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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  I luv it - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Swamy - July 27 - 10:16 pm

  I owned this crossover in Dec 07 and I loved it so much. Its fun to drive in Highways. The exterior is good.

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  Great Purchase - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By ltret98 - July 27 - 3:23 am

  Traded 05 Maxima SE for 09 with Sport pkg. Difference is night and day. 09 is a dream come true. Great handling, interior, design and gas mileage to boot. If they made this in a convertible, might consider trading in 02 Vet roadster. Hardest decision was which package to purchase. Utilized on extended trip, shortly after purchase. At highway traffic speeds, gas mileage was unbelievable, great on the open road and got lots of rave comments on design throughout the southwest US. Since return, seen avg gas mileage of 25, in town. Handled well in first snow of season.

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  Love our 2015 SV. - 2015 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JP350Z - July 26 - 4:50 am

  First let me say that I am a real car guy that races sports cars and karts on the weekend so I know cars. Dont let the bad reviews scare you, we are 6 months and 7000 miles onto our 2015 and are very happy with our choice. I believe any issues with the CVT have been sorted in the first 2 model years. Just a few weeks after buying it we took it on a 2000 mile road trip with 2 small kids and it was flawless. I would drive it again that far in a moments notice. I made 26 mpg with it in 2wd mode with the cruise set to 78mph. Best highway road trip vehicle ever. Our previous car was a 2011 Forester that we never "loved" even though that is Subaru slogan. This car my wife loves. Car seats fit well and still allow 3rd row access. Jogging stroller fits even with 3rd row upright. My only complaint is the SV model Bluetooth will not allow you to stream audio only talk by phone. Also Nissan does not play well with my Samsung Galaxy. For streaming audio you must buy the SL and Tech package. I think thats crazy. Also heated seats are a must for us so we added dealer installed aftermarket heated cloth seats for $500 and didnt have to pay for all the extra SL items we really didnt want. Got 0% financing and a 2 year maintenance package included as well.

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  Titan of Titans - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By Go_Vols! - July 25 - 11:50 pm

  My 1st was an 05 LE 4x2, now I have an 09 LE 4x2. The 05 was a beast that never let me down. It had initial quality issues, which were mainly fit & finish, squeaks & rattles, but the dealer fixed all. I drove the 05 65K trouble-free miles then sold it for $15,100. The 09 incentives are too good to pass up. My 05 didnt have DVD, Navi, Sunroof, or tow package, which is why I wanted a loaded one. The Â’05 was a terrific truck, but the Â’09 blows its predecessors out of the water by far! Fit and finish is tops and the new interior adds some much needed class! With a tow rating of 9,100 Lbs, I can now buy & tow a bigger cabin cruiser when I join the Volunteer Navy in Knoxville on game days!

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  you might think twice - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Altima is so-so - July 25 - 9:46 pm

  I bought the 97 altima in April of 02. After the 1st 6 months of ownership, it was one thing after another. While it only broke down twice, I never really enjoyed the car w/o some lingering minor problem. The car brakes and ride were noisy from day one. The antenna quit working properly after about a year and a half. I was so happy to be rid of that car this year. My comfort and leg room was not great but Im 63" so I accept certain things in life. Overall, if I had to do it all over again, I dont think I would buy it again. There are worse cars to buy for sure, but there are better. Spent over $2000 in repairs in a 2 year span.

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  Great little car, cute. - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By Sue - July 25 - 5:26 pm

  This is my first car and I bought it at 6 years old about 5 months ago. It had no problems when I bought it and still has no problems although Ive taken it on a several road trips since .. Pittsburgh to Philly, Philly to DC and back. It feels comfortable and is nice to drive and its small so its great for parking but not too small as to get intimidated on the highways. I love my car :)

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  4 Guys and Their Stuff - Anywhere! - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Xtrapol8 - July 25 - 8:33 am

  The FJ Cruiser and the 4-door Rubicon are both excellent vehicles that also have serious off-road capabilities and a manual transmission ... but Ive made the right choice for me. Three other 6 200lb guys can accompany me into oblivion for a 5-day canoe trip and return home again nothing but pleased with the Xterra. On the flipside, my 52" 100lb wife and my 4 and 7 year old children love it too. Soon Ill get some proper rock sliders that they can use as a step up into the truck. For a truck that you sit ON and command, and that will do almost anything, the Xterra is remarkably quiet and easy to drive in town and on the highway. High end stereo/CD/MP3/iPod helps too.

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  Nissan ruined this car with the poor frame material they used - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By solstice7 - July 25 - 6:13 am

  The Pathfinder itself as a vehicle is queen of snow and off road. It always starts and runs. Never broke down on the road. However theed very poor quality material used in the frame is apparent. I paid 4600k for it with 56k miles about 4 years ago. I have spent 6k rebuilding every part of the frame you can think of to pass inspection twice now. Not sure if it will pass this year for either frame issues or steering rod issues-1996 was recalled for rusted out steering rods but not the 1995. If you can weld then its a great off road, snow vehicle, otherwise expect to pay for some type of frame rebuild. Do not expect this it be a quiet or pretty ride-its all utility.

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  Stylish Ride.....But - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By James - July 24 - 9:26 pm

  Ive owned quite a few cars of all makes and models, and the Altima SL is one of the more stylish vehicles out there for the money. It comes with many options standard that you would pay extra for on Hondas or Toyotas. The ride and performance are decent for the cost. Having owned the other Japanese vehicles, I thought Id give the Altima a try since I really like the body style. With all that said....I did nothing but basic routine maintenance on my Civic amd Corolla up until both were sold with about 200K miles on each. My Altima has just turned 68K and has been in the shop 3 times for things such as....belt pully assembly failing, front axel replacemrnt, rotor replacement. Thank god I purchased the extended warranty which covered most of the exspense. Aside from the inconvienance, it is a nice riding car. The local Nissan dealership has been great to deal with. While Ill probably keep the vehicle until time for a replacement.....not sure Ill buy another Nissan?

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  Amazing car. going to miss it. - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By jools - July 24 - 9:20 pm

  I had the Altima Coupe for almost two and a half years and i loved every minute of it. Everything about it was perfect and i did not have a SINGLE problem with it. Also, it saved my life. A couple weeks ago, i got into a pretty horrific accident where a driver in a Ford F150 plowed into me going 55 mph+. Needless to say, the car is totaled. But the important thing is that I was able to walk away from the accident and go home that night. If anyone is worried that this car isnt safe because its small they shouldnt be. i am a perfect example of how safe this car is.