i love this car! It is magnificent. It will do anything you ask of it. BUT. I have only put 5000 miles on it and I have already changed the brakes twice and the rotars once. If you are buying this car or currently have it, watch out for the PSI in the tires, i got mine with 50 PSI in them when they are only supposed to be at 35. I checked it out based on the complaints/reviews about the tire preasure from the reviews writen here! ANd the actual mileage on the gas is 8 MPG for city driving. Other then that, great!

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  Buying 2002 Altima - BIG MISTAKE! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Jewels83617 - February 7 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car towed 3x and in the shop 6x all for failure to start but told that it was a different cause each time. Ive had the throttle body replaced, parking sensor replaced, 3 recalls fixed, and the alarm system taken out all because they were blamed for failure to start (this all happened in the first 7 mos of ownership, bought brand new). I have since taken it in 2x for failure to start and they blame us by saying that we flooded it, as far as I know these kind of cars cant flood. I knew after my Sentra not to buy Nissan again but this time I really learned my lesson, what a waste of my money and time!

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  Unhappy with Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Plantation - February 7 - 10:00 am

  We have had many problems with our Quest that Nissan cant seem to resolve. The major recall did not manage to fix these problems. We are trying to Lemon Law our van. It has been in the shop almost one time per month since we got it. We have just given up.

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  SUV Heavan - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By ALR - February 7 - 10:00 am

  This has to be the best built SUV for the money. Gorgeous looks, fun to drive, great fuel economy for its size. This SUV cost less to insure that full size SUVs and can tow up to 3500 lbs. Extrememly roomy design, with a great 6-CD stereo and avialable satelite radio. Love the leather package that includes sun-roof and power options. Very convenient adjustable pedals is a great feature. The kids love this car, only wish I had gotten the LCD TV option as well.