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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  Armada - 2009 Nissan Armada
  By k9mark - November 21 - 12:17 pm

  I have owned two Armadas which I loved until the problems arrived. On both Armadas the metal lines for air conditioning for the rear area rusted through. Because it was caused by rust it was not covered by Nissan. Also on both Armadas the rear hatch window leaked. It took three weeks to figure out where it was leaking. The plastic molding for the interior was easy to scratch. On my 2009 with 40,000 miles the power steering hose split. The driver seat had a lot of flex while driving. The front disc brake rotors warped at 30,000 miles.

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  Great buy for a big man - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By jaydee - November 21 - 8:03 am

  Sticker on my 2006 Altima was over $30k and I paid $26,100 with $1000 dollar rebate. Never owned a Nissan or a car that had a power sunroof because of my size. I am 65" and weigh 285 lbs. I have more room in this vehicle than I have in my Ford Explorer. Tilt/telescopic is wonderful and center console is situated in such a way that I can spread my legs and drive. Legroom length is wonderful. The things I like are the power, this baby is fast. Faster than the Maxima which I also considered. Test drove a Toyota Avalon and the seat for a man my size was not adequate. I was glad I didnt fall in love with the Toyota because it was my first choice, however no deals from Toyota.

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  Value, Quality and Reliability - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jim of Phoenix - November 21 - 2:00 am

  When I purchased my Pathfinder, I was seeking a mid-size SUV priced under $30,000 that was reliable and had some "get-up and go". Having been a previous Honda owner, my reliability expectations were relatively high. Nissan has met those expectations up to this point. Other than standard maintenance, I havent put any money into the vehicle. Im at 69,000 miles and still ticking!

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  Great all-around car - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By MattRochesterNY - November 21 - 2:00 am

  I was looking to buy a 2003 Honda Accord/Toyota Camry, when I saw this car at a local dealership, gave it a spin, and ended up buying it. Its in great condition, paint is still beautiful. My gas mileage hasnt been phenominal, I do a lot of highway driving and expected around 33-34 mpg, but rarely break 30-31. Performance is ok. Road/wind noise is good, but not as quiet as the newer Accords/Camrys. Ride is also good, but again not as damped as newer competing vehicles. If the reliability is as good as the Edmunds ratings claim, Ill be very happy with it for the next few years.

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  Luxury, Style, and Reliability - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By seb93760 - November 21 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Nissan Pathfinder LE 4WD and it is every bit as reliable as my previous model (99 LE 4WD) but with more power. The Pathfinder has all of the luxury items of many other expensive SUVs at a much better price tag. We have not had any malfunctions with the vehicle and the only maintenance that we have had is scheduled. This is identical to our last Pathfinder. If you want an SUV that looks like an SUV (not like many of these new ones that look like mini- vans) but also rides like a car, the Nissan Pathfinder is an excellent choice.

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  Great mid size SUV - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Dan Castro - November 21 - 2:00 am

  This is the best truck Ive ever owned, with plenty of power and quality. 26000 and no problems whatsoever only oil changes. I love to drive this truck however, if you are going to use the back seat a lot it is not as confortable...I highly recommend this SUV.I have been using unlead gas eventhough premium is required and I have noticed no change in perfomance or increase or decrease in my mileage. Premium gas only once/month.

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  A sport sedan in an SUV costume! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By rbridgman - November 21 - 2:00 am

  Im loving the Murano so far...got an SL with Leather, Cold, and Premium packages, plus sunroof. This car has some amazing technological features and incredible comfort, plus enough headroom for my 64" body, even with the sunroof. Its as tall as my Quest minivan, as long as my Maxima, and has all the best attributes of both.

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  A very very bad choice - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By mans - November 21 - 2:00 am

  It was fine for the first 8-10 months after that at around 10,000 miles I started seeing problems, my Bose stereo died, my turn signal stopped working, my suspension became rock hard and there is excessive body noise. When I bring this to the attention of the dealership they denied there were any problems. Finally after multiple visits they acknoledged the problems. The string of bad experiences after just one year I am totally shaken with both Stevens Creek Nissan as well as the quality of Nissan cars in general. Stay away from Nissan if you can.

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  best buy in the market - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By 8995.00 - November 20 - 9:06 pm

  This is an unbelievable value. quiet, smooth shifting, comfortable, economic and tight little car. I purchased it to keep the miles off my diesel truck, but my daughter liked it so much she kept it for her graduation gift. No problems, no repairs. I guess I will have to purchase another one for me.

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  New Nissan Titan 07 - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Biju - November 20 - 8:23 pm

  I test drove Toyota Tundra 07, Ford F150 and Nissan Titan. I liked Toyota Tundra. The reason I went for Nissan Titan was the price. I got a price difference of almost $7000. Now I regret. I should have gone for Tundra. The ride is terrible in Nissan. It is like you ride on a horse cart. Jumping too much on every road. MPG is not what Nissan says. I get only 13 mpg. Body shape is good. I have a front bench seat. An adult can not sit for a long trip on that seat. Only a child less than 8 years can sit there. But traffic rules never allow a child less than 18 to be a front passenger.