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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  very comfortable car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Mal - August 13 - 2:00 am

  This car has a big car feel, yet it handles very well. The front seats feel very comfortable and the 4-cylinder engine is powerful. The car feels very tight(no rattles or squeeks).

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  Love/ Hate - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Pete - August 13 - 1:56 am

  I was so excited to buy this truck.It looked great, drove great and Sounded awsome(duel exaust).To this day I still love the Truck and tell others to buy it.My problems started the day I picked up my truck.The drivers window came out of track.They fixed it, I got it back the next day the window came out of track again, they fixed it again.To save you the trouble of reading between the lines here is the rest of the problems.Driver window motors replaced, both.Wind noise all around the windshield, back of passengers seat replaced 5x, would keep comming loose,Tire pressure sensor light comes on after 40 miles,they cant fix it,Ive had it in 7x,R-diff housing replaced , many more problems, many

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  $12570 with 1.49 apr for 4yrs!! - 2013 Nissan Versa
  By na02 - August 12 - 9:25 pm

  32.5 mpg with mixed driving of hwy & street. I got 5spd and loving it. took the them 2months to order it but it was worth the wait. No power windows, locks, or mirrors but everything else is standard. Great car for work since I drive 52miles to work one way....also, its a timing chain so this car will last forever with less maintenance.

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  Good SUV, Bad Gas Mileage - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By James Darmawan - August 12 - 10:16 am

  I just purchase this car. I was crazy about the car aloaded with everything and the prices i got $19,000 with only 28 k on it. The only bad thing about this car, it drinks lots of gas. I know the newer nissans consume less gas.

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  Happy Customer - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By magicfan - August 9 - 6:08 pm

  Solid car so far. Purchased it on 12/31/11 and have put a little over 2000 miles on it. Averaging 26 mpg combined driving and a respectable 32 mpg on highway. As previous owner noted, it is simply styled on the inside (mine came without a radio) but very functional with good quality materials and comfortable seats. This is my first Altima. Im trying it based on the super great performance and reliability of my Nissan King cab pickup (1987 model) I owned for over 10 years and 225,000 miles. We like what we have seen so far from the Altima.

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  I Like It - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By pcs - August 7 - 6:06 pm

  I love my truck, but want to be honest in my review. Complaints are 1.) The front seats cant be lowered enough for someone my height (62"). I am looking through the blue tint at the top of the windshield at everything above the horizon. 2.) When you go over bumpy road at highway speeds the truck is all over the road. White-knuckles on the steering wheel. 3.) The knobs for the a/c controls couldnt feel any cheaper. It feels like they are about to break off every time I touch them. 4.) Looking at the other reviews, how can anyone give it a 10 for fuel economy? Im getting about 14.2 mpg.

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  Know what you are buying. - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By tomcat20 - August 7 - 1:41 pm

  I bought this car for my wife. She hates car buying and leaves that decision to me. Now, that doesnt get me off the hook; if I bought her a lemon, Id surely pay. After reading all the various comments regarding space, lighting, arm rest and storage I wonder if those people actual sat or drove the car before buying it. Fuel economy is good...yes good but only if you drive in 2wd on ECO mode. But with just under 180hp, youre likely to want to go fast. Remember fast = more gas. I wasnt impressed with the interior and the dash is rather basic. The ride is tight and the CVT struggles. But thats it. The car is a joy to drive. Once you get use to the CVT, it can be a lot of fun.

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  bad experience 01 S - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Ryan - August 7 - 12:13 pm

  I originally purchased the car because I liked the style and supposed reputation of Nissan. My car had only 19000 miles and looked in mint condition. It was an off leased vehicle from a Nissan employee, at least that is what I was told. It was purchased from a Nissan dealer thinking they would stand behind their own product. As soon as I got it home, it started smoking white exhaust.Without going into all the boring details I finally got a new short block from the dealer, but not without threatening to sue them. Neither my dealer nor Nissan treated me with any respect and will never purchase another Nissan product, especially from Ft Wayne Nissan. Will go back to a reliable brand Toyota.

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  Would I Buy It Again? - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By 49er - August 7 - 10:00 am

  My 1998 Frontier has been a very reliable truck considering that the nearest Nissan dealer is 87 miles away and that I have never had to tow it in! The Nissan pastic decal on the tailgate has refused to stay on after two trys at dealership gluing. I finally had them take it off and buff the paint under it (at my expense!). The radio light is starting to go on and off. I have yet to take it off- road, but its nice to know the four- wheel is there, especially in Montana! Make sure that you have a person in the know wire yours for a trailer! I feel that I got my moneys worth. Not real great gas mileage - but better than a V-8.

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  Great SUV - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By alex - August 6 - 9:13 pm

  We traded in our 2006 3.5L V6 Nissan Altima, and decided to stay will Nissan as our Altima gave us no problems. So we went to our local dealer and they said that they didnt have any Pathfinders in our color or trim level (SE). So we placed a deposit and the next day we got our Pathfinder. I have to admit, I love this SUV, we took the car on an 800 Mile road trip, the day after we got it. The car drove smoothly and was extremely quiet. Fuel economy is not great, however we are getting more than the EPA estimate. The SUV is great but there are some quality issues with this SUV. The materials feel and look cheap and the dashboard panels are misaligned. Other than that, We love our Pathfinder!