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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  A to Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Scooter-ZRD - April 24 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned a lot of cars over the years and my 350Z Roadster is without a doubt the most fun car Ive ever owned and drove! Great acceleration, cornering, and looks to boot! Who could ask for anything more? One area that I would like to see Nissan improve upon is the interior material. More use of leather would be nice.

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  What a Ride - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Sammy 12 - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I took delivery on 12/24/03. The first thing I notice was how tight the car was and how good the ride was. Put the top down, turned on the heated seats and went driving. I received thumbs up everywhere I went. This is one fun and well built car.

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  Poor fit and finish. - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mike575 - April 24 - 12:20 am

  Loved my 2003 Pathfinder, should have bought that off lease instead of re- leasing the new 2006 version. But, with kids, needed the 3rd row. The truck rides nice, but has had fit and finish problems since the day we got it. Tire mounted inproperly, driver door mechanism had to be replaced, brake rotors had to be refinished. All that in the 1st 2 weeks of ownership. Now, the fuel door stays open or locks closed, with no relase lever. And now, the steering feels like it has a small amount of play in it, like you fell in a car that has 80,000 miles, not 3,600! I wrote letters, the dealership is accomidating, but Nissan corporate could care less. Last Nissan I will ever purchase.

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  Better than I expected - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By James McE - April 23 - 11:30 pm

  This truck has proven itself to be more than I could have expected. Since I put 30k or more miles per year on a vehicle, I didnt expect to keep this truck for more than two years... I have now owned my truck for almost 4 years and it runs just as strong as it did when I bought it. The only negetive points I can think of is the wiring for the license plate lights in the rear and the front headlights. the interior dome light is somewhat dim as well, and the seats have a bit to be desired in the lumbar area, not very forgiving on your lower back on long hauls. Otherwise, this truck has my complete satisfaction, too bad they changed the body style after only 4 years...

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  Almost like my beloved 92 Camry - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Jim Wainscott - April 23 - 8:42 pm

  Strengths: It is mechanically reliable and when I took the plastic cover off the engine this year to get a better look at it I was surprised at how clean it was. The rubber hoses are holding up well. Good passing acceleration Good overall craftsmanship and sturdiness in the engine compartment, interior, body Paint is durable Stiff suspension on good roads makes for excellent handling. Nice small turning radius for a mid-sized car making it easier to park and maneuver in general Weaknesses: Suspension too stiff in dry weather when road conditions are bumpy, better in rainy weather. Overly sensitive to small changes in tire pressure due to a defective TPMS that had a slow leak for three years since purchase until finally it was properly diagnosed when putting on new tires. Accelerates too suddenly from zero unless you gingerly apply just a little pressure to the gas pedal. Takes some getting used to. Brakes too grabby. You have to ease in on the brake pedal. Takes some getting used to. Audio System has way too much base even at minimum setting of -5. Had to replace original unit one year from purchase because of no display. Audio quality on factory replacement unit is worse on mid-range and base. Had to replace headlights after 4 years for fogging up (improper seal). Though the headlights have good spread for detecting deer the depth of field is weak on distance. Slant of windshield makes for compromised visibility for those wearing glasses because of optic interaction distortion between windshield and prescription glasses. Note - older cars with less slant to windshields have much better visibility. Poor rear view vision out rear windows requires extensive use of side mirrors. Large truck and van drivers probably wont notice but the average car driver will. MPG is less than advertised though that can be attributed to poor road conditions in Wake County NC and poorly timed traffic lights, and lately, drivers distracted by their cell phones. Original tires made for poor handling. After they wore out I bought the Michelin Defender which improved drive-ability drastically, like night verses day.

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  Fun To Drive, But... - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Shawn - April 23 - 8:30 pm

  I really appreciate the Altimas handling and the engine is tolerable. But I have had several problems. I bought the car used and it developed some very annoying rattles. The intake manifold gasket went after one year (Nissan covered the repair), and the instrument cluster died on the interstate, and came back to life about 30 miles later. I love the way the car looks and handles, but I am dissapointed with the mechanical problems I have an encountered. I am really having a hard time deciding whether to keep it. With gas prices on the rise it may have to go. I typically get less than 20 mpg. I have a 6 cylinder Jeep that gets better gas mileage.

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  Definitely a Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By DrZ - April 23 - 5:00 pm

  I purchased my Titan SE Kingcab RWD approximately 10K miles ago. Still happy. I could stand better gas milage since the best I have achieved is 17.5 on a trip but when you buy a 5.6l V8...you dont buy for milage. Had a Tundra and it was great for the first 50K and then turned into junk. Am pleased with the handling, ride, and the sound of the pipes. Had the passenger side window motor fail but it was replaced under warrenty. No other issues. Great truck... lots of power...and will compete against any truck its size for towing or hauling. Very pleased.

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  05 nissan pathfinder SE - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Hunter - April 23 - 3:36 pm

  Purchased a storm gray 05 pathfinder SE with comfort package so far loving it! My wife and I were looking at the 4runner and highlander but the pathfinder had everthing we were looking for performance, rugged looks and comfort. Looks similar to the armada, My friend thought it was a smaller version of the armada.I think nissan is starting to over take toyota in performance. This is my first nissan, I owned 2 toyota tocoma extracab in my lifetime which were great trucks with great quality, nissan looks like they are moving up with the 05 pathfinder! Lets see how it will do in 05!

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  Puts the S and U in Your V - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By tropx - April 23 - 3:26 am

  Tried a 1st gen Xterra a couple of years ago and was unimpressed. Cool styling, but too noisy inside, gutless (even the S/C model), and crude overall. Great off-road, though. The new X is nothing like its predecessor. It still has the OR chops, but its refinement is a quantum leap ahead of Gen 1. I am impressed with its quietness on the highway. Ride quality is firm but fairly smooth. Sharp handling, fun to drive, plenty o power. A great cruiser, yet also a bona fide off-roader--NOT a quasi-SUV wannabe. A great choice if you have only one vehicle for commuting AND playing in the dirt. Be prepared at the gas pump, though--so far I average 17 mpg (90% highway) on winter gas.

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  Best Minivan ever to come to production - 2014 Nissan Quest
  By evanlloyd321 - April 23 - 2:34 am

  FINALLY: Space and Fuel efficiency come together. My family finally decided to get a spacious car. Much better than [non-permissible content removed] Subaru outback. **Average 21 MPG, Enough to carry 7 Adults comfortably, and it looks good too. I like this car a lot! Hope it lasts.