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:

• 

  Love my Maxima - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Chris - December 9 - 12:43 am

• 

  22 Months With 05 Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By quattroa4m - December 8 - 11:10 pm

  This is my 5th full size truck (Chevy, GMC, Ford, & Dodge) and by far the Titan has been the best experience. The drive-train is second to none, the interior comfort for long hauls is terrific, and the reliability has been rock solid. Yes I did have the brake recall performed (at 32K miles), but it just wasnt a big deal. Im very picky about braking, handling, and performance and it was pretty obvious that the front rotors were undersized. Since I was using the truck as a long distance runner, it just wasnt a big deal.

• 

  God I love this car!! - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By meghand19 - December 8 - 3:20 pm

  This car is so fun to drive! This is the first car that I have ever had that people stop me at lights and in parking lots to tell me how much they love my car. It does take a little while to get used to only having two seats, but there are two spaces for papers and a bigger cubby behind the passenger seat. For such a quick sports car, it gets mileage that you can live with(about 20 miles/gallon). If you want a car that turns heads, but wont break the bank then stop looking and buy a Z!

• 

  Performance/Luxury Sedan - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By Ken Harris - December 8 - 6:13 am

  The Maxima is an excellent choice in this price range fully loaded. I purchased the SE model fully loaded except for navigation. The 3.5 liter Nissan v6 is one of the best in the market. The CVT has extremely smooth operation with no feel of any downshifting or lag time. The ride is fairly smooth and road noise is minimal. The interior design is well constructed and overall I am very happy with the purchase. I have owned 3 Maximas previously, 1990, 1999 and 2001. Nissan has come a long way over the years. I plan to keep the 2008 Maxima for a very long time!!

• 

  Just meh - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By pat - December 8 - 5:23 am

  Not a bad car overall, I suppose. Live in AZ and got this car at around 55k miles.I was very smart to get the extended warranty on this car from the start. In the 12k miles I have driven it in less than 2 years, it has needed a new strut, 2 new fuel injectors, 2 batteries (I blame the state, not car), lower control arm, power window motor and both the engine and tranny mounts. The inside is also falling apart; the top light console clip broke and I was forced to glue it so it can never be removed. The light glass broke on the inside and rattles like crazy and the trunk clasp wont release half the time. I only paid around $150 for the repairs with my warranty thankfully but it concerns me

• 

  Great SUV for the money - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Kenny - December 7 - 7:33 am

  Bought the truck used in 08 with and have put over 40K miles and still runs great. Use it for work reading meters and yet to get stuck or break down on me. Paint is chipping around windshield but other than that no defects. Plastic is nice inside cleans very easily. Awesome dependability!

• 

  No More Nissans - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By steanboat1 - December 7 - 6:53 am

  Purchased 2001 SE brand new for my wife and absolutely love the car at first - power, comfortable, ample interior space and did I mention Power. For the previous 15 years, weve owned Hondas and Toyotas and guess we were spoiled with their reliabilityr records of these. Starting at 30k we started having problems with the Maxima (O2 sensor, transmission, and Catalytic Converter). These are not your regular $200-$300 problems but more like $900- 1,300 a pop and you would expect these problems at 200+k versus 30-100k. I love the power and styling of Nissans, but I must say Im going back to the ole faithful Honda or Toyota for reliability and $$ saves in maintenance.

• 

  We Love It !! - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Linda Engle - December 6 - 9:36 pm

  We traded a 2005 Volvo XC90 for our new Armada. We found the Volvo has many of tthe same safety features plus the luxury items missing in the Volvo. Both my husband and I love the ride, the handling, the room and the extras. Lots of goodies for the price. It is expensive to fill up but worth every penny.

• 

  RECALL NEEDED - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mommy2Bu2fullBOYS - December 6 - 6:13 pm

  So 2 months ago vehicle started slamming into 1st gear than Im driving home and it starts having trouble switching gears. I go home start researching transmission 05 nissan. I come across this website hear all about the radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. its gets towed to aamco and sure enough transmission is rusted out due to radiator leaking into transmission!!!!!!!! WTF recall this now I have to pay $370 a month for my payments plus $5300 to fix this problem!!! Now im driving my husbands beater to get around and we cant go anywhere as a family because our family vehicle is in the shop!

• 

  Built to last - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mnzagumny - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I have always drove fords and decided on a nissan and it was a great decision- the suv was built to last