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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  Surprised its So Nice - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Jerry Roussos - August 31 - 10:45 pm

  We bought our 2015 Leaf SL for an around town car. Its perfect for any trip of 35 miles radius from home (70 miles round trip). When traveling further there are loads of Free charging stations to be found. Home charging cost is about 2 cents per mile driven based on the local FP&L 10.6 cents/kwh electric cost. Im a big guy with a bad back. I looked hard at the Chevy Volt but due to the lower roof line it was hard for me to get into it without contorting my neck to duck under the roof. The Leaf roof is tall and actually is easier to get into than my Lexus RX450h. Acceleration is ample and very quiet. It just pulls. In ECO mode the accelerator is remapped to make response pretty dull but acceptable. Turn off the ECO mode and the accelerator is very responsive. ECO doesnt reduce acceleration it just takes more pedal movement to get the same response. We installed a 240 volt charging station at the house which cost about $500 for the box and $150 for electric installation. It is well worth it. It fully charges the Leaf in about 3 hours vs the 15 hours it takes using the supplied trickle charger. Without the offered rebates the car would not be one we would have considered. We negotiated a $5,000 dealer discount, A $6,000 Nissan rebate and a $7,500 Federal tax credit so that reduced our real cost to $20,000 for a $38.500 MSRP Loaded SL. Or SL has Bose Stereo, Navigation, Leather etc. We estimate the car will be worth only $10,000 after 5 years but that is not bad considering depreciation after rebates are factored in is only $2,000 per year. Maintenance cost should be minimal since no oil changes etc. The only issue may be battery degradation over time Fuel (Electric) is costing us about $20 extra a month on our electric bill for 1,000 miles driven. NOT BAD. The car has a free iPhone or Android APP that allows you to view charging status, battery status and even start the Air Conditioner remotely. In Hot Florida we use the AC remote start up all the time before leaving a restaurant to make sure he the car is cool by the time we get to it. Update: 20 month of ownership update. Its still our go to car for local trips within a 30 mile radius of home. Range has reduced very slightly due to exoected battery degradation. In 20 months battery and range has degraded 6%, and this is in Florida heat. The only problems so far is the 67 cents CR2025 coin battery in our key fobs needed replaced and a recall on the passenger seat pressure sensor.

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  Big regrets - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By olddad - August 31 - 4:23 pm

  I was drawn to this car by the body style, the overall appearance, and the smoothness of the CVT. I have owned it for about 17 months. I think the luster was gone fairly soon. The visibility is very poor in my opinion. Gas Mileage is just okay. I recently hit a deer on the freeway. I was going about 65 mph. Im fortunate that neither myself or my passenger was injured. But the damage to the car amazing and the repair bill to my insurance company was $9000. I wish it were totaled so I could have returned to driving a Honda Accord. Overall, I think the car is poorly designed.

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  Xterra Winner - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By OlderGenXer - August 31 - 4:03 pm

  I liked the look, drove nice and had less body role than my old car did. I was worried about the power, but the supercharger gives you that extra thrust to get you on the highway much easier. I dont think the gas mileage is the best, but its about the same as my previous car (V6 3.1liter), so I dont notice it as much. Interior is great, wish there was a better place for change (I end up putting it in the cupholder). I have not had that many miles on it but I love it.

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  Great Buy - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Matt - August 31 - 4:03 pm

  This SUV is a great purchase. Its functional and looks great. It handles perfectly off road. Even in a 2 ft. snowstorm it had no problems while other suvs were in the ditch. I wish the gearing in the transmission was set up a little different, but otherwise I love this car and will keep it until it dies.

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  Not at all bad - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Smeg - August 31 - 11:00 am

  Fun to drive and reliable. Not the quickest car on the road, but definitely not a slouch either. Comfortably seats 4 adults, with a suprisingly large trunk. I would have loved the manual instead of the auto. Comfortable over long drives, the car didnt get uncomfortable over a 10 hour stretch and back. Not easy on the gas around town unfortunately. Typical Japanese reliability and build quality. Interior is nothing amazing, but practical and easy to use.

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  Hip to be square - 2011 Nissan Cube
  By sr007 - August 31 - 1:47 am

  Cube is different, huge interior, comfortable seats and features, and hip and cool. If you have to explain the cube, you will never get it. I just got mine 1800 miles ago and I absolutely love it. Traded in my mini cooper convertible with a terrible rough ride. Getting over 32 miles per gallon and hatchback and drop down rear seat makes storage very strong. Cube is a winner. Its hip to be square

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  Very Satisfied - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By TinMan - August 31 - 12:53 am

  I look forward to driving my Altima because of its feel, exterior looks, instrument display, and gas mileage. I drove a Honda Prelude si for 23 years, and planned to get another Honda or try a Hyundai Azera or Camry, but checked out the Altima and really liked it. This car has acceleration power (its a rocket). Im not one to race, but occasionally at a light on the freeway I drive back and forth to work on someone in the lane next to me gives me that look of "Lets do it." I have not lost yet, and Im not really mashing the pedal to the the metal.

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  The Last Nissan Ill ever buy!!! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By ineedatoyota12 - August 30 - 3:53 pm

  My engine light came on at 93K miles. I took it to the dealer they said they had to replace the catalytic convertor that cost me about 1K dollars. Within a week IÂ’m driving down the road and loose power. I canÂ’t go any faster than 20 or so mph and my engine light never even comes on. I should have marked my cat because it sounds like to me they never replaced it. How can a new cat fowl out that quick? Even if I was burning pure oil it would take longer than that to get blocked.

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  Forwarning - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Improve - August 30 - 2:00 am

  The car currently has 69,500 miles. Both front power windows arent functional (VERY cheap design). Numerous recalls, one as current as 1/25/2004. The car handles well and the engine has been very reliable. Its all the little things that need more attention paid to them. The backseat is absolutely useless and the spare tire cover will colapse.

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  Endless $700 bills - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By TachisBAD - August 30 - 2:00 am

  The Pathfinder is great except for the 3 oxygen sensors and the $700 instrument cluster that Nissan says isnt a defect but hasnt worked right from the first day.