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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  the best car - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By jeffrey baker - April 13 - 10:00 am

  i love that car. when i get on a straight away with no cars it has the best speed. i accelerates very fast. i would not give that car up for anything

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  Awesome with the top down - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By thornick - April 13 - 10:00 am

  This car feels much, much bigger than it looks! The ride is so solid and strong you forget you are in a two seater. The weight (400lbs heavier than a coupe) influences some of this feeling. The car is quiet with the top up and very wind resistant with it down and windows up. It handles extermely well. Power is strong after about 20 mph. A pleasure to drive!

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  Love my Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By peacock27 - April 13 - 10:00 am

  This is not my first Max but it is my first car with all the bells and whistles and I am loving it!

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  My favorite TRUCK - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By MAGMAN - April 12 - 4:56 pm

  I bought this truck over three years ago as gas prices started to increase (dumped my Sequoia). My Frontier Crewcab SE has 194,000 miles on it and runs great! Gas mileage is not awesome but it is a truck. The quality of the leather interior has held up great, as has the silver paint (which is a color that usually fades more than others). I will buy another Frontier as my next truck when and if this one ever dies. I have owned a Ford F250 in the past...gas hog and built like a typical American car. Big, bulky and not well built for any amount of time.

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  Great car! - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By delgado1 - April 12 - 2:16 pm

  We traded in our 2007 Maxima for the 2009 SV model. It was pricier than we would have liked but the base models were not close to our 07 SE model. This car has the power and handling that I would expect from such a car. This car is fun to drive everyday to work and on the weekends. I think this has to be the best Maxima ever. I just hope they dont change too many things on the 2010 model.

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  Dependable, but not exceptional - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By bconeseven - April 12 - 4:28 am

  I purchased this vehicle new in April of 2010 as a replacement for my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer which was becoming undependable mechanically. It was important to me to get a nice “cockpit fit” with comfort and electronics, and a dependable vehicle. My first observation is that I had to buy a much more pricey vehicle than what I really wanted in order to get just a few options that I found important. That would not be all that bad, if those features worked as promised. The day I drove the vehicle off the lot, it had two deficiencies: The Bluetooth connection for the phone did not sound good and the windshield was improperly installed, causing an awful noise in the wind and at high speeds. After much effort and loss of use (mostly the fault of Faulkner Nissan in Harrisburg, PA and not Nissan itself other than allowing the actual defect to leave the factory), the noise is fixed. The Bluetooth issue appears to be a result of poor design and is not fixable. I’ve owned several vehicles with a built in cell connection of some type and I frequently rent vehicles for work travel so I have a lot of vehicles to compare this one to. The extremes: Talking on my phone in the Trailblazer was like being in a sound booth; simply perfect, connected via OnStar with a Verizon account—I even got better reception than I did with the cell phone itself. The Pathfinder is the absolute worst I have ever experienced. It is almost bearable if the vehicle is not in motion, but it is impossible to carry on a normal phone conversation when at speed. So, if you are looking for only intermittent emergency use of the Bluetooth/cell feature, this might get the job done for you. If you are looking to return calls and conduct business while on the move, I suggest you look elsewhere. I should also note that the Bluetooth in this vehicle is only for the phone. If you want to play music from your iPhone, you’ll need to use an RCA cable (coupled with the fact that you need to charge your phone then from one of the 12V power outlets, you’ll have at least two wires running around your vehicle. Beyond these issues (which are obviously important to me), the vehicle is average. 18.4 MPG, almost no matter what I am doing. It is a good dog transported as I leave the 3rd row set down all the time so the space in back is bigger. My pooch likes the rear A/C. The 2nd row of seating looks big to me and I imagine it is fine for kids, but my workmates tell me there is no leg room when we go to lunch. I get it serviced on time and there have been no significant mechanical issues beyond those I have already mentioned. You could do worse. Just don’t buy from Falkner Nissan in Harrisburg, PA.

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  Objective opinion of 2012 Versa Sedan 1.6S MT - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By versatileauto - April 11 - 9:53 pm

  In my opinion, there is a great deal of misinformation out there on the 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan, and little to no information on the base model 1.6S MT with 5 speed manual transmission. In an effort to inform others, I submit the following. Due to the absence of inventory of the base model, I had to order the car. It took approximately 2 months to arrive, so I advise those looking for the stripped down version of the car to simply go to the dealership and order the car (assuming you have the luxury to wait). Dealers are reluctant to stock the manual transmission model. I give the Versa my highest praise for value & quality on a budget. This is a fine automobile at a very fine price.

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  Nissan Altima 3.5 SL with some SE access - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By mbavon107 - April 11 - 9:06 pm

  My Nissan Altima was ordered the way I wanted it with the sporty features of the SE (spoiler, ground effects) and the luxury of the SL model. This is the first car Ive had where I did not have to take it back in for pesky problems or for that matter any problems. My complaints are lack of traction in wet or winter driving (bad road manners) paint that chips and scratches very easily and an upper level stereo system with no MP3 capability.

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  Makes me enjoy driving! - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By twoolz - April 11 - 8:54 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned. Front seats are very comfortable. It is whisper quiet even at high speeds, has adequate storage area, seats 4 comfortably. We decided to lease the 2014 because technology is changing and - like a laptop - it could be hard to resell a few years from now. We got the $7500 rebate, a great trade-in on the 2006 Prius and the payments are incredibly low - $183 a month. The quick charger works great and recharges the car in a few hours and the city paid for half of the cost! Its a no-brainer: its the perfect second car for running errands around town and 90 miles will cover a lot of errands! Love it!!

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  Total junk - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By rfw - April 11 - 1:00 am

  Traded this thing off after less than 2 years. Ill summarize: Airbag recall (took 2 trips and still didnt operate correctly); burned-out tailight; interior map lights and overhead A/C vents constantly fall out; high-speed shimmy that cant be fixed; rear & side doors squeak and rattle; window motor burned out; oxygen sensor went out; A/C wont shut off sometimes; DVD player went out, and the final straw: the transmission hung in 2nd gear until I restarted it. Run away, if you even get close to one.