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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  Loved it. now I hate it. - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By FrmXLvr - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Everything I needed in a SUV and the stereo was simply the best. I had 3 trouble free years with the exception of the trailer hitch recall. Then the first of what was to become an endless string of repairs began with the $500 gas sender. Another known defective Nissan part that we the consumer had to eat. 3 months later, new brakes and front U joints. New battery and tires at 40,000 miles. Had the recall for the airbag sensor fixed in early 2010 along with a radiator flush. This September fell victim to the radiator failure/ tranny fry. Im having it fixed independently as Nissan refused any assistance. I am also suing Nissan for my costs. Been a Nissan man for a while. No more.

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  2005 LE 4X4 - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By john liming - December 20 - 7:36 pm

  Fun to drive, and has good power. Appeals to wide range of age groups. Youll get looked at in this truck. Has a pleasant exhaust note. Stereo sounds great. This is my first Nissan and "so far so good" I previously owned a 1999 F-150, and was ready to buy a 2005 F- 150, untill I tried out the Titan.

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  Worst New Vehicle - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MaryAnn B. - December 20 - 3:43 pm

  I purchase this vehicle and notice a very hard downshifting and bucking when I start to accelerate at about 40 mph. The dealer put in some transmission fluid and told me that would fix the problem. It didnt. I took it back a second time and had the shop manager drive it with me. They kept my vehicle for 1 day and then told me that there was nothing wrong with it. When I told them to give that to me in writing they said that there was something wrong and that they wanted to keep the vehicle longer. They also told me that they have 6 more pathfinders on the lot with the same problem. I am still waiting for it to be fixed. It now downshifts hard at all different speeds.

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  Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Eric - December 19 - 6:53 pm

  This car will turn heads wherever you go. Little kids, men, women - almost everyone seems to go for the look of the Z. The 350s performance and handling cannot be beat without spending thousands more. The car begs for open road, which sometimes makes me wish I didnt live in DC. I took it out to my friends house in the country last weekend and let him drive it for a while. He got three separate raves on the car in the space of an hour. Of course, he claimed credit by pretending to be the owner. I had to reclaim the drivers seat before his ego burst.

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  Terrific van for travel! - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Laurie Fujimoto - December 19 - 11:40 am

  Weve had our Quest for just about 1 year now, and are approaching 30,000 miles. Its a super in heavy rain - great wiper design, windshield is sloped better too, compared to Villager for driving on highways passing trucks in the rain. Love the interior room, storage for chargers, ipods, etc. Automated back lift gate is great...even had good Nissan service when we locked keys in car while on road. Nissan Service department in St. Charles, IL is open late weeknights and open on Saturdays...couldnt be happier with the customer service hours and staff! Were road warriors for tennis travel...wouldnt switch for any other van and Ive driven vans for 12 years now.

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  Best yet - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By larbear - December 19 - 5:16 am

  We loved our old Murano and missed it in the recent snows we have had and the room it afforded to take dogs and gear. So we purchased a new one and couldnt be more pleased. The car like handling is even better and so are all the options. The Murano is just plain fun to drive. You almost forget it is an SUV. And the gas mileage is not bad. There is plenty of spunk too delivered through a smooth CVT that is also an improvement. The spunk though comes at a price - premium fuel. We looked at Toyota, Honda, etc. but are delighted with the Murano.

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  Love the Power - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By maurice - December 19 - 3:46 am

  I bought my first Titan in 2004 the first year king cab version. I loved it. It got me a couple of tickets and I Learned. They are good trucks hard on the gas but has the power. The only problem I have really had is the 04 and the 08 I have now are hard on rear tires. I dont spin the tires they just seem to wear on the back only. They a just good trucks.

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  Road champ - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By brooksfam08 - December 18 - 1:26 pm

  I traded in my 2000 Quest SE which we loved dearly. I thought it would be hard to see it go but na, I dont look back anymore because this performance and ride surpasses the old. Our 2000 model was fully loaded but this is definitely a upgrade. This is our 3rd car and it is hard to stay out of it. I got a unbeatable deal which made it very affordable which Honda didnt offer. For the options I have in the Quest SE, the only honda model that could compare is the Touring but the price was ridiculously much higher. Nissan Delivers.

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  test drive this with open windows - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By MOST - December 18 - 12:10 pm

  I just bought this car, and frankly am dissapointed, the pickup - or lack- thereof, is frustrating - talking about even turning corners, never mind trying to speed up when getting onto a highway! And driving this with open windows even at 25 mph i feel like im rocking a boat! As for the fuel - it claims it does 28mpg but it doesnt do more that 20! I thought id be getting something worth the name Nissan! - (and i used to drive a 2000 Ford Contour!)

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  LOVE my Maxima - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By eric_n26 - December 18 - 10:38 am

  I bought my 01 Maxima SE with every available option ($31,500 sticker) from the original owner in 2007 with 106k miles on it. It just rolled over to 145k miles and I know it would run to 200k easily. Things I love about this car are the sports-sedan styling, the extremely powerful and silky V6, its good interior space, & high-quality fit and finish. My car has been very reliable and the engine and tranny are great. To date, Ive had to fix a rear ABS wheel sensor, the catalytic converter, new alternator, and a hinge and spring for the fuel door rusted off. It is also starting to rust where the rear plastic bumper meets the metal body frame on both sides of the car, leaving orange-ish stains