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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  Awesome Vehicle! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Roni - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my new 2010 Altima. I had been driving a 2005 Sentra for the last 6 years. I wanted an upgrade and more safety for my 9 year old daughter. Altima has a 5 star rating for safety, lots of standard safety features. I love the Nissan line. The Altima is just a fabulous car. Its stylish, classy, has substance and handles like a dream. I would recommend this car to anyone. If youre shopping for a classy looking, safety packed, drives like a dream car, please GO TEST DRIVE ONE TODAY!

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  Noisy vibration - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By bab12078 - June 9 - 12:24 am

  Love the riding quality and comfort of the interior. But the noisy vibration when starting to accelerate is overwhelmingly annoying. When the rattle is louder than your radio something is wrong. We have taken it to the dealer and they are going to replace the drive belt and tentioner in the transmission. They have already changed the exhaust pipe due to finding the O2 censor cross-threaded in the pipe. This however did not fix the problem. Hopefully changing the belt will. Apparently Nissan is recognizing the problem and trying to find a solution. We were much happier with the old CVT transmission and one less mpg on fuel mileage.

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  A Nice Little Package - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By SHIFT_COOL - June 8 - 11:30 pm

  I just bought this car last month and I am actually shocked how much I like this car. It wasnt my first choice but ended up with it because of price. Well I consider myself lucky because this car is a blast to drive. Its like driving a go cart as it hugs the turns very nicely. With this very taught suspension you do sacrifice a smooth ride. It does not handle the bumps very well at all but you wont be too disappointed when you see how this baby handles. It has plenty of trunk space for me and my buddies golf clubs. It gets around town with decent gas mileage and highway miles arent bad either (23/27). It has wonderful get up and go and you will love zipping around the traffic.

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  Needs Improvement! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Vandy - June 8 - 11:00 pm

  This is my 6th Nissan to own and maybe my last. The 04 Armada has quality issues, starting with the brakes. I have had my brakes worked on twice and heading in for a third. It begins with a vibration in your steering while braking. Took it to the dealership at approximately 8K, they shaved the brake rotars, then again at 11K the rotors were completed replaced as well as adding a stronger torque bar for stabilization. Now I have no idea what they will do and I am at 15K and concerned my warranty will run out before the problem is resolved. It is a pain to pay $33,000 for a new vehicle and have to have it in the shop this much. Nissan needs to do a recall and take care of the consumer.

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  The Armada is great - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By Jim - June 8 - 3:06 pm

  Its everything I need in a big SUV. I have a boat that I trailer to different lakes and need dependable power. I like the big, brawny ride and I like sitting high in traffic. The ride is very good. I enjoy running around in the Armada.

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  Love that Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Craig - June 8 - 11:33 am

  I have been a Ford owner forever and have never found another fullsize truck that suited me other than the Ford till the Titan It has been a pleasure to own and the most fun truck i have ever had. In addition to that I recently had my first and hope last major accident and the Titan did just what it was supposed to. it crumpled where it should and didnt where it shouldnt. The air bag was like hitting a pillow. I wiped out a telephone pole dead center of the front and was able to drive it home then shop for a repair shop. Last but not least The Box frame is built in welded segments that allowed a proper repair with little to no bending of the existing frame. GREAT TRUCK

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  New to Nissan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Leo - June 8 - 5:46 am

  Looked @ Ford,Chev/GMC,Toy. Drive a Ford for work. It was nice til I drove the Titan All have good features, although to get what I wanted I had to purchase other options as well. The wife and I took our sons sportster, BBQ, Refrig from Slo Ca to Sunnyvale Ca. approx 500 mi round trip. Average 16.7 mpg up and back. Interior: just right for the drive, queit, mirrors were great, controls were perfect, wife slept most the way back and so did I. No complaints @ this time. Exterior: Its different, took a while to get used to it, it grows on you Drive train: Very smooth shifting plenty of power for the freeway ramps and passing Limited slip works great.

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  I love this car... - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By tea - June 7 - 8:13 am

  I had my mind set on a altima, a camry or an accord and went for the altima and boy am i glad. i have black on black and people comment on this car whenever i stop somewhere. i love that it is roomy in the inside and that no one is cramped. the car is just cool and well worth $24,000.

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  Fair vehicle, could be better - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Chris Kent - June 7 - 8:06 am

  I always loved the design on the Pathfinder, and this vehicle is no exception. Rides smooth, good ergonomically inside. We have the LE Platinum Addition so it has almost every option you could ever want.

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  Want to hate it... but just cant... - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By JWestie85 - June 7 - 4:56 am

  Ok... Heres the deal... The only way to go with an Altima is the 3.5 V6. After reliability and quality issues with our 03 3.5 SE, I swore, never again for Nissan. The 03 was quick and also luxurious, but simultaneously felt like it could just explode at any minute. Example: We spent $1,700 on electrical issues (straw that broke the camels back) "NEVER AGAIN!" I shouted. Until.... My wife started wanting another one. "Here we go" I thought. Surprisingly though, the 2011 consumer reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Did Nissan really up their game? We took a chance and bought high mileage, but seemingly well kept one. (High mileage, as in 148,000). Ive got to say, its been a great car. Styling is not my favorite as Mr. Magoo could even tell that its going to date fairly quickly with all of its Transfomers body lines, however, premium wheels seem to help aesthetics tremendously. Bottom line, I set out desiring to utterly despise this car, but its just not possible. After 2 years of ownership, all weve had done is brakes, oil changes and a new set of tires. Nissan has proven to me that automakers can change.