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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  Exceptional vehicle! - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Doug M - March 6 - 4:53 am

  Love my Pathfinder! Very comfortable and has been extremely dependable. Absolutely no service/dependability issues except for a broken latch on the center storage bin (which I accidentally broke). Covered under warranty. Looks terrific and great performance. Second row seating is adequate but would be tight for taller/larger people. Third row is good only for kids, but thats a given. Only disappointment has been mileage - about 15 mpg combined - and relatively small gas tank. But would still strongly recommend to anyone and would buy again without hesitation!

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  Gas - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By JASON - March 6 - 4:13 am

  It handles very nicely i just wish it would get better gas mileage on the interstate. I travel with 3 kids 70 miles round trip so far i like it. Its roomy and comfy.

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  LOVE my Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By jldono2 - March 6 - 2:43 am

  I have been driving a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee for the last 6 years, and so far I love my Rogue. I was worried about a 4 cyl not having enough power, and this car has plenty of power passing, going up the mountains. So far I love my new Rogue!!

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  LOVE MY ROGUE - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By pgh1559 - March 5 - 6:08 pm

  I purchased my Rogue 3 weeks ago. I traded in a 2009 Altima on it. It is comfortable and fun to drive. I like sitting a little higher than in a car, it is very easy to get in and out of... I looked at and test drove the Equinox and 2012 CRV, though both of them had some better features than the Rogue, I went with the Rogue for looks and the keyless feature. I have only filled up my tank 2 times and the last fill up I got was 25.3 mpg and that is just around town, no highway driving, that is me figuring the mileage not the computer on the car. I would recommend the Rogue. I really love the car despite a few negatives of the Navi and Bluetooth.

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  3 QUESTS IN A ROW - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By QUEST FAN - March 5 - 10:26 am

  This is my third Quest. They have all been great vehicles. It even pulls my 21 foot bay boat very well. The kids love the entertainment system (our second) and my wife and I can now carry on a conversation without the kids talking.

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  Great small car - Poor MPGs - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Dean - March 5 - 7:23 am

  We bought this after looking at the Corolla, Vibe, Fit and Yaris. By far the most room and comparable ADVERTISED MPGs. First 30 miles the tire pressure light came on. Dealer fixed and never came back on. Up to 1500 miles now and only averaging 25.5 MPG overall. Never got more than 27 mpg. We consciously never go over 3000 rpms in an attempt to get better mpg but to no avail. Fuel economy is why we bought a new car and this one does not add up. Everything else is great but without the mpgs Im very disappointed. I have the CVT and maybe it would be better if the transmission was tightened up some?

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  buy a honda - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By monroe - March 5 - 5:03 am

  My wife bought this car in 2000 before we were married and it has been great until it hit about 60,000 miles. Like the others the coils have went out and front end and rear end suspension needs replacing. Tires are outrageously overpriced for the 17". The car is also louder than my 2002 accord. The gas mileage has never been good. For the price that she paid and what I paid for the accord I think that I came out a lot better. With 77,000 on the maxima I think that the tranny is going out. It loses power at high(over 3700) rpms. any sugestion?

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  2001 Quest GLE - 2001 Nissan Quest
  By swapper9 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Fully loaded GLE with 3.3L V-6, leather and burlwood trim interior, plus 6-CD changer w/upgraded sound system, VCR (should a been DVD), power everything, with driver seat memory, and other stuff too numerous to mention. City mileage improved considerably from ~15 mpg to ~20 mpg after about a year. Electronic mileage fuel calculator is a joke, not even accurate. No major issues thus far -- knock on burlwood. Warranty will expire in a couple months and I have seen a few service advisories I would like to get checked, such as side-window latches that loosen, noises from rear suspension, seat belt recall. No issues regarding tire quality.

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  1997 Maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By winston1 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned 4 Maximas, and Nissan continues to do a good job of building a quality comfortable, dependable car.

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  Nissan Xterra - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By MMR - March 5 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive; always