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 car - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By stephen hayward - January 12 - 8:18 am

  serviced every 3000 t0 4000 miles all original equipment including tires

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  Buying another Maxie - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Mr Darren - January 12 - 1:26 am

  Bought my first maxima in 2005 and it ended up being the best car I ever owned in my life. It drove like a dream and never gave me more than a ounce of trouble. It had about 125k on it when it was stolen. It still drove better than a lot of new cars. The police recovered it and I wanted badly to regain ownership and start driving her again. But the stupid police stored it outside with the sunroof wide open and it rained for two days straight ruining the interior and making the car a total loss. I bought a few other cars including a 2000 maxima but none drove as good as my 96 maxie. So finally a year later Im planning on getting my second maxie this one a 98.

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  Do Not Buy! Serious Design/Quality Problems! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By camrydriver69 - January 11 - 2:09 pm

  These cars have very serious powertrain problems. The pre-cat disintegrating over time and the bits and pieces being sucked into the engine, possibly causing engine damage, and causing oil burn. All 02-06 Altimas suffer from the same serious design flaw. For that alone you should avoid this car. Other common problems include butterfly valve screws being sucked into the engine and causing damage, timing chain problems, floor boards rusting through, and rough-shifting transmissions. Despite what the Edmunds review says the car is NOT fun to drive. The powertrain is extremely unrefined and noisy. It also only gets around 20 mpg in the city, which is pathetic for a 4 cylinder.

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  4-door sports car indeed - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Brian - January 11 - 12:06 pm

  Fastest sub $30K sedan available with manual trans at the time. 11 years later still 0-60 sub 7sec. Very reliable sedan, sports sedan primarily, 4-door sports car second.

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  Great car - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By R. Moore - January 11 - 3:50 am

  One of the best cars on the highway today for the dollar.

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  My Frontier Experience - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By arcadio figueroa - January 11 - 2:00 am

  For the most, this vehicle is a good handling truck but very high on gas consuming. THe air conditioner and heat exchanger are very poor and the interior space is very limited, specially in the back seat.

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  97 Altima is Reliable Wheels - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Grove City Johnnie - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought this 1997 Altima GXE in May, 2000. It is my work vehicle. I was tired of American vehicles that were unreliable - and spending too much time with them in the garage. This car is not fancy, not fast, but it IS very reliable. Im very satisfied with it and would buy a second one in a heartbeat. 92,000 miles and still going strong!

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  Very pleased - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By dalo - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Owning this car has been a very good experience. Very comfotable ride, good acceleration, good responsiveness. The interior is a combination og wood grain and black leather which never failed to impress anybody that got in my car. I recently was rear ended by a full size ram truck and the car took it pretty well no real damage past the trunk area at 8-10mph. Good family sports sedan.

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  SE-Rprised!! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Wetzels Pretzels - January 11 - 2:00 am

  This car is a Torque monster! It blows away my turbo VW. The suspension is very tight with minimal body roll. Initial quality was great. I was very surprised how much power the car had after I broke it in. The gear ratios are perfect for the elastic 2.5l and the brakes are superb. Keep an eye on the TACH because 6,000 comes up quick!!!

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  Sentra 2003 - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Heatherl - January 11 - 2:00 am

  the best car in its class. solid and reliable. not very zippy but it still drives really nice.