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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  Truck Must Have Been Built on a Friday - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By TSmith - June 10 - 10:36 am

  I do not know how anyone could rate this truck at anything but very poor. I guess that I must have just bought a vehicle built on a bad day. I purchased this vehicle right after they came out and had many problems with it even though it was taken very good care of. Bad fit and finish. Every small item in car broke. Plastic on inside of the passenger door shattered when it was very cold one winter. No power. Bad gas mileage. Rear tailgate fell off. A very heavy small truck and bad 4WD. At 115k the engine blew a head gasket and the mechanic said I needed a new engine! I was through. I paid a premium price for this truck and it was anything but that. My last Nissan.

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  My Fairlady - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By 06fairladyz - June 10 - 10:26 am

  Ive had my Z for 6 months now and it runs great. It gets quite a bit of attention anywhere you go. Ive had lot of compliments on how good the car looks more than anything. Most people who dont know about the car think its a $40,000-$60,000 car... I guess it does look that good :) Thats one of the main reasons why I decided to purchase this car over others.

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  Nissan Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By lawrence - June 10 - 8:36 am

  I purchased this vehicle to replace my wifes Jeep Cherokee. She loved the styling. Compared to the truck like handling characteristics of the Jeep, the Nissan Murano is very smooth, with plenty of power. It handles very well on the highway, even in a heavy cross wind. Thus far weve only needed routine maintenance. There was nothing that needed to be fixed by the dealer after delivery.

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  2005 Nissan Pathfinder - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nanook6 - June 9 - 3:36 am

  This is my 4th Nissan Pathfinder. The design and overall quailty are good. I espically like the new size. It is ideal for most any application. This is a great vehicle for weekend adventures and weekly commuting .

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  Nice Secret - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Happy Camper - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Update from my July 2007 review. We bought this in 12/2005. Now has 90,000 miles, and it still drives great. Wife doesnt want anything else. Still very solid, drives great, and no significant problems. We can afford a new one, but there is no need yet. Still load it down for vacations with 6 people and luggage carrier. Driven through blizzards, pulled trailers, and its still wifes daily driver. Great truck! She will want a new one eventually, and I will probably keep this one for a work/ranch truck.

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  Good Car 4 trvl but.......... - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By hanna - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my 01 nissan sentra its really reliable for travel and I went to Mexico, San Diego , Las Vegas with no problems and good gas mileage .After about 5 yrs with the car the sensors started to fail and the cost was $300 to replace each sensor not including labor. Not too bad for the car lasting about 5-6 yrs before any major repairs had to be made.

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  Worth the Initial Investment - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By CO Defender - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Ive had The Tank for almost 6 years now, and the first 95K were absolutely trouble free. Since then, Ive replaced the radiator core, A/C condenser, and most recently the right side exhaust manifold, not cheap, but considering the 108K of extremely hard driving, and $4K price tag for repairs, its been well worth it. Im on my 3rd set of tires (last two Bridgestone)...fuel economy is still brutal, but considering 6 years and over 100K, Id buy another if Nissan would continue to build them.

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  Titan is the truck - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By TITAN IS THE TRUCK - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2007 SE loaded... Power, Power, Power... A half ton that does the work of a three 1/4... 312 HP, plenty of torque and pulls like my 2001 Ford 350. Fuel mileage is not the best but hay its a real truck. I like the old Fords but I think they are missing the boat. Wake up Ford "Please"

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  There is nothing better for the price - 2011 Nissan Versa
  By John - June 9 - 2:00 am

  This car does everything you need! Lots of space, great gas mileage and very sharp looking in the magnetic gray with rear spoiler. I did a lot of looking before I purchased this car and Im convinced you cannot find a better car for the money.

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  Bad Sentra 2011 2.0 SR type - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By borinken - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Nissan Sentra On October 31, 2010. As I am driving the vehicle in less than 20 miles p/hr I could hear a jurking sound from the engine compartment. I took it to the dealership, 5 times in less than a week, nobody could detect anything. I had no choice to downgrade a brand new Nissan Sentra 2011 to a 2010 Model. The funny part is that Nissan states in the Owners Manual that same situation. Apparently, its a ABS system doing a "self check". Funny how they sell vehicles that are not fully secure, yet the dealership did not want to cancel the contract. I will never buy a Nissan again.