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:

• 

  You dont need an SUV for leg room - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Claudia - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This car is extremely spacious... It can hold up to six (small) peolple comfortably! It has a pretty big fuel tank so if your concerned about $$$ in gas-- this may not be for you. Its very sporty, stylish yet conservative and not too trendy. I plan on keeping this car for five years and then passing it on to my son when he gets in highschool. Highly recommended for all types of drivers.

• 

  HAPPY OWNER - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By DOWLIN - June 28 - 11:50 pm

  HAS ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT YOU CAN NOT AFFORD ON U.S. CARS

• 

  Incredible Car for the Price - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By FlightNurse - June 28 - 3:40 pm

  My Versa was the second one sold at the dealership I got it from. Mine is SL w/CVT, the only package I have is the Convience Package, which for $700 is a bargain... Ive had for 3 days and have 195 miles, but I love this car. The Blue Tooth and Intelli-Key are features that should be made standard on ALL CARS. I looked at the FIT, Yaris and Rabbit. None in my book comes close to the Versa in space and Options. I paid $16,500, leased it w/1834 out of pocket (was my trade in) payments of $268/m for 24 months and 15K yr. Nissan has a VERY good lease on this car...

• 

  Great car - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By sandeep singh - June 28 - 2:44 pm

  Absolutely love the leaf ....dont have anything bad to say about it....

• 

  my truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By fatty - June 28 - 2:00 pm

  I enjoy the truck very much and find it fully capabale of doing everything i want.

• 

  Great cheap car. - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Crossbol - June 28 - 1:46 pm

  Got this car brand new. Quit running once, the cram shaft sensor went bad. Three window regulators had to be replaced. That is all I did to it, and now it has 95K miles on it and still runs like new. Use synthetic oil and perform maintenance as expected. Gas mileage is decent compared to other cars Ive got. Handles great in city and highway. It is not the smoothest and quietest rider ever, but it is expected for the price your pay for it. Really great cheap car.

• 

  Cannibal Car - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By jshores - June 28 - 12:28 pm

  At 45,000 miles the Check engine light came on due to a bad Catalytic Convertor, not diagnosed correctly by dealer. Honeycomb in converter powered and was sucked into engine. Diagnosed correctly after the factory warranty ran out. At 68K miles it has scored the pistons which causes the engine to burn about 1 quart of oil every 500 miles. Would cost more to fix than car is worth. Driver side seat panels cracked and peeled apart. Car could not be aligned adequately.

• 

  Middle of the Road, Not Without Its Problems - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By Steven - June 28 - 11:15 am

  Acceleration, braking, handling, steering are all about average, not a fan of the 4 cylinder and the CVT is too noisy. Fuel economy is OK. Car feels plastic-like inside and out, though quality of materials and interior design is not bad. Front seats are comfortable, rear seats are OK. Car could be wider inside. For a modern car it has little features (no bluetooth!). Have had transmission and engine issues, as well as issues with the tire pressure sensors. CVTs are not cheap to replace! Would not buy again, but its a fine middle of the road car for most people, just doesnt fit my needs as much as other cars/trucks. I drive my other vehicles usually and leave this one as a third car.

• 

  Overall a good vehicle - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By HebrewDoc - June 28 - 2:56 am

  I replaced my 1997 GMC Yukon with my 2001 Pathfinder SE. I got it used with 42,000 miles and now I have 96,000 on it. I use it for daily commuting and deer hunting. It goes off-road like a mountain goat. It is much smaller than the Yukon but handles all my hunting stuff pretty well (I have a hitch haul for the deer). It rides smoothly on the highway and handles well. My only disappointment has been the unreliability of the sensors. It has 3 oxygen sensors, and I have replaced each one ($350 a pop). The mass flow sensor also went out ($550). Fairly bullet-proof other than that. I intend to keep it for the foreseeable future.

• 

  Great car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By mike - June 28 - 12:10 am

  This is a very high quality car, you can tell they spent money on these, I can see by owning this car Nissan takes great pride in building and designing their cars. All the parts from the brake rotors to the windshield wipers are top notch. The trans alone is worth the price of admission. What a car.