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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  Nice - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By yknot - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Very nice vehicle. Chose over infinity because of front wheel drive....very good in snow.

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  nice ride - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By glenn white - July 18 - 2:00 am

  my fourth maxima and probably the best of all. the car has plenty of power and a great sound system to keep you rockin.I would recommend this car to any prospective buyer, they will love it.

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  Top Dog - Last 2 be built in Japan - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Jerryk33 - July 17 - 7:03 pm

  My 2002 Nissan Maxima GLE is a great car. Overall MPG is 24.4 using Mid Grade 89. NO major problems in 8+ years. One new set of tires and 1 new set of breaks. Had to replace the radiator at about 77K miles it blew. Otherwise zero problems.

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  Not LOL, but falling apart :( - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Nissan like Chrysler - July 17 - 5:43 pm

  This is the worse Nissan my dad ever had. We had an Altima S 2004 went in to 70k with out major problems. It was salvage so we went for Quest 2007 with only like 16K. Problems very loud rattling noise from bottle holders between driver and pass seat! Piece of exterior flew away while driving. Air conditioner not working. The part keeps burning very fast after we buy it! Now at almost 30K we want to just get rid of it! Brake pads need to be replaced at almost 30K!

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  Nissans done it right!!!! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By todd - July 17 - 12:33 pm

  Very nice size truck. The king cab is perfect for a single guy like myself. The perfect get up and go. I liked the price too. V-8 power with V-6 gas mileage. Awesome! Just go test drive it and youll buy one too.

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  Transmission sucks - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Dawn - July 17 - 10:27 am

  Bought mine with 22k miles beautiful car drove for 8 days and the transmission went out. Dealer gave me a hard time. Also the air conditioner quit they said there was a leaf in it so it was not covered under warranty. Ive only had the car 8 days. Nissan dealer told me I have to take it back to the Nissan dealer I purchased it from to get it covered and refused to fix it unless I paid. So here I sit in a car rental while I have a car in the shop that I havent even made a car payment on yet unbelievable!

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  Beats our old Accord - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By MaskedRider - July 16 - 10:36 pm

  We bought this car to replace a 2000 Honda Accord sedan. Terrible car. The Hondas transmission cratered at 84k, which is NOT what you expect from these manufacturers. It left her and my kids stranded three times with its unreliability. Thanks Honda. This is my wifes car. The one primarily used for kid transport, groceries, errands, and such. Where we live, its 50 miles to Walmart, Our Tahoe has been the trip vehicle. Well, that may change now with this car. We brought the 2007 Accord to the Nissan dealership to compare them side by side, and the Nissan won, hands down. Many more features, better looks, more comfort. Wife loved the car. If Mommas happy...

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  Built for speeding tickets! - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Kevin Ray - July 16 - 5:38 pm

  When accelerating pay close attention to the speedometer, you go from 0-Mach50 in seconds. Its hard to go the speed limit. But it does get great mpg and great for having children and car seats. Built for highway not country roads

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  Built for speeding tickets! - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Kevin Ray - July 16 - 5:38 pm

  When accelerating pay close attention to the speedometer, you go from 0-Mach50 in seconds. Its hard to go the speed limit. But it does get great mpg and great for having children and car seats. Built for highway not country roads

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  Great performer - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By John W. - July 16 - 4:00 pm

  This is my second Sentra; the other is a standard 2002. From experience I know the cars are reliable and strong. I decided to buy a SPEC-V because I wanted the performance and comfort. I could have gotten a Mazda 3 for less and the driving experience was similar; but the Sentra has tons more room and has good cargo room for a small car. Very likely my next car will also be a Nissan.