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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  Nissan Altima 2010 - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By nissan - June 20 - 4:10 am

  Smooth, excellent engineering. The best car I have ever driven in the last 23 years.

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  Fun Car to Drive. - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Michael - June 20 - 1:23 am

  This is a great car. Although I do have some cons but overall experience has been great. My cons are the option package by Nissan, poorly put together. When changing lanes I do experience some blind spots. At last the interior design could be a bit better. Other then those, I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  great suv - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By MEW - June 20 - 1:10 am

  I got my x brand new in 2003, I drive a lot on the road with work, I have 201,001 miles on it, I get it serviced once a year, I use only bf goodwich tires ruggend trail, so these people saying they got stuck in the mud and snow, can u drive, I like to fish, go go down in the ditch and the x brings me back out, ive driven my x in 32 states in the rain, snow, ice, Ive had no problems. And the super charger has no problem getting up and going. Besides normal wear and tear, I have no problems with my suv, I use full syn oil and fuilds, I only changed my oil once ever 10-12,000 miles, I get 17- 21 miles per gal, if u want a good suv for yrs to come this is it, Im over 200k and running strong!

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  Nice Little Car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Michael - June 19 - 10:46 pm

  I love this car. This is the first car my parents got for me when I was 16 and I still drive it today. The car has great gas mileage I havent had any wear and tear problems and it looks great for a car that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. I dont like the interior very much, the back seats are cramped, and the cup holders arent very well made. In fact, the cup holders broke because they were so flimsy and the ones in the front stink as well. Other than that, this is a fun reliable car, great for a teen getting their first car.

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  Great Buy - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By GRJD - June 19 - 8:50 am

  3 months and 8,000 miles. I really love the car. Great sporty fun on the back roads; very long-legged and comfortable on the freeway. Originally looked at the manual, but read up on the CVT, tested it, and I love it: the powerful and smooth acceleration is hard to describe. Manual-mode is great fun too. A real head-turner. You dont see many coupes on the road, and Ive had LOTS of compliments on it (mines black). For the money, I dont know how you can beat the power, handling, and styling. For me this car is a good mix: a sporty "drivers car", but still comfortable and practical for the daily commute (especially the front-wheel drive for winter).

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  jareds review - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jar - June 18 - 11:46 pm

  This is the best suv there is on the market period.

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  Tranny, brakes, bearings...whats next? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Mike Alumbaugh - June 18 - 10:17 pm

  Congratulations Nissan you built a car with the reliability of a Fiat. In less than three years and just over 36,000 miles we have serviced the transmission 3-4 times (Ive lost count), had it brought in for brake noise (screeching) at least 4 times, and just this week the bearings in both rear wheels had to be replaced. The brakes still squeal but they wont do anything about it because it isnt "that bad." They reconditioned the surface of the rotors, re-shimmed the pads and replaced the pads 9 months ago. I warned them then that I knew this was only a temporary fix and that I was concerned that they would get noisy again once the warranty expires and that is exactly what has happened. A few months before that they shimmed the pads which made it better temporarily. The disk brakes on every other car Ive owned have not been anywhere close to this noisy! Unless I change the pads and turn the rotors to sell it it will easily affect the value of the car and then I am only passing this problem along to the next owner. The tranny has the shakes. It has been reprogrammed, the alternator was replaced because supposedly the voltage was affecting the timing of the tranny, and most recently a vale body was replaced. The oscillation problem is better for now but my wife had it buck again last week just not as bad. Now we have a vibration at about 72-73 MPH that is reportedly "engine harmonics" that resonates through the body of the vehicle. None of my other cars (including the Fiat) have ever had "engine harmonics" ring throughout the car. Their claim that this is acceptable is ridiculous. Their competitors do not have this problem. I am highly concerned that I have more bearing issues in the future. Being the Director of Operations for a manufacturer I know what a rogue lot is. Unless the front bearings are different than the rear the odds are that the front wheels are exposed too. We bought this car because of it and Nissans reputation as being a good product and company which may be true, but that hasnt been our experience. IF YOU DO HAVE PROBLEMS expect nothing but pushback from Nissan. Update: 7/3/16 sold the Nissan Altman, bought a Honda Accord, problem solved.

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  Great car! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By SSRoberts - June 18 - 4:33 pm

  Although Ive only owned this car for one week, Im already in love. It handles well and the ride is so smooth. I initially went to purchase the 2009 Nissan Rogue, but quickly changed my mind after test driving the Altima. The price compared to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord is good. The car looks very sporty, yet still feels like you are driving a luxury car. Im now a dedicated Nissan customer. I bought the fully loaded Altima, with the exception of the navigation system.

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  Only one complaint - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By gr8tfuldad2003 - June 18 - 4:20 pm

  Small trunk space. Thats the only thing Ive found not to like about this car. Everything else is awesome. Straight 10s.

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  Great new, but not wearing well - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By cheddar_brett - June 18 - 2:16 pm

  Bought this car new in Fall 08. I was a fan of the Nissan line, and this car seemed a good value. Yet, fit and finish and wear has been a source of pain and expense. I would not recommend, wished Id bought something different (and paid more), and wont be buying any more Nissans in the future.