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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  I am done with NISSAN - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By 2002sentragxe - April 9 - 8:23 am

  I purchased a 02 Nissan Sentra GXE in Dec of 2001 from our local dealer in Petaluma California. At the time, we also considered Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla but ended up with the Nissan because the interior of the Sentra looked much better than the rest. Big mistake! Our Nissan was ok for the first several years but it started falling apart as soon as it hit 100k. Everything from faded paint to the on board computer (ECM) went out at a cost of $700. Next the transmission went out as well as the seatbelts and etc... Now I understand why people buy Toyotas. Meanwhile, a friend of ours has a 02 Corolla with 200k and its still running strong.

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  Bad Front End Struts - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Erin Tull - April 9 - 8:13 am

  I had a Nissan Altima before getting the Rouge and I generally really liked that car but also had the problems with my 2005 front end struts making squeaking noises, but thought it was just a rare issue. At about 500 miles, my 2016 Rogue started making a popping noise in the front wheels area when I turn the steering wheel. Nissan states it is a manufacturing defect in the struts and they a working on a solution. I already had the one of the front struts replaced and it is now much worse than the original one. Right now I am looking at an average of a new front strut every 1k miles. I was told they know it is annoying but it is not a safety issue. That tells me they are not overly concerned with finding a solution. The paint scars and scratches easily as the paint on the wheels starting coming off within the first month. I am glad that I leased the vehicle instead of buying the Nissan so that I will only have it a few years. Im sure if I tried to sale this Rogue, no one would even drive it out of my driveway the way it is popping.

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  Beautiful but engine blown after 68miles - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Allen King - April 9 - 3:06 am

  My silver 3.5SE coupe was a sight to be seen. The interior styling is sleek and modern. The Bose stereo sounds crisp and clear, and is paired to a crisp NAV display. The car drove smooth yet powerful and handled very well. Unfortunately after 20 hours of ownership and 68 miles driven, the engine "blew" (Nissan service centers words). Nissan refuses to replace the car, their final decision is to only replace the engine.

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  Near-Infiniti Quality! - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Daniel J. - April 9 - 1:56 am

  As an owner of a 1998 Nissan Maxima, I eagerly awaited the release of the re-designed 2009 Maxima. I purchased the SV with Premium & Technology packages. The car handles very well and rides comfortably in spite of the 18" tires. The interior is inviting but has a mix of quality and inferior looking items. The plastic wood trim is somewhat of an eyesore and seems to detract from the numerous plush features. However, all of the other interior details make up for this shortcoming. The engine is very responsive and the CVT is seamless. You cant even feel the car shift!

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  New transmission 800 miles - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By mhasabal - April 9 - 12:36 am

  Car is hesitating when pressing the gas. They assume its a transmission problem but I dont think they are sure. Imagine what would happen in one year or 2.

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  Fast and good looking but eats oil - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By lostinfresno - April 8 - 11:56 pm

  Bought my Maxima in 2011 with 106000 car runs great and fast when using premium fuel. Mine has needed strus since the day I bought it. I have put 27K on it and im putting KYB strus on. My mechanic said the monroe struts are too weak for a cra of this performance level. Hard to believe my car burns 2 qts every 1k miles. With that said this car runs strong will fry the tires in first and second gear. I have replaced the factory stereo (that was junk) The interior is roomy and trunk is cavernous. I love the Zeon headlights most cars from 2002 don not have these in this price range I have replaced the radiator because the plastic tank developed a pin hole Still have original clutch

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  Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By neel - April 8 - 3:13 pm

  Seats are uncomfortable, lots of road noise. great gas mileage, body style is great, trunk hinges are somewhat intrusive.

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  Im Lovin My New Versa!! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Will - April 8 - 12:00 pm

  Just went out last weekend and purchased a new Nissan Versa and Im absolutely lovin it!! What a great car and thats coming from a former Toyota Camry owner. I plan to take a few trips down to the Bay Area in about a week or so and visit friends and family and for once gas mileage (as well as the cost of gas) wont be an issue since this little baby laughs each time I drive by a Chevron, Shell or Mobil. Gotta sit down this weekend and go over the manual... still trying to learn the audio/stereo system which by the way is da bomb. 6-CD changer, MP3 player, 6 speakers... man, what more could an audiophile ask for in a car! Da-da- ta-ta-ta... Im lovin it!

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  It gets complements all the time!!! - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By romoore14 - April 8 - 10:00 am

  Great truck and very good looking, cause it has been complemented alot!!! Fun to drive, definitely!!!!! Gas mileage could be better but I think it is geared pretty low in the higher gears!!!!!! Back seat is a little tight for the average adult but my kids love it!!!

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  Decent...but no Odyssey or Sienna. - 2000 Nissan Quest
  By F23A4 - April 8 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Quest new in 2000 and chose it specifically due to the features:price ratio. At the time it was very unusual to see minivan with sport tuned suspension, HR rated tires, power moonroof and a standard TV/VCP unit. Given the demand for the Odyssey and Sienna, we were able to acquire our Quest for several thousand below MSRP. That said, its been in the shop more times than any vehicle weve ever owned. Summary:the brakes are in need of constant servicing, replacement headlight bulbs have burned out the wiring several times, radio display ceased, the passenger side pwr window needed to be repaired twice, its now in the shop for a trans rebuild & were on our second TV/VCP unit.