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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  Nissan Sentra 2.0S - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By versa_2013 - February 12 - 10:31 pm

  Purchased a 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0S with only 1500 miles on it. In three weeks Im now at 2860 miles and have a good idea what to expect from this car. The ride is VERY smooth. The Sentras 2.0L engine/CVT combination delivers more than enough power for everyday driving. The cabin is spacious upfront but tight in the back, and well isolated from engine/road noise. Steering is on the stiff side at low speeds. Brake pedal is very responsive. Barely any body roll in any situation. The CVT is surprisingly responsive and smooth, but is very sensitive to throttle. Ive been averaging 32.5 mpg overall in Winter driving conditions (Northern Canada.)

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  Before you buy - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Before U Buy - February 11 - 5:36 pm

  Traded in my F150 for this car when gas went up to 3 bucks a gallon the first time, I drive 90 miles a day to work, minimum. I dont recommend this car as the head gasket went out at 42,000. The engine was missing, sparkplug #2 did smell like antifreeze, check engine like came on. I changed it myself. 80 bucks for the head gasket. I will say the engine is VERY easy to work on compared to most if youre mechanically inclined. CD player died, now using a MP3 player through aux port. Engine is well designed except the head gasket, lots of people have the same issue I see. Other gaskets are awesome, no sealant needed. If you buy this car, be prepared to fix the head gasket.

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  Lovin it - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By daarell - February 11 - 5:20 pm

  I own one a 2005. I love it very good car and reliable. I think nissan even made it look more sporty.

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  Great Choice - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By dalo - February 11 - 1:43 pm

  NISMO 4WD CC Sunroof plg, Off Road pkg, Radio pkg. Pros Rides taunt. Steering is very true. Handles Northeast weather and roads very well. Fit and finish are pretty nice. Room for 4. Rockford radio sound is very good. Controls are easy to use. Very happy with choice. Cons Needs driver armrest. Rubber floor mats instead of carpet. Havent calculated mpg yet.

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  Best van choice - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By BOB - February 11 - 11:30 am

  Evrything is wonderful. More helpful items than expected when purchasing. Love the lights inside at night. The remotes are awsome. Auto doors,auto lighting,displays are incredible. This is my 3rd van. Last two 350000 miles and 246000 miles. But this one is the most appreciated on interior design and overall appearance.Im proud to drive it.

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  Perfect blend of MPG, ride, room, looks - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By PalosVerdes - February 11 - 11:06 am

  Perfect. More room, power, fun to drive, and literally bang for the buck than the other Hybrids (Camry, Civic, Prius). With its five star crash ratings, my wife and I feel just as safe as in our Mercedes which we now leave parked in the garage. I have let Civic and Prius owners drive my Altima and they were surprised by the power and handling.

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  Great car! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By SHAWN B - February 11 - 4:30 am

  This car a really been a great buy. We avg (city/hwy) about 25 mpg. The motor is solid. Seats feel great. lots of power. I couldnt ask for more except the turning is absolutely ridiculous. Not sure who dropped the engineering ball on that one, but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives!!

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  CVT is defective, should be recalled.. - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By Andrew - February 10 - 5:10 pm

  Bought the car from a used car dealership and initially had 63k on it in Sept. 2015. Drove great for about 10k miles and then started doing weird things on me which almost felt like the car was choking out from a stop or a rolling acceleration at lower speeds. Got it looked at by goodyear down the road from me and the recommended that i get a fuel injection cleaning, which did seem to help for a little while until it started doing it again a couple thousand miles later. A few thousand miles later my engine light comes on and come to find out it was my cvt transmission all along. Worst purchase of my life hands down, had the car 8 months and put about 15k on it and now it needs a $3500+ dollar repair (as well as many others) to keep it on the road. Nissan to this point has not been helpful in any way even though they know that this is a very common problem on a very poorly manufactured design, would tell anyone and everyone to steer clear of this vehicle with the cvt transmission.

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  Great car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Chris Chiarenza - February 10 - 2:36 pm

  Good value vs. other cars in this genre

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  Great car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Chris Chiarenza - February 10 - 2:33 pm

  Good value vs. other cars in this genre