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:

• 

  Perfect 10 - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Awesome Truck - August 17 - 2:30 am

  I love everything about this truck, the way it looks, the way it drives, the cupholders, the sound system, seating position and yes, even the fuel economy. I got 21.25 mpg on my last tank with mixed driving. I do use the cruise control whenever possible but I sincerely doubt there are many other V-6 4x4s out there that can make that claim. I think it will give me 23 -24 mpg for all hwy miles. The overall value is awesome.

• 

  Greatness! - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By white_nissan - August 17 - 12:23 am

  I bought this for my first vehicle. At first I didnt know much about the Nissan name. I thought it was a cheap Toyota knockoff but I bought it because it looked good and was cheap. I have buried it up over the hood in mud, wrecked it, and constantly go off-road in it and it is still running strong. I gas it until the rev-limiter kicks in all the time. This truck is great! I have literally put this truck through things where my buddies have blown their trucks up and mine is still strong. Its not real fast but it handles terrific. It will also surprise you on the power/torque. This is an all around great truck I usually get about 20 mpg but could get more. With 140,000 miles on it, its great

• 

  I love this car! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By astrosjunkie - August 16 - 7:13 pm

  This is my first car w/ any automatic/keyless feature and I love it! Just crossed the 2000 mile mark and getting 32-34mpg mixed ciy/hwy driving. The crash test results came out right before I bought this car and I feel safer. Visibility seeing out while driving is awesome. The standard audio package sounds great and Ive had so many people tell me that they cant believe how much room is inside for a "small" car. Love the exterior-- sleek-almost european/mini-cooper like. Love the fabric/interior-plush. Handling is great and the ride is smooth, but could use a higher quality/performance or slightly larger tire.

• 

  Good Truck/Bad Company - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By John - August 16 - 5:00 am

  Did my homework. I love my Titan with a couple of exceptions. Soon after purchase, it felt like there was a role of quarters in the left side of my seat cushion. To their credit, dealer replaced seat. However, seat is still uncomfortable (should have got the leather I suppose). Also, the truck has no outside temp gauge - I cant believe it. Dealer is no help and emails and calls to Nissan net no response at all. As a result, I will never buy another Nissan product. Other than that, I really do like everything else about this truck. But alas, I hear Nissan is giving up after their first try. I wonder where the Tundra would be if Toyota gave up after just one shot at it?

• 

  Dont let the looks fool you !!!!! - 2010 Nissan Cube
  By DN - August 16 - 4:36 am

  I have to say, I have never taken the time to do a review on anything. But after purchasing my 2010 CUBE and having some time to really get a feel for the car, I could not help from expressing what a pleasure it is to drive. I traded in my 2007 Nissan Sentra and was actually going to buy a NEW Sentra, but something told me to take a look at the CUBE. YES...it has a funky look to it, YES..I might be having a mid life crisis..But I have to tell you that this car does not drive anyway that it looks. What I mean is that at first glance, you would think very light, lots of road noise, not stable on the highway at high speed...NOT TRUE....I love this Car....

• 

  Amazing SUV for the right CORRECT PRICE - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By Big J - August 16 - 3:10 am

  We were looking for 2 years. Since GM and other USA car mgs were going BK..The Aramda (house on wheels) caught my eye at a routine stop at Nissan on my maxima. AWESOME/AMAZING TRUCK. Total price 42k out the door. Took the NISSAN cash and paid cash. This SUV has it all especially the IMPROVED Blue Tooth for phones. Real time traffic...power..you name it, it rocks!

• 

  Going on 3 years... - 1996 Nissan 300ZX
  By quikz - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought a used 91 with high mileage. BUT...mechanically in great condition. As far as I can tell, not abused by the previous owner and was 100% stock, (a plus to me), and it came in the color I liked, Black on Black with 5-speed. Couldnt pass it up! Mines a non-turbo and Not as powerful as a turbo, but great driveability. Very reliable, with just minor problems at the begining (power steering pump etc.) all very very minor stuff. But going on 3 years now with the car and not much yrouble at all. I keep up with the maintenance, VERY IMPORTANT. Its garage and it is mostly just a weekend car.

• 

  Incredible vehicle - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Lindso - August 16 - 12:13 am

  Ive owned the Xterra for over 5 years at this point, bought it when it had 30,000mi. The odometer just passed the 130,000mi mark and the vehicle is still in outstanding shape. The only oddball thing Ive had to replace is a bearing that supports the two-piece drive shaft, but I blame it on all the mud and water Ive intentionally not avoided. I couldnt afford the insurance for 4WD when I bought it, but I certainly dont regret going with the 2WD- Ive pushed this vehicle to the limit consistently on and off road, irresponsibly run the RPMs above 4K daily just to listen to the aftermarket parts work, and still, with typical maintenance (oil changes, trans flush), the X still runs strong.

• 

  2008 Pathfinder V8 - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Anthony - August 15 - 6:10 pm

  Bought this vehicle mid 07, only problem Ive had is the factory installed sat. radio was doa. Other than that every thing is working fine w/ 18000+ miles. Avg. 16 mpg, with mostly in traffic highway miles. Plenty of power, very smooth ride. Off road quite a bit, ground clearance is a limiting factor. Interior is nice, but not overly fancy. Plenty of room in the front and mid seats, Im 61". Nav system is very nice, minus some features are not available when you are in motion.

• 

  Commuter that fails to be boring... - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By Vlad - August 15 - 4:03 pm

  After 2 years of ownership, this cars design still looks fresh and not aged. Especially lively this car is with 5 speed transmission, which I was lucky to locate. Just downshift and its famously smooth and juicy VQ30DE V6 engine (rated best V6 for past 10 years) still performs on par with modern V6s. With 136K miles presently, maintenance covers way more parts, like tensioners, sensors, power coils. Yet I never had big issues except broken throw-out bearing that left me stranded 60 miles away from home and a failed injector. However, for its miles this car still holds very solid and I am sure I will easily pass 200K mark still on original transmission and with some minor repairs!