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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  Long Life to Come - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Thunder - January 1 - 11:56 pm

  I bought my Nissan 200sx in March and it is the best. I have had no major problems with it at all. I need a new muffler thanks to my driveway and a bottle of refrigerant for the A/C. I absolutely love this car. It was my first car and i plan to run her til it dies on me completely. Currently, the odometer is displaying 255,000!!! Change the oil and youll be fine.

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  Shocked! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Michael - January 1 - 7:10 pm

  Having owned Toyotas for years, I decided to check out the Versa, based on its specs alone. I was shocked! The car rides and handles like a dream, and has more than adequate power. Interior room is great. It wont win any awards for looks, but thats not why I buy a particular car. This car even has side curtain air bags and ABS. For the price, I think this car is unbeatable. I have owned a Nissan before, a pickup, and it was very satisfactory. Overall, I think the Versa is a heck of a deal.

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  Fun & Reliable - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Sheri - January 1 - 1:50 pm

  I bought my Altima new and have loved it since day one! In 1999 I drove a rental on a business trip and fell in love--otherwise I never would have noticed this car. At 150,000 miles I spent some money to replace water pump and radiator, but other than that I have had almost no repair work done on this very reliable car. After 10 years, Im still comfortable taking the car on long road trips and it looks great! The engine is great with 1 or 2 passengers, sluggish with the AC on or with a carload--what do you expect from a 2.0L engine?

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  Worth it to me! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By sjo - January 1 - 10:26 am

  I used this site for my research so felt I should leave a review. Was going to buy a 2004 Nissan Armada, but went for the 2005 model after reading the concerns about brake and rattle issues. I have a dealer friend who said the brakes have an added shim kit, and the console is new. This truck (SE 4WD) is for my wife, but I look forward to driving it on the weekend. I only have put 1,000 miles on it since picked it up on New Years Eve. The mileage so far is about 15 mpg, but the truck is not broken in yet. I went without the tow package and am glad since the gearing is slightly different. I drove trucks with both packages and at 80 w/o tow pkg you are at less than 2,000 rpm. With the other package you are at 2,300 rpm. This truck has more room than the Toyota 4Runner we traded in for it. I have owned Nissans in the past and have been happy.

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  Love it, but am Disappointed - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By klg677 - January 1 - 9:03 am

  I have owned two Nissan Maximas, a 1990 and a 2000 SE. I purchased the 2000 SE in 10/2002. Unfortunately the 2000 model has been the problem child. First the coils went which cost $750 to fix. Then the altenator, I know these things happen wtih cars none are totally maintenance free, but after reading some of the reviews and seeing the coils mentioned over and over I wonder why they havent been recalled yet. Incidentally the 1990 SE is still going strong with no major problems.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By michelle - January 1 - 5:46 am

  I bought the 2000 Nissan Altima GXE in 2004, when it had about 60k miles. It now has 119K, and has been, without a doubt, the most reliable, trouble-free car Ive ever owned. And Ive owned about 20. I just had to do a distributor last week, but that was the first real repair Ive had. Oh, and for some reason, I end up doing motor mounts every other year, but I like a very quiet, vibration free car, so it might just be me. The Nissan mechanic said the 99 and 00 model years of this car were the absolute best. I agree. In fact, Im thinking about moving up to a 2005, but Im afraid it wont be as good as the 2000 has been to me. If you cant afford headaches, buy this car.

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  Good Commuter for the money - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By jazbo01 - December 31 - 7:42 pm

  When our first baby came we needed more room and living in wisonsin my wife wanted AWD, we looked into many SUVs and decided on a Rogue AWD. I am very happy with the car so far. My wife travels for her job and we now have 140K on the car! We have had NO issues what so ever! I do all my own maintenance except we had the dealer do the tranny service. It actually has really good passing power and with the CVT tranny you just pin it and let it go! Fun little car in the snow too..very predictable and easy to handle. Fuel Economy is great esp for a AWD. We travel rough dirt roads and it is as tight as the day we bought it! Despite other reviews i highly reccomend the Rouge!

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  Love our van - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By J - December 31 - 1:36 pm

  When I caved to the need of a mini-van (hated the SUVs), I immediately liked the Quest new style. My husband was more satisfied with the design and didnt feel like he was driving his "wifes" car. Like the oversized chairs and roominess for driver, I personally love the center console and would not have changed it!! Downside has been the tires - headache to replace with weird size and they dont wear well, and the brakes have been ridiculous!!! Overall a good purchase for our family which includes a big teenage boy and preteen girl.

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  DO NOT BUY!!! - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By DO NOT BUY!!! - December 31 - 10:03 am

  We traded our 04 quest for an 07 quest. Huge mistake. The 04 is nothing like the 07 at all. Storage is very limited. Seats are uncomfortable. Air barely blows any air. Heat takes forever to heat up and blow. Cloth seats get very dirty due to pattern chose on material. Lots of things that are plastic have broken, air vents, cup holders, etc. It gets horrible gas mileage. I drive to school and back and I use a tank in three to four days. That is going nowhere else approx. 14-17 mpg... not good at all! Not very roomy. Our sliding door kept popping dealership said couldnt fix when window shattered in a million pieces!! DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE!!

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  Fun, Affordable, Head-turner! - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By mcnairda - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car from a dealer that grabbed it at a dealer auction. It had 12k on it. I had the service bulletins performed to correct the toe settings and some window grease streaks. Other than that, all i do is drive down the road and i get stared at in this car. Its a redline track model and the excitement of this car is believed by many and understood only by those who drive it. The handling and acceleration are next to none. However this is a true muscle car and definitely worth the money. I couldnt be a happier camper. I do feel that the interior lacks a little luxury, but you dont buy a sports car to have a posh interior.