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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  great car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By lee hudson - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Fun car but hard to keep clean,pain to dry with all the lines.

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  My Second Pathfinder - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By HappyWithNissan - March 25 - 4:33 am

  When the El Nino storms washed away the dirt road to our home, we used our first Pathfinder to escape to safety along a steep horse trail -- since then, weve been hooked. Now on our second Pathfinder (we traded in the first one when it was 7 years old so that we could have a shiny new one for our babies), were still very happy owners. We know that if a mountain trip or weather requires it, our Pathfinder can find a way to get us where were going. And it drives well in the city as well. The ABS kicks in when needed, the steering handles curvy roads very well, and the seats are comfortable even for long drives. Although mileage could be better, we get a decent 16 city, 20 highway.

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  Pleased with my first - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By lg2010 - March 25 - 1:53 am

  Purchased back in July 2010. After driving my first 15000 miles, Im pretty pleased. The one major issue already mentioned regarding the battery post is true and I recommend owners participate in the ongoing Nissan recall. My sentra conked out unexpectedly when pulling out of the driveway. Luckily this did not happen 1 day before when I was on a 7 hour trip with a 5 and a 9 yr. old. Nissan replaced the cable and the ECM free of charge. Other than that, the car has been great on gas, is very comfortable, and maybe Im deaf, but this whole "car is too loud" thing is really coming out of left field for me. I suggest letting it warm up for 1 min. or two before taking off full speed.

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  Very Nice SUV for the Money - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Mark - March 25 - 12:30 am

  I bought a 2010 Xterra S 4X4. The X is a ruggedly built vehicle with plenty of power. The seats are very comfortable and the X drives like a truck - no luxury ride here!!! The downsides to the X are mileage and you will do well to get 19 MPG. Im not worry about the resale, but I plan to keep it until it dies and I only have 500 miles on it now. Great stopping power and acceleration, along with decent gas mileage for the size of the car. it drives so smoothly. It is good on gas and for the price (compared to other SUVs in the same category) you just canÂ’t go wrong with it! I would recommend that anyone buy this car as I couldnt have picked

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  Worst Car Ive ever owned. - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By josh1234 - March 24 - 12:15 pm

  I purchased this car brand new in April 2003 and owned it for 3 years. It was nothing but problems for those 3 years straight. The catalytic converter failed within 2 months of owning the car and had to be replaced. This happened 3 additional times over the 3 year ownership. About 2 1/2 years in the engine blew all by itself and had to be replaced. The alternator failed multiple times and sometimes the car would die while in motion. The car had many rattles/creaks all over it always. The transmission developed many issues and grinds and had sounds like loose metal inside of it. I have read many problems with this car from others as well. Stay far away from it, its an endless money pit.

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  2006 Bad Front Brakes - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Latte - March 24 - 12:10 pm

  When you test drive your car, check braking in reverse. We never tested this feature and after getting the car home we heard a squeal backing up that got progressively worse. Took it to the local Nissan dealership, Browns/Fairfax,VA they machined the front rotors. The car had 1800 miles on it and was less then a month old. This helped the situation greatly but did not eradicate it so I took the car back and they said nothing was wrong, the noise was within industry stadards per Nissan. We then took the car back to the dealership where we purchased the car,Sheehy of Manassas and upon inspection they replaced the brake pads. This was done out of pocket as Nissan would not warranty.

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  Nice Choice... - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By SW - March 24 - 5:56 am

  The 2.5SL was my first "new car" purchase. I love the look of the car and the way it drives, although I should have purchased the 6 cyl. instead of 4. I didnt get the navigation system, but other than that its fully loaded (bluetooth, leather, 6-cd changer, bose sound system, sunroof, etc). The car has been very reliable for me; no repairs needed other than recalls, BUT there were/are a LOT of recalls. The day after I purchased the car, I found out about a recall and had to go back to the dealership (would have been nice if they told me before I drove off the lot - they could have just kept it for a couple more hours to fix the problem). I plan to keep this car for a while.

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  Roomy compact - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By norm - March 24 - 1:43 am

  I traded my 05 Sentra (great car but to small at times). I was very impressed with the room and features of the new Sentra. I was a little disappointed with the gas mileage but now get about 28 around town and 33 on trips. First oil change I used full synthetic motor oil and noticed an instant improvement. I can get better mileage if I really baby the car. Im very happy with the car and the cvt is a real winner.

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  fun for less money - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By tulsajim - March 24 - 1:20 am

  I just bought this so this is 1st impression. I had a 280zx & currently have a bmw Z3 which I love & will keep. 350 z is a beautiful Daytona blue, fast enough & more comfortable than when I drove one in 2003. Compared it to MB slk350 & bmw 3 series convertible. I like it better & $25,000 less than MB.

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  nice looks and drive - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By jim - March 23 - 8:26 pm

  Have driven Mercedes and BMWs for years. Maxima ride not unlike either. Has a heavy feel like the MB. Fun to drive and reliable. I am at 16,000 miles and no problems yet. Front seats sit a little too high and turning radius way too wide. Would lease another