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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  Poor fuel economy - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Tom Karelin - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Excelent car. Great handling. Fun to drive. However , I can not get better then 18.5 mpg on a highway. Also, Id appreaciate more convinient position of the power outlet(cig. lighter). I cant plug in a radar without a wire mess.

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  GOOD CAR - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By RAYDAL - February 4 - 10:00 am

  EVERYTHING IS WHAT I EXPECTED I ADDED A SLOILER AND BRA TO DRESS THE CAR UP A BIT

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  quest se - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By jb2 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  just took a 700 mile trip,loved the navigation system. the van was quiet smooth and comfortable. our gas mileage was in the low 20s driving near 80 mph. we have had no squeaks, rattles or problems. (1800 miles). The controls require a few days to become second nature, and everything is simple and easy to reach.

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  Not just a new standard, a new approach! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By FenderDen - February 4 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I bought an 01 Olds Silouhette becasue of the free extra warranty coverage and the extra level of appointments at a mid-range price. After spending some time looking around for a replacement (we were going to wait for aug 04), we looked at the Odyessy (boring), Windstar (soon the be freestar) - sorry its a Ford product and we dont do Fords anymore, and we even looked at the VW van thingy eh yeah if thats what it is... Enter the Nissan. Now I am not one to get excited over a Minivan (we but it because of necessity of having 3 children) but wow! This thing has a new approach to family moving.

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  mid-life crisis - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By buck81 - February 4 - 10:00 am

  when my oldest child turned 16 and could drive the other two, it was time to turn in the 5 series bmw and go back to a two seater. its fast, fun and always gets a comment, even at gas stations. im enjoying it but my 46 year old back is telling me im not a kid anymore! it is rough on the back but all in all, not a bad trade off for all the positives of ownership.

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  Love My Sentra SL - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By pgh1559 - February 4 - 6:31 am

  I purchased my Sentra 2 months ago and have 5200 miles on it. I traded a 2012 Rogue for it, because I got extremely poor gas mileage one the Rogue. I am averaging approximately 33 miles per gallon around town (that is me figuring out the mileage when I fill up). I dont know how the person who is only getting around 300 miles per a tank is driving, but I have never gotten less than 350 per a tank and that was in the beginning. I got the Leather Pkg, The Premium Pkg, and the Technology Pkg. I actually had a 2009 Altima also, and I like this car better, to me the front seat is very comfortable, I was worried since it was not power. I would highly recommend this car.

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By cindy - February 4 - 3:50 am

  I bought this car brand new and it did great until I hit the 4th year and then everything fell apart on it. I have had to replace both sensors $400.00 then the transmission went that was another $4000.00, six months later the tranny mounts. and the engine mounts. and the Alt. another $900.00, I really love this car as far as style, gas mileage, but everything else, forget it. I had always bought American cars and always had problems so I thought I would buy a Nissan and I wouldnt have to worry, I will never buy another Nissan again, and by the way none of these items were covered.

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  G R E A T Car! - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By aak - February 4 - 2:50 am

  This is my fourth Pathfinder. Purchased in 2004, with aprx 85K miles on it. Currently has aprx 150K, and going strong. No major problems, just normal/routine maintenance. Love the car, but selling to get a newer one. Gas mileage is OK for an older SUV. Nice looking car, love the 4x4, cargo room, roomy front seats, how it handles in snow. This is one exceptionally reliable and rugged work horse! With 150K it still runs like a top and expect it could easily go another 150K+.

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  Not sure........ - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Driving School Guy - February 3 - 9:10 pm

  I bought this car to teach driving. Its a sharp car! Looks great inside and out. ROOMY car! The students love the car. My concern is I have had it in more times than any other car I ever had. I had wind noise coming from the front side windows. This was fixed by resealing them. A fuel sensor went. I went in for a oil change and had a signal light change. They did not have the light bulb in stock. They had to go to the Dodge dealer...3 hours to do an oil change and change a light bulb. For the average consumer, I think these are minor details. I already have 18,000 kms and when my car is down, I am losing money.

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  Happy for now - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Rick - February 3 - 8:03 pm

  I just recently purchased the Nissan Hybrid and got a great deal. I got the Precision Grey which I was happy about. The car drives really smooth and defenitly has the power of a small block v-6. The one thing that is going to take getting used to is the engine going on and off. Even though I have only had it for a couple days, the fuel efficiency seem to be doing well. It says Im getting about 38 mpg average right now which Im happy about and this is a range 65% hwy & 35% city driving. The only thing that is giving me problems is the tire pressuring monitoring system which wont go off. Other than that I am very pleased with the vehicle.