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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  Dissapointing Quality - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Bill - September 15 - 4:03 am

  Mechanically, the Maxima is top notch. Unfortunately, the constant rattling and creaking of the interior literally destroys the ownership experience of an otherwise great car. I have had a number of new japanese autos and surprised by the lack of quality on the interior of this car. I have family members and friends with similar complaints about wearing fabric, rattling dashboard and leaking sunroofs.

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  My First New Car - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By brian numkena - September 14 - 10:00 am

  I found the truck to be priced well for my dollar. Did have a few problems, one with the rubber piece between the fenders and plastic trim (came loose), the other was a bad seal on my steering box (Nissan replaced, was under warranty). Lacks power but is a 4 cyl. I feel the fuel economy is not reasonable, but is better then the competition.

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  nissan x-terra xe 2003 - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By reina - September 14 - 10:00 am

  the nissan x-terra was the best car that i have bought so far. its depedable fun to drive. i love making long trips with my nissan. what i specially love its that its high, and lets me see how the traffic is infront of me. i recommend everybody that is looking to buy an s.u.v. to really take under cosideration the nissan x-terra.

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  Awesome little car with a few minor flaws. - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By Samantha H. - September 14 - 9:27 am

  My husband and I bought this car new in 2012, for around $14,000. We have put 97,319 miles on it, and commute out of state monthly. We change the oil religiously, every 4,000, and it averages about $60 for that service. We replaced the battery about a year ago (at roughly 60,000miles), and other than that have NEVER had to do any other maintanence on this vehicle apart from regular tire replacement (every 6-8mos at the rate we drive it). The car is light weight, so even at this mileage we are only halfway through our break pads...and it stops on a dime! The windows are large and virtually panoramic, so there is little-to-no blind spots, and as a hatchback, the seats lay down and can fit and hold an alarming amount of things. (When we got married, we were able to lay the seats down and move my things into his house in only two trips, minus furniture....note-I had lived on my own for several years so it was a Small apartment that we managed to fit into this car with only two trips...not simply a bedroom). We average about 35mpg, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how conservatively you drive it. My only major gripes about this vehicle, are its lack of a key fob to unlock and lock the car from a distance, there is no cruise control, and...oddly....the front seat cupholders sit BENEATH the stereo column and many "large" size drink containers simply do not fit under it without bemding and sometimes breaking the straw...and you have to tip most cups sideways a bit to get it in...which results in a spill, or having to hold the drink and sip it down far enough to tip it before you can put it in. Overall, its an incredible car for a young person, or young couple, we hope to keep it long enough for our son to use as his first car due to its easy maneuverability and lack of blind spots. But with two car seats now we have to shop for something else. It DOES fit two carseats...surprisingly...but the front seats have to be scooted up pretty far in order to accomodate, which means the driver has to be either as tall as me or shorter (55") to fit their legs under the steering wheel to drive in that position...its tight. My husband (60") is cramped in the passenger seat with his knees against the dash if the carseats are in it. Overall, it is a terrific little car, harder than hell to break into when youve locked the keys in the car, so that could be a plus or a negative depending on how you look at it (haha!) And having been in three minor collisions in it, you would never know, it brushes off small accidents like nothing...no scratches, dents or anything.

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  Nice Little Commuter - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Peripatetic Nomad - September 13 - 7:13 am

  Because my son had an accident with our 98 Honda Accord (233,000 miles), I had to give him my 07 Honda Fit manual shift (108,000 miles) so that he can get to school. I had to buy a commuter car and the Versa was my choice. It is an SL fully loaded. I will be putting in excess of 45,000 miles a year on this car just like I did with the Honda Fit. So far for commuting, the Versa is miles ahead of the Fit. The 07 Fit is a very fun car, but not a commuter car for the city. The ride is just too stiff on NY City streets. If I really need fun, thankfully I still have a supercharged BMW 540 on the side.

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  Happy with my Pathfinder - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Pathfinder in MA - September 9 - 11:06 am

  LE 4wd bought new in 05. Good power from V-6, short turning circle. Handles well in snow and sand, never gets stuck. Bose stereo is killer, holds lots of people & stuff. Fold flat 3rd row a nice option. Runs fine on regular gas, mileage stinks around town, 12-13 mpg but will get 20-21 mpg on the highway at 70 mph loaded up with stuff and people. Original equipment tires were junk after 20K miles. Replaced with Continental Cross Tracs - very happy. One little annoying squeak in dash on bumpy roads

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  My Best Car - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By phatboi747 - September 8 - 10:03 am

  For a midsized car the 2000 Nissan Maxima does it all. It provides sufficient power at 225 Hp. It is not so great on the low-end torque but other features make up for the slack. The stock stereo system is great. The radio could have been a little more updated though (pause feature). Its handling is okay. So far it has proven to be very reliable. My fuel economy is okay considering that you have to put 91 octane or better in it or the engine will knock. I dont have any real complaints about this car yet.

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  Good Deal - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nathan Ashworth - September 8 - 10:00 am

  We got this car for $13,900 with 70,000 miles on it and have loved it ever since. We did our homework on it to see that is has been awarded a Used Car Best Bet Award for its overall reliability. The seat warmers are very nice and the climate control works very well. We travel constantly for school and business and it has never skipped a beat. Overall I am very impressed with the vehicle as this is our first SUV. The power is slightly lacking in our 2000 model and I see they upped the engine size in the later models but for normal city/highway driving you wont notice it. Maybe for towing or off roading but we dont do any of that.

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  Not Quite a Performance Sedan - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By DavidHB,CA - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Mileage remains 24mpg consistantly. Stock Toyo tires changed at 60000. They were spongy, a lot of slip angle, lot of understeer, and not good for aggressive turning. Brake disks are warped. Pulsing during stops. Handling is a disappointment. Stock shocks are terrible. Too soft in front. Rear shocks bottomed out at 25000 on small bumps. Body roll in turns is unacceptable. No sway bar in the rear? What we they thinking at Nissan! Blind spots: All pillars are too wide and exterior mirrors are too small.

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  Last Quest - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By joe siudock - September 8 - 9:53 am

  Bought a 2005 Quest 3.5, last November. Drove it out of the lot and little radles started. Both side doors made numerous little sounds that would come and go. The seats were very comfortable on long trips over 1000 miles. Had to stop every 100 miles. Never buy cloth seats again. Just not up to Nissan quality. When I traded it in there were now sounds coming from the front doors. The dash in the middle needs to be larger and bigger button for the radio. Like the shifter up high really good taste.Great exterior with the modern front end. Need Altima back lights. Interior lighting was great. Drove like a full size car. My 17 year old daughter loved it when she went out with friends