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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  Wish I would have bought the Murano - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Rick - November 10 - 8:15 am

  I guess everyone who drives a Rogue is Deaf. Thank the Lord this is my wifes car and I only have to ride/drive once in a while. Ive being trying to get my wife to trade it in from the time we brought it home. Road noise is terrible..........................

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  Quest needed repair - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By southman - November 3 - 10:00 am

  The speedometer quit working at 902 miles. Dealer replaced. One of the sky windows leaked and damaged a rear seat. Dealer replaced and repaired window. Gas mileage not what I expected.

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  Nice, but other better options - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By mike654 - November 1 - 12:50 pm

  I found the interior ergonomics of this vehicle to be quite annoying. The window\doorlock switches on the door armrest sits a few inches too far back and cannot be operated without lifting your arm off of the door rest and reaching back. The side view mirror adjustment switch is literally under the dashboard and requires you to lean forward to operate. The lever to slide the seat forward and back is too far down and recessed. Visibility out of the rear window is worse than most because the window is smaller, slanted, and the rear of the vehicle is higher than drivers position. Cargo room is smaller than RAV4 or Outlander. I have owned other Nissans and loved them, but not the Rogue.

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  WHAT A NISSAN - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By joylene101 - October 29 - 2:29 pm

  i am really disappointed with this car,first off the tires cost 400 a set and thats not it some coins fell down into the meter amp where the radio sits and shut my car down, had to get it towed and that cost me 560, now my ac will not blow cold the low ac side has gone out thats another 500 dollars. i hate this car

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  Great Motor Wrapped in Crappy Exterior - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By vq35de1 - October 24 - 7:04 pm

  I didnt buy this car out of love for Nissan or the Maxma, I just wanted a big sedan with creature comforts for not much money. This fulfilled that need. Granted, the car IS ten years old now but in the two years that Ive owned it Ive gone through 4 rear calipers, a new radiator, an O2 sensor, trailing arm bushings, and much, much more - I would say Ive spent over $4,000 in repairs thus far. The other thing is this fantastic motor (not sarcasm)0 uses oil and gets piss poor MPG in any kind of mixed driving.

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  1500 Miles problems already - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By minsane - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I have 1500 miles on my Murano and four problems already! A pillar is rattling, drivers seat shifts during acel/decel, gas door actuator buzzing, alignment off. Took it back to the dealer and they can only fix 2 of the four problems. Technical service bulltins were given to them and still they cant duplicate the problem. Nissan/Infiniti has lost a customer for life. This car has alot of stupid little problems.

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  taken for a ride - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By where to start - October 16 - 9:26 am

  I initially enjoyed the car until it began to have problems at about 58,000 miles replaced airflow meter $900, then the kicker, at 94,000 miles had to replace the CVT transfer case at $4500. had a 100,000 mile warranty from purchase...it refused to cover the transfer case. The car is very costly!!! I now owe more on the car than what it is worth.

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  Better Van Needed - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Godzilla - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Nissan needs to upgrade their minivan. All other vehicles are excellent except for the this van. Ive owned all sorts of Nissan cars and this one is the most disapointing.

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  Poor Quality - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Kevin - October 13 - 5:56 am

  A Nissan Failure. Very poor in quality, poor braking system. Rotors are too small and warp between 3k-4k. Sunroof leaks and rattles. Rattle sounds through out entire truck. Poor radio reception and navigation system will not work in cold weather until vehicle reaches warm temperatures. Also though your wheel alignment may be fine the steering wheel itself becomes off centered. My Armada has been in the shop for all of the above problems 16 times in the first full year. Not where a new vehicle $40K+ belongs unless its a Lemon, the Armada is a lemon. The truck has already lost $20K in trade-in value. Thats a big hit just to get out of this and in to something more reliable.

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  Exploding Moonroof - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By SPONTANEOUSEXPLODINGMOONROOF - October 12 - 12:26 pm

  The moon roof spontaneously exploded. If you take your car into any Nissan dealership they will tell you that this is unheard of and impossible. They will also try to tell you to go through insurance because Nissan will try to get out of everything and anything so they are not responsible. Nissan needs to advise their service workers and managers to respect their customers and not be so dismissive so quickly when something is IN FACT, THE TRUTH. Clearly there was a defect in the glass of the moon roof because it shattered all on its own. There are plenty of cases and lawsuits against this issue as well so IT IS POSSIBLE AND DOES HAPPEN. Yes, even to you NISSAN!