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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  rust above emblems - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - November 10 - 2:40 pm

  Watch out for rust above the emblems on Altimas. My 2014 Altima SL was rusting above the emblems in the first year and had rust severe enough that it was noticeable from a distance within 3 years. Reading online it seems to be a common problem. Dealers wont help and Nissan wont help.

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  98 frontier - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By AllenP - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Bought the truck new in 98, Nissan had some promotion going so I got it for 10,800. Great price considering the service Ive gotten. Had one major problem at about 80,000 miles, had a leak in the a/c system that cost about $600 to fix. Other than that only minor problems, head light and apparently a lot of people have the radio light go out like I did. Little sluggish on take off. All told, a great buy, my second Nissan and would not think twice before buying another one.

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  Great Vehicle! Fun to Drive - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By GGin - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my 2003 Xterra for a month and love it. I would highly recommend this vehicle for both on-off road conditions. Its a very comfortable ride. My wife was also impressed with the lack of blind-spots and ability to see on-coming traffic. The stereo system is fantastic and the interior is well designed. Overall, solid performance and comfortable. Have fun!

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  for cash spent this is it. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By gw - November 10 - 10:00 am

  its a fun drive, safe, fast, great interior layout.bags of room in back for people and their stuff. perfomance and the abilty to stop faster than anything in its price range. drive it against the competion and see for yourself. it;s also extreemly stable on the rd. the balance of the car is exceptional for an suv. my other car is a Jag which has low centre of gravity and so having beenm acoustomed to that many suv;s were plain "boaty" in their drive. all the fun of a car in an suv and much more...

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  This SUV Rocks - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By email777 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I have 2 SUV, one is MB ML320 and Murano.I love this baby.

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  New Nissan Owner - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By jenns - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I previously drove an Infiniti J30 and was skeptical as to whether I could replace it with any car. The Nissan is great to drive! I love the radio on the steering wheel and the faux suede accents on the interior. The dash is clean and streamlined, unlike other cars with BIG dials. I selected the regular sunroof (a must for me) over the roof windows and I am very happy with everything. I test drove alot of cars including Infiniti, Acura and Mercedes and quickly selected the Maxima. The engine power is outstanding and highway driving is a breeze.

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  Fun in the Sun! - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Warren - November 10 - 8:50 am

  I picked up my silver beauty while looking for a commute vehicle a few years back. In the market for a Honda Accord, I noticed her on the used car lot and suddenly had a desire to experience a convertible for the first time in my life. Over the ensuing 3 years, Ive had many enjoyable experiences and a few bad ones. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. At 12 years old, she still looks fresh and sharp; especially with the top down. Performance is acceptable. The 3.5 liter V-6 is responsive and the power delivery is smooth and satisfying. The exhaust note is a "love it or hate it" affair for most folks and fortunately for me, I have no issues with how the Z sounds. Sure its sort of droney an does not sound like a V-8. But in reality, its not supposed to sound like a Mustang and thank God it does not sound like a modified Civic. I drive 27 miles one way to work and I was slightly disappointed that 23 MPG is the best I can achieve. Around town, Ill get 18-19 MPG which is marginal. That said, I did not buy the Z for fuel economy and its not a huge issue for me. I do find it odd that my 2015 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 V8 will actually knock down better highway mileage than the Z - but I guess thats the beauty of an 8-speed transmission. At 64", the interior is somewhat cramped - but I tend to prefer smaller vehicles - so its not a problem for me. Just by looking at the car, its obvious its not going to be as roomy as a Honda Accord. The way I view it, if i wanted a roomier interior, I wouldnt have purchased the Z. The trunk is practically useless but the interior does offer several cubbies; some of which require seat manipulation to access. During my three years of ownership, Ive had a few minor and one major issue. The drivers side door would not latch and required a new mechanism - which ended up being a lot more expensive than I anticipated. The remote fuel filler door actuator stopped working which required replacement. The drivers side power window broke which required replacement. And finally, the transmission needed to be rebuilt at 130,000 miles. Ive had a few annoying minor issues which I have not yet addressed such as the storage compartment on the dash (I do not have navigation) is broken and will not open and the weather stripping on the outside of driver side window is loose. All in all, I expected some minor issues with a 100,000+ vehicle. The transmission issue was expensive but again, not unexpected for a high mileage vehicle. The engine still runs flawlessly and per my mechanic, seems to be in excellent shape. Compared to my 94 Mustang Cobra, the Z is rock-solid with no body roll and precise steering. I rarely push it to the limit, but the handling seems to be very adequate. I have had a few occasions where I lost control of the back end in wet conditions under fairly unremarkable conditions. In other words, I did not feel the loss of control was warranted based on the driving input. Ever since Ive had those "scares" - I tend to pay very close attention in the rain. There are a few days per year when, despite the lack of convenience, poor fuel economy and added weight - owning a convertible is a magical experience. When the weather is perfect and the sun is shining brightly... Its for those type of days that make inconveniences of owning a convertible totally worth it. My Z is a daily-driver and Ill likely replace her next year - but shell remain in my garage as a weekend car. To say that Ive been completely satisfied with my purchase would be an understatement. There are faster, better handling, more modern choices out there - but there is just something special about the Z that make me smile each time I take the wheel.

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  Could be the best SUV of all - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Al in Denver - November 10 - 7:20 am

  The Murano is close to perfection, compared to any other SUV,except for just a couple aggravating things. It drives and handles amazingly well, but rides like a truck. It is fun to drive, has an extremely comfortable and versatile interior with many clever features, but exclude the dashboard from that. The engine and CVT transmission are pure delight... smooth, quiet, powerful, leaves you always feeling like you are in command. And, it is extremely responsive except that it feels a little slow off the line... mostly an illusion. The seats are fantastic, and unlike most Japanese vehicles, you can adjust them to accommodate tall people with long legs. Visibility is very poor to the rear.

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  Nissan Does Not Stand Behind Their Product. - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By fargo5 - November 10 - 4:42 am

  My Murano only had 58,461 miles on it when my transfer case fell to pieces. Replacement cost $3,800. Ive always driven it well and have done oil changes on time. I was under the 60,000 miles warrenty and my 5 year warrenty had only expired by three months. I called Nissan to see if they would stand behind their product. I waited three weeks before the represenative told me No, based on that I didnt do all my oil changes at the Nissan dealership. They didnt look at the fact that I did do all my repairs at the Nissan dealership. Ive done research online and there are a lot of unhappy Murano owners, that have had the same problem with their transmission. This should have been a recall.

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  Nissan Quest - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Greg - November 10 - 3:40 am

  My wife has had the vehicle for about a couple of weeks and I must admit that it is pretty decent for a minivan. The interior design takes about a week to get used to, but its not bad at all. If you have kids (which you should if you get a minivan) then definitely look at getting the DVD system. Its a definite sanity-saver. Build quality has been great - with no obvious defects. Its only been 2 weeks, but everything as is promised. If youre looking for a minivan that wont plummet in value like the domestics do, the Nissan Quest is a good option. It holds its value almost as well as the Toyota or Honda, but it cost less with the same features.