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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  Im gonna miss my Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By bigmommajo - October 30 - 1:53 pm

  By far, the most comfortable car I have ever owned, sturdy, large enough for family, yet great fuel economy at the same time. Car totaled this week when dump truck hit me going 60 mph, the car took one heck of a beating but I came out alive. I am so going to miss this car, I will be back in the market for another Altima.

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  Great Car - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Paul - October 30 - 10:43 am

  My 1999 Nissan Maxima is a great car. I bought it about two years ago and have not regretted it. I had the notorious problem with the coil packs at about 68,000 miles along with the knock sensor. Those repairs cost me about $1,300 and recently I had to replace all four tires again and replace the front struts because of a front-end issue which cost me about $1,200. For some reason the car eats tires but its most likely due to my driving habits. Driving the car is still a pleasure. It has quiet road manners and excellent performance. The engine is still quiet and serene, but will rocket off at your command. Just replace the oil when your supposed to and use premium gas and the Maxima will not dissapoint.

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  Great SUV, Beats the MDX - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By billc - October 29 - 11:56 pm

  My 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is my first SUV. I almost bought an Acura MDX. The quaility is here, this truck is built like a tank and talk about horsepower (270). Nissan has been building 4X4s for years and I think they have gotten it down. I researched this truck for about a month, got the one I want and payed the price I wanted not a penny more...

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  A rattlebox - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MPFL - October 29 - 7:26 pm

  Although I love the performance of this SUV (the powertrain is excellent), it has more rattles than a 1970s GM car. It has been to the dealer four times very little improvement. On the last two visits, I even asked them to "improvise" keep things from vibrating, but you cant fix a flawed design. There are too many poorly fitted plastic panels.

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  Good vehicle - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ChadneyG5 - October 29 - 4:00 pm

  Weve really liked the Pathfinder. Weve had a few issues, all which have been cleared up except the fuel sensor/gauge is erratic and inaccurate. There needs to be a recall for this as many people have similar problems with it. The side mirrors electric motors are erratic and the battery has mysteriously gone dead on several occasions (weve stopped using the headlights auto on/delayed off feature for this reason). We used to think the ride was quite harsh until we replaced the original General tires with new Michelins--Wow! What a difference! It was like getting a new car. When I stay off the pedal, the mileage is quite good. I can easily get 20+mpg. With a lead foot I get 15-17 mpg.

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  Great truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By normm14 - October 29 - 12:30 pm

  This is a great truck to drive. Incredibly powerful, and roomy. I commute 50 miles a day, and I love the commute in this truck. Great in the snow and rain. High up, and the tires are actually beefier then the rims. Gas mileage could be greater, but that is what you get when you buy a truck.

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  Best of 2009 - Maxima - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Feyzi - October 29 - 12:30 pm

  2009 Maxima 3.5 SV with Premium and Technology package in Silver Color replaces my 2004 Maxima. Nissan has done many things right with this car. You need to drive the new Maxima to appreciate the "Four Door Sports Sedan" motto. From outside, it has very unique and appealing design (pictures do not tell the story - you need to see it). Inside is full of technology which is very well integrated with the needs of the driver. The ride comfort and power is amazingly well blended in the premium package. Nissan raised the bar so high with this model that now they need to compete with a different class of cars. I strongly recommend this generation of Maxima.

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  Great Value---But Not a "4DSC". - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By 4wheelpiliot - October 29 - 4:56 am

  Just leased a 2010 Maxima SV Premium Tech. This may be the best overall value in the segment...great style, very high feature content, solid performance and great build quality. Ive owned BMW, Infiniti, MB, Toyota, Acura, Nissan. Crossed-shopped TL SH- AWD, Audi A4/S4, 3 series. These are all superior 4 Door Sports Cars. But these are much more expensive to own and insure. FWD and CVT just cant come close to the level of pure driving excitement. The Maxima is simply a great car for the money....and in this economy, that is what I needed.

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  My Maxima rocks - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By B & B - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Leased this car originally & it has been such a great car, I bought it a few months before lease was up. This is the only car Ive ever wanted to buy after leasing it! Love the handling, comfort& power. I like a car that will jump out in traffic when necesary, & accelerate quickly when needed - this car does both very well. Even though GXE was the base model, it has many extras that I really appreciate. It feels like a luxury car, & is a great value for the price. It has been very reliable & weve had absolutley no problems,. Just replaced original tires at 39K miles, & have not needed to do anything else other than scheduled maintenance.

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  This one sucks - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Kevlev - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Engine is real bad. It sounds like an overworked mule. Dealership service could never fix it. Jerky action when applying gas. Engine bogs down and is a gas hog.