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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  Solid, low maintenance truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Ryan - October 5 - 7:40 pm

  I dont expect much from a vehicle, getting me where I need to go without much drama is all I require, and the Frontier did that in spades. It was reliable, handled well and offered a smooth ride. I purchased it in 2005 with 55,000 on the clock, and traded it in for a 2005 Ford in Oct. 09, Frontier had 117,000 on the clock then. During my ownership, the only thing other than basic maintenance items (tires, shocks, exhaust, bulbs) that it needed was a blower speed control module, which was a $20 part at the local parts store. I traded it in because I wanted something new and wanted to make a run with a domestic brand , time will tell if I made a wise choice.

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  Good economical transportation - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By voncarlton - October 5 - 6:59 am

  This car is not sexy, but it does the job it was intended to do. I have the S model with the CVT transmission and I am pleased with the interior room which easily fits me 6 240, my wife, daughter, mother in law and luggage for the weekend. I like having the roll up windows but the pass door does not have a keyed entry & without power door locks this can be a pain. One feature that came in handy a few weeks ago is the tire pressure sensor. I picked up a nail and the dash warned me that a tire was low in air pressure. I do not like the seat material on the S version but I bought some seat covers that are better. Overall the car is an excellent value & there is not much to complain about.

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  All good at first - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By acuralegend95 - October 5 - 4:36 am

  The first few years were great, it was fast, clean, and a great car all around. Then around 100k the air bag light turned on and the bose 6 disk changer stopped working and taking cds, took it to the dealer and they checked and said everything was and about to charge me 200+ for a new radio, only fm radio for me. around the same time they said my 02 sensor was bad, it was replaced. No problems for about 20k and then it started to need oil like it was disappearing about a quart every two week. After that started it rattled like crazy. Changed all the spark plugs 3 times and about 5 pairs of brakes. now at 160k i replaced radiator and now sits in the yard in need of a thermostat, and heads...

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  "Old Reliable" - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By dustnh - October 4 - 10:16 pm

  I got this car when I was 17 after my car was totaled an accident. I always thought it was a good car as a teenager but after my husband & I slowly got new cars, the Sentra ended up just sitting for about a year. My newer car bit the dust after 7 months of a 100 mile round trip commute every day. My husband & I got the Sentra tuned up & it is as good as new (with 167,000 mi)! We did have to do some regular repairs while we drove it in the early 2000s, with one repair costing approx. $600. However, the car is a gem that is well worth doing a few minor repairs to in order to avoid a car payment while we save up for a new one. I would definitely buy another Nissan, no doubt about it.

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  I should have bought an Accord.... - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Alison in CT - October 4 - 10:00 am

  Overall, VERY fun car to drive when its working. Bought it slightly used a year and a half ago (now 4 years old) and Ive had a ton of problems with it-- everything from oxygen sensors going to traction control system errors to needing to replace all 6 ignition coils. When all is said and done, I should have saved $2,000 on the price and another $2-3,000 on repairs and bought the slightly less powerful Accord!

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  Still great after 5 years - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By SM - October 3 - 3:36 am

  After 5 years of ownership, still pleased. Have only done routine maintenance and changed tires and battery. Only issue being the 5 disc changer no longer working. Use iPod anyway, so non-issue. Performs well. Comfortable ride (well, it is a truck nor a sedan). Plenty of power. Used to drive 30 mile one way trips in Texas summer, now driven in Minnesota below zero winter, dependable either way.

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  It Works for Me - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Tony T - October 1 - 4:23 am

  I bought this truck 3 years old with 48,000 miles on it. It had been used for a long daily commute. It is now over 62,000 miles. Soon after buying it I had a leaf added to the weak rear springs, replaced the original shocks with good YKB units and installed BF Goodrich Traction T/A tires (the Firestones were worthless in the winter). What a difference. It now handles and corners great. I put synthetic gear lube in the trans- mission - made shifting smoother. Changing the oil filter is a pain. The stereo had been upgraded by the previous owner. Seat comfort is decent on long trips.

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  Beware of Design Defect - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Perk - September 30 - 12:06 pm

  On the 2009 AWD SL the dash passenger & driver side trim around the vent reflects into the side mirrors (sunny day or cloudy) and is a huge distraction when looking to change lanes. Going to cause an accident. I brought this to the dealers attentions which the service area blew it off, i called corp and they could care less,the only person that made any effort to help render was the sales person. NISSAN listen up and dont bring out the vent so far on the dash and this will get rid of the problem.

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  Altima 2.5 SL - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Afi - September 30 - 2:00 am

  We spend about 1 month looking for a new car. At the end, our choices were Altima and VW Passat. Both Altima and Passat has the same performance (horsepower,legroom,etc). However, Altima is better looking than Passat. We were looking for 3.5SE but the dealer could not find the car we were looking for. We settled for 2.5SL My Altima has 360 miles on it and hopefully it will last as long as (or better) than my first car (Civic 96 -- 160,000 miles -- still going).

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  New Pathfinder too Noisy - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jogt - September 29 - 8:33 am

  I bought a new Pathfinder in November 2004. I had a 2001 Pathfinder which was too small so I was happy to upgrade to the new Pathfinder. I loved the spaciousness and exterior and the test drive was good. However now it makes more noise than my old station wagon. Whenever I accelerate past 20 miles I hear a rattling noise from the transmission. I spoke to my neighbor down the street who also has a Pathfinder and she is experiencing the same problem - noise during acceleration. I am extremely dissatisfied. I will never buy a Pathfinder again.