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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  Never Again - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By PPerk - February 14 - 10:56 am

  I way overpaid for a 2004 in 2005, my fault for being in a hurry. Car only had 10500 on it. Have replaced the serpentine belt and both drive belts, the front brakes. The interior looked good when I bought it but the old stains the dealer tried to hide came back - like did they spill a gallon of coffee in the back seat or what? I hold my breath every time I drive it and cannot wait to get a new car.

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  Excellent SUV with a few wrinkles - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DocNY - February 14 - 12:23 am

  Having gone from a Ford Explorer LXT to a Mercedes ML280, ML350, and Land Rover LR3, I had my doubts about the Nissan. I can honestly say, the Nissan is built as well if not better than my German and English rides, and has held up admirably to a variety of highway, winter, dirt roads, and trails. Only trouble has been limited to dead battery when the headlight "auto-off" feature stopped on occasion leaving technicians scratching their heads, and a faulty doorlock on passenger door made it impossible to exit vehicle from the back seat. Mild valve noise has appeared at 36K miles but too early to tell if this is meaningful.

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  2006 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By rvjr1 - February 13 - 9:33 pm

  This vehicle is a dream machine it has not given me one once of trouble and has a lot of pep, it is very good on gas for a 6 cylinder.

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  Happy so far - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Eric & Amanda - February 13 - 6:33 pm

  We bought our Pathfinder after researching numerous other SUVs when the transmission in our 02 Explorer went. I loved the appearance of the PF and after a couple test drives and reading a number of reviews here, felt it best fit our needs. I get about 17.5 MPG on a mix of road and highway and just took a 300 mile road trip to upstate Vermont on 3/4 of a tank using mid-grade. Lots of power and you definitely feel it when you hit the gas. My wife likes to drive it so much more than the Explorer and she says that she feels our 1 year old is that much safer in it. Third row seating is really tough to get in and out of, but we use it so rarely, its not an issue for us.

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  Brakes warp - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By jf - February 13 - 5:03 pm

  I own a 6,300 lb travel trailor and I purchased my 2004 Nissan Titan just so I could pull it. It has no problem pulling, the problem is stopping. Everytime I pull this trailor the front rotors warp and the truck shakes really badly. I have had it worked on several times and Nissan is aware of the problem. They even told me that all of the Titans and the Armadas have this problem. They have not fixed it to date. I will never buy another Nissan product again because they know the problem and wont fix it. The regional sales director for Nissan in North Carolina last response to me was "Safe driving," which was very irritating.

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  Nice to drive but MANY engine problems - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DaveT - February 13 - 2:30 pm

  I bought this after taking a small Toyota to more than 150K miles with no troubles. Like the size, power, interior features and just about everything about the car. But Ive had TERRIBLE engine troubles -- all relating to overheating. Ive had the radiator replace 3 times, valves, hoses, you name it replaced at multiple dealerships in multiple states (not fun when a car breaks down on a vacation) and no one can seem to fix the problem. As I type this, its in the shop for at least the 6th time for overheating. Rental car guy in the service area says he sees 01 Pathfinders come through ALL the time. Wish it had the reliability of my old Toyota.

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  Good Buy - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Tom - February 13 - 1:10 pm

  What can I say, I have 7,500 miles on my Altima 2.5S. On a recent trip to Montreal I averaged 36 MPG highway at a steady 60 mph. Needless to say I was very happy on my return tip at 65 mph I averaged 32 mpg. Both trips where done on cruse control and the weather conditions favorable. I expect my city mpg to improve. This is a good for dollar vehicle far more stylish than Accord and Camry. Buy an Altima.

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  a pocket rocket for a low price - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Gonzalo - February 13 - 12:00 pm

  The nissan sentra se-r spec v, is an easy vehicle to maintain, all you need to do is keep up the usual maintenance and the spec v will be very reliable. the spec v does have alot of torque steer but you get used to it after awhile. the suspension setup in the spec v is ready for auto x, when you toss the spec v around the corners at higher speeds the spec v feels like its right at home. when you want to pass someone on the freeway it could be done in fifth gear without any problems. where else can you find 175hp, 180ft/tq with a helical limited slip differential, 6 speed manual transmission, auto x ready suspension and a fun car to drive for less that 20 thousand dollars.

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  Pretty Cool! - 2011 Nissan Cube
  By gonzalez101306 - February 13 - 11:23 am

  I have only had this a week and I really like it I dont see to many on the street so I feel like I have a unique advantage. My favorite is bluetooth and I like the color

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  Head Gasket Head Gasket Head Gasket - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Mike - February 13 - 3:53 am

  I have had two sentras a 2002 and a 2005. I enjoyed the ride in these cars and the handling. They both had head gaskets go out and I have to say that this seems to be a problem the sentras. I like the cars but would not buy one just based on the head gaskets. I also had electrical problem with my 2005 the dash lights and wipers would come on and the car would stall all at the same time. Both sentras had problems with the cd player.