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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  my toy - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Art Bonnell - November 19 - 6:53 pm

  Have only driven 3400 miles since purchase. car was purchased in north carolina and delivered to jay peak vermont . have made arrangeements with freedom nissan of burlington vermont for service just completed first service 3500 miles. they were very receptive even though i did not purchase the car through them they have notified me of two recalls and are in the process of completing them . fantastic service.

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  Money Pit - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Valerie - November 18 - 9:36 am

  Beautiful car. Has needed a lot of work biggest complaint: it Burns oil a lot of oil I put oil in it every other day! Oil oil oil! This car should be recalled for the oil problem.

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  Style and power but need improvements - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By style+power+innovati - November 17 - 8:20 pm

  If you dont want to go wrong with a minivan, get the honda. If you want absolute versatility and value, get the toyota. If you want to drive around town in STYLE and have the PERFORMANCE to boot, the Nissan Quest outdoes everyone. Lots of compliments from strangers on looks. Love the V6-240 vroom as I pull into HWY uphill. Own 1997 grand caravan and 2003 caravan and way too weak for me. Power steering easier on dodges, quest hard to steer when parking. Lots of minor build issues; seat&door recalls, inferior interior plastics, windshield washers trash, heavy wipers, etc...nothing major. Nice innovative dash, not for gramps though; but I love it-great road vision and LCD. Best spacious cargo

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  Not so reliable. - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By esteband67 - November 17 - 5:53 pm

  I got this vehicle three and half years ago and take very good care of it but it doesnt seem to appreciate it. In the short time Ive owned it Ive had a computer chip problem $500 at the dealer and engine coils had to be replaced $1100 at the dealer. Car has only 53000 miles so none of this should go wrong. Ive replaced brake pads twice. Also gets out of alignment a lot. Needs bearings but I cant afford it right now after spending $1100 yesterday. I made a bad decision with a Nissan. Never again.

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  the best car i have owned so far - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By will - November 17 - 10:09 am

  Ok this car has its in and outs. I notice the starting problems its not the fuel pump or starter its the fuel regulator that is cheap needs to be replaced with a aftermarket one by its best to turn the key to the on position for 5 seconds so the pump can prime up but the head gasket did blow once,not sure why had to replace the alternator once and some hoses ,the steering wheel is kinda hard to turn a little and power steering leaks are normal so had the engine replace but I didnt have any problems with that engine but on these cars the its very good on gas maintenance its not to bad for the size of the car,of course its not a luxury vehicle but it is very durable

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  Noisy Fun - 2015 Nissan Frontier
  By Joseph A. Tony Miranda - November 17 - 3:16 am

  The truck is fun to drive, has excellent acceleration, decent gas mileage but is very noisy. Not wind noise but road noise. Can barely hear radio unless its above 15 on the volume scale and higher than that if the AC is on high. It is like they forgot to install the insulation.

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  Not worth the money - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Jean66 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  I expected better when I purchased this car. Little things keep failing (coils, sensors), but you can expect at least a $300 bill each time. Customer Service is terrible, too. Interior is noisy and seats are uncomfortable for long drives. However, engine is powerful and the car moves when you want it to. Its too bad all the little nuisance problems spoil what should be a good car. Unless you find a really good deal, or dont mind a noisy interior with irritating squeaks, dont waste your money on this one.

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  Disappointed consumer- Do your research! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Disappointed person - November 15 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car a week ago and noticed the rattling noise too. The service light soon came on and a compartment hatch was broken. Therefore, I had to take it to the shop. This has been a bad experience and my comfort level is not very high right now.

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  Relatively Speaking - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By finalfrontier - November 15 - 10:00 am

  This is truck for truck guys, unless you need it to haul stuff and go off road on a regular basis there are more car like options (like cars and those danged SUVS). It needs better brakes and a new engine not to mention better paint and more room in the back as well as better NVH insulation among other things. On the other hand its cheap, tough as nails, very utilitarian and looks good. Plus its loaded and will last forever, has very low maintenance and retains its residual value way better than Ford, Chevy, GMC or Dodge (not as much as the Taco though).

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  04 Maxima GL Problems - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By William Joyce - November 15 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Maxima and I am not happy. There is a serious shift problem with the new autoshift, 5 speed transmission on GLs sold after Feb 2004. The dealer says "its normal" but other owners have the same problem!!! The gas cap is designed very badly. I just replaced the XM antenna, 2nd time, and it still works only about 60% of the time.