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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  Very Good Value - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By John J - March 16 - 3:20 am

  I purchased my vehicle in May 2005. Negotiated hard and got it off the lot at dealer invoice plus an aggressive trade-in value. I love the car. It has performance, comfort and good looks all at a price signficantly lower than cars with a higher brand name. My only complaint is that the door handles are hollow and feel cheap and the gas milage is a little less than advertised. But if you are looking for a comfortable car with most options standard and good performance and not worried about the brand name, the Nissan Maxima is for you.

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  Adequate-performs satisfactory - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Martin - March 16 - 3:03 am

  I leased this car for two years. It beat out two other models barely. I wanted a manual transmission but this one is real stiff and start offs are hard to mix gas with clutch. My Model A Ford is smoother. Once past 1st gear its good. The car runs smooth and has plenty of power. The interior has good quality materials. I can manage for 2 years but will buy larger and domestic next time. Gas mileage is not too good right now but is over 30. I expect this will improve. This Sentra is a good solid car.

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  No Problems - Reliable - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By J Goodwin - March 15 - 12:03 pm

  Bought in spring 06 with 30K miles. I shortly thereafter had to change the intake manifold gasket, but then have had no problems at all. Ive since doubled the miles, and it still runs great. Nice car. Ive had no braking problems w/o anti-lock. Maybe they should slow down. Good deal for a good car.

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  Unsatisfied - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By nicki weatherly - March 14 - 11:20 pm

  Loved this truck when I bought it always believed in Nissan until know. Buyer beware transmission cooler failed I may be looking at replacing a transmission Nissan new this was happening and have failed to recall the issue leaving us buyer the cost of the repairs 5000 to 6000. Will never buy a Nissan again.,

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  Goes like a bat out of hell - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Bob - March 14 - 10:36 pm

  Had this car for a month, and can say the motor and the CVT work great, if not with a small lag when you power up. Nice leather, love the bose system, looks great outside.Great value for the money, like you were in a more expensive car, the interior is quite nice if a bit of work to keep clean, lots of nooks and cranys.

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  NEVER buy a NISSAN!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Jo - March 14 - 7:31 am

  Worst, most expensive car to maintain I have ever owned. If the gas pedal sticks and then doesnt randomly, Im afraid to drive this car. We have replaced so many parts I could not possibly list them all here. The dealer is NO help, they diagnose, take your cash and youre back in 2 weeks. This model should have been recalled!!! Car has been maintained since we got it with 32000. Looks nice, under the hood it is a real nightmare. Only foreign car we own, will NEVER get another Nissan. They should care about their customers before their cars kill us!!

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  False advertising/Fuel Economy - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By dbucolo - March 14 - 2:14 am

  I purchased this vehicle strickly on Gas Mileage, I traded a 2007 GMC Yukon that had Flex fuel capabilites and fuel adjustment that got 22 miles on the HWY. The Juke gets 23 at best. I turn off the Air, set on Econo mode and stay at 70mph to acheive 23. I cross the desert and have a 3 hour drive every week. The city is 18 at best. I hate the fact that I got rid of a 5.4 engine and much more comfort for a 1.6 and only get a few miles to the gallon better, this is a huge dissapointment and Nissan should be sued for false advertisement!

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  WOW! - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By JD - March 13 - 10:43 pm

  Nissan really stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. This car is awesome! Why buy a fifty grand euro car when you get more for your buck with this beauty. I almost bought a M35X. The Maxima was good enough for me to reconsider the extra 12 grand I would have spent.

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  Simply the Best Car in its Class - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Mr. + Mrs. Smith - March 13 - 9:53 pm

  The Altima 3.5 SE coupe is simply the best car in every aspect. the build quality,the many well thought out features,its performance, smooth ride, awesome handling,looks and especially the great value really make this car an easy choice. Nissan thought of everything in designing and building this fantastic car. The engine has been rated as one of the top ten engines in the world for the past 14 years ! The CVT automatic transmission is regarded as the best transmission in the Auto industry. A warning to Honda + Toyota: you had better step up your game and quit relying on your reputation because you getting left far behind!

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  Factory Paint Flaw - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By brittadcock - March 13 - 2:26 pm

  I bought my Pathfinder less than 2 months ago. About 3 weeks(or less) into ownership, while hand-washing my vehicle, I noticed 3 different chips in my passenger side doors. No dents. I brushed it off and thought about getting touch-up paint. While bringing the issue to the attention of my dad, a well-known, retired, body man and paint expert, we did a walk-over of the vehicle and noticed there were several chips all over the vehicle, from top to bottom. Though they were microscopic at the time, in the sunlight (this being a silver paint vehicle, they WERE hard to spot if you werent looking for them), we noticed the spots were bigger than before, and there were bubbles in the paint. My dad labeled it as something called "surface tension", which is somewhat like a pimple. He said it is something that is on the metal before the factory paint was applied and it was simply working its way up through the surface of the paint, ending as a chip. Simply put, in about 3 years, my BRAND NEW Nissan Pathfinder is going to look like a gray vehicle with patches of silver shimmer. The paint will continue to chip. I took it to the dealership, Waco Nissan, which is the same dealership I purchased the vehicle from and showed them what I was concerned about. They told me they would get in touch with the local Nissan Rep. and he would make further decisions about my situation. Later that same week, I came in to meet with the rep and he told me that all they could offer was a repaint". I have done my research and I knew that repainting is almost the same as being in an accident when it comes to resale value. Repainting my vehicle would end up costing me money when it came to trading it in;. Needless to say, I refused;. The Nissan Dealership then offered to escalate my issue to the actual Nissan company:. I waited three weeks for an answer, playing phone tag with the associate who was responsible for my case?. She would call, leave a message, say I could return her call, never answer, call a few days later, and then finally called to say they had rejected my claim|. The same day they revealed that they had rejected my request for a replacement vehicle, but before the fact, when I had taken it in for the first oil change, I talked to the owner of Waco Nissan, same person who sold me the vehicle, and he said that Nissan had not contacted him for any pictures or sent anyone else to look at the vehicle;. Basically, Nissan made their decision based on hearsay, no evidence. No one gave a crap to look at it and see what was going on with the paint, besides the original rep who came out a month ago. Since then, the chips have become more noticeable and the spots which were once bubbles have become chips. I dont know what to do, at this point, I feel that all Nissan is doing is working to get that signature on the dotted line and doesnt care to take fault for anything that happens in their factory.. I dont feel that it is fair for them to expect me to be okay with paying a new price for a car that needs to be repainted right off the lot. Simply, they dont care. The consultant who delivered the news even went so far as to offer the number for the BBB.