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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  good truck - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By jarius - September 28 - 3:40 am

  this is my first truck and my next truck will be a nissan

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  Car Saved My Life - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By savedlife - September 27 - 1:26 am

  Sadly I only owned this car for 2 months. I had an accident and flipped on a very dangerous road where I lived. People who passed by thought the driver would have died, but I only had a bruise on my knee. The roll ability was great and the cabin stayed intact (no denting in from the top or sides). I feel very lucky to be alive and believe the safety features on this Xterra are why.

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  Little Red GLE - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By emjay - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Veh purchased in 12/2002 with 64K miles. I have driven about 18K miles in a year. Only had a tune up and breaks done. Vehicle not too comfortable for taller people and seats too firm for long trips

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  refreshingly fast - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By the kid - September 25 - 2:00 am

  0-60 in like 7.5 sec for a SUV that also average like 20 mpg. Whats not to like? Concerns: long term reliability with new CVT tranny and price.

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  I bought A Nissan Finally! - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Mr Lee - September 24 - 9:43 pm

  I bought the car in 8/05 because of all the good things I heard about it. It already had 60,000 miles on it from the date of purchased but I said so what its a Nissan. A week after I bought it the oxygen sensors went bad. Whew the warranty saved me $500! Two months later the vent control went bad. I started not to fix it but I was loseing 8mpg due to the pressure failure. I still like Nissan. However, I will never buy another car with more than 30k miles on it. The paint on the front bumper had to be repainted due to cheap paint quality. Overall Id say its a pretty well designed car. I get a lot of compliments with it. I do a lot of driving so a car has to last me.

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  Retiree and a Versa - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Jim Frederick - September 23 - 9:46 am

  I bought this car primarily for my 125 mile round-trip commute to my part-time retirement job. It also serves as our second vehicle so interior space is a real plus. A lot of quality car for a reasonable price. Now have 6,000 miles on it, mostly highway and getting anywhere from 31 to 37 mpg (depending upon speed and a/c use). The only issue so far with the car is a slight pull to the left at highway speeds but dealer is working with me on that. I would really like that fixed. Four speed auto does well overall. I wonder if I would have liked the CVT?

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  Great fun but bad planning - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By MaxedoutZ - September 22 - 8:30 pm

  This car is a great deal of fun and I love driving it. I have had the car for 5 mos and have put on 7k miles (21K toatl),the car has had the trans replaced with a brand new unit bc its a known defect,the rear axle replaced and theres a few others that they still cant figure out where and why yet but I know that the car will have to be back pretty soon. Other than that the car is the most fun that I have ever had for less than $80k, it kills STI, Evo MR,Toyota Supra TT and almost everything that I see on the road. This car is a beast but it does have lots of mods but the cost is almost nothing compared to the the other cars and what you get from the performance.Get one w/warranty!!!

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  Solid Vehicle - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Kevin - September 21 - 2:50 pm

  This was my second Pathfinder.I bought my Patherfinder with 47k miles from a local dealership and now have 117k miles. Other than the regular change of the timing belt at 100k miles, no real problems to speak of. Comfortable ride, looks great for a 8 year old vehicle! Only complaint is fuel economy; I have averaged around 15-16 mpg.

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  Love/hate relationship - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By RedwoodZ - September 21 - 6:56 am

  Fun car to drive but ours came with too many shortcomings for us to be happy with it. As mentioned in other Z groups, the dealer plays dumb with the problems -- in our case the front end / tire problem and a 6 speed that has chronic shifting problems from 1>2. Trannie has been replaced once. The front end has had the TSB "fix". With new tires, the noise is returning after about 4000 miles. The seat covers were replaced at less than 12000 miles! And last but not least, burning premium gas these days is very hard on the pocketbook. We had an 88 300Z we owned until we traded it in on 350Z. After our current nightmare, we wont be owning any more Nissans.

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  Great car, except front seats - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By moliphant - September 20 - 10:00 am

  Great all-around car, but Ive had to put a pillow on the upper half of my seat for as long as Ive owned it. I have the non-electric adjustable seat, with lumbar support and the lumbar is just too pronounced. This car is giving me back trouble. Other than the easily remedied bushing problem on the rear suspension, there are no other issues with this car. Great ride. Good value.