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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  Best Car For The Money - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Gregory Gottberg - November 28 - 4:56 am

  I recently purchased my second Murano. My first one was a 2004. I really enjoyed owning the 2004, but, when I drove the 2009 it was a whole new diving experience. The 2009 has more stability at higher speeds. The engine and the transmission work well together. The ride is much smoother. The sound system sounds much better with the added speakers. Also the instrument panel is less cluttered and easier to work with. The 2009 Murano is the type of car that makes you take the long way home.

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  DARN GOOD TRUCK - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By walter-911T - November 27 - 7:43 pm

  I purchased 04-dr. frontier 4x4 xe-v6. (xtra value pkg incl.) I brought this truck just on consumer reviews and prof. reviews. The Flag-pole nissan 30 miles delivered to my dad upstate ny home. I was a little p/o when the truck wasnt prepped, low on fluids in the truck. There was a prob.engaging the tran. P to D. was getting worse. Did bring it back to the d/s. I did express the lack of prep. and trans. The service mngr. was prof.&courteous. ALL IN ALL THEY TOOK CARE OF ME. All fluids were taken care of and the shift linkage had to be adjusted. U should here a click when stepping on the brake pedal to engage the gear-shift. Drives like a german car/truck.Great!- SOLID,HANDLES,& QUIET.

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  Dont Nuy Transmission Problems - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By frankin - November 27 - 11:51 am

  New CVT Transmission has shuttering problem that Nissan doesnt have a fix for. they have tried replacing Torque converter with limited success. this Transmission is flawed, we paid $38K for a vehicle that cannot be fixed. NO more Nissans ever!

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  Cheap to buy, cheap to own - 2013 Nissan Frontier
  By robert_bell - November 27 - 3:36 am

  I bought this to tow our 3,500 lb Casita travel trailer. We added a Leer Cap. We have a 2013 crew cab SV with 4.0 2WD and 5-speed auto. The 265 HP is more than adequate and beats our old BMW X5 3.0 by at least 30 HP. Steering at highway speeds is vague and it wanders, but I noticed the tires are wearing on the inside and I believe the factory set the front-end with too much toe-out. The headlight aim needs adjusting, too. The sterro is OK, but the iPod starts by itself sometimes for no reason. We added add-a-leaf springs to the back for towing, as it sagged a bit when loaded. Overall, it was about what I expected for a $25,000 vehicle.

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  Good car...a bad experience is on you - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By kolib - November 27 - 3:04 am

  I have had my 2007 maxima for 2 years now, and minus the minor necessities, I have not had to put any serious money into the car. I think all these bad reviews go back to the individual. People fail to realize there driving habits, conditions, etc play a big part into the longivity of their vechile. Most of us wait until the last minuet to get our car inspected or sent in for a tune up. Personally I have had a great experience with my max - and I came from a 2006 volvo xc90 (a very nice and luxuries SUV). My maxima is smooth, roomy, above average on fuel for its size, and the SL interior is up to par. I think people were expecting an infiniti not realizing they were buying a nissan

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  Love my new Altima! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By ChopinLiszt - November 26 - 11:56 am

  I love the car! I was driving an older Infiniti I30 with a V6 before I purchased my altima and really the 4cyl is almost as peppy! Its a super sporty sedan. I am so glad that I decided to go with the altima rather than the accord. I HIGHLY reccomend this car.

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  Luv my Max except.... - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By l.smith - November 26 - 3:26 am

  I bought this car two months ago. I love the ext. styling. It looks so great. The SL model has everything and is comparable to Infiniti feature-wise. The one thing I really hate is the turning radius. I could make tighter turns in a bus. U-turns in one try just wont happen unless youre on a four lane road. Thats very disappointing that a car with so many great features comes up short in this one area. I dread even trying to make tight turns and sometimes wondered if I had been aware of it when I test drove it, if I still would have purchased it. From looking at 2006 and maybe even 2007 Maximas, Nissan still hasnt corrected what would make this car an absolute 10 in my opinion!

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  So much better than my 1999 Windstar - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By bergolive - November 26 - 12:56 am

  Bought it new in 2006. We realy liked the style and we trusted Nissans reliability because we drove a 94 Altima all the way up to 250000kM with absolutely no trouble. We now have 150 000kM and had no major trouble. But everytime we had to go to the garage, repair were expensive due to lack of room around the motor. Cost 700$ to replace alternator a few months ago! The other annoying thing is that sliding doors freeze in winter. But overall, this van is so much better than our 99 Windstar that I cannot complain.

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  fantastic, but no workhorse! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By badkelly - November 25 - 1:46 pm

  It is my wifes car, and our all- purpose 4wd go anywhere-do anything vehicle. We love it for family use, and will go skiing in it soon. However, dont expect to pull a trailer effectively. It will, but a 6x12 U-Haul cut the gas mileage clean in half, and it struggled the whole time. I should have checked the torque numbers more before I traded in a 99 Yukon for it. Other than that, the problems/specifics Ive noted are: rattling inner dvd panel(fixed by me), moaning brakes(at 6900 miles) gas mileage is more like 15-16/19-20, must set the 2nd seats up from recline to fold 3rd seats down, and need more of an arm rest on the drivers door. minor issues, though, for an otherwise great vehicle.

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  willieG. - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By willieG. - November 25 - 12:20 am

  the handing is great. fun to drive. if you keep a light foot on it youll get good gas mileage. dont let your kids drive it, if ya still want tires on it. hp is unbelievable.