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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  Junk Crap POS - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By acme1020 - September 18 - 3:51 pm

  Bought the Max new in Jan 07. First dissapointment gas mpg. Usually get 19.5 split city highway driving. Never been over 24mpg even on long highway trips going 65mph. Struts were replaced at 15000 miles by warranty. Tires were wore out at 30000. Whole new sunroof put in at 35000. Needed rear shocks at 50000. Rear ABS sensor for $800 at 55000. The car is currently in the shop for the other rear sensor, one front sensor, and actuator for a total of $2500. The dealer called Nissan and got them to pay half of the last bill cause there was another one in there for the same thing. They know this is a problem but will not recall. This is my first and last Nissan.

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  Solid Car - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Karl M - September 18 - 9:00 am

  Have driven the car about 2,500 miles both in the city and on the highway. Highway mileage about 28 mpg whether or not I use the recommended premium fuel. Best mileage was 33 mpg -- worst 22 mpg. Good power. Comfortable interior for 4 people. Sunroof is great. Trunk a bit small -- can fit 1 large suitcase and 3 small ones. Overall, am quite happy with the Maxima.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By josh83 - September 18 - 1:31 am

  I bought my Altima new in 1999, and it now has 240,000 miles. Cranks first time every time, engine still strong, transmission still shifts smoothly. I still love my Altima!

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  I like it - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By mark walker - September 17 - 6:20 pm

  So far Ive given my goth grey a good work out. It handled unimproved dirt roads like a champ, across boulder strewn creeks in the high desert foothills of Arizona to ten inch deep sand beaches in Mexico. The awd worked effortlessly. If you dont look at the rpm gauge it acts no differently than any other car in cruise or passing at highway speeds. Ill try it out next at the 6-7000 foot elevations in the northern part of the state this summer. My first fuel check with mixed driving conditions yieled 26.7 mph.

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  We love this car! - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By trbojnky - September 17 - 3:33 pm

  We bought a 2010 Ocean Grey SV loaded with all the options. We love this car! We looked at many other cars and kept coming back to the Maxima. It is not a sports car, but its more than fast enough for a family sedan. This car is a blast to drive! The nav works great and the XM radio is awesome to have. This color is stunning on this car, its gray with a blue undertone. Our dealer (McCarthy Nissan) was an absolute pleasure to deal with! We look forward to many great years with this car.

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  Nissans best kept secret - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Al - September 17 - 7:30 am

  I was in the market for a small SUV. I was first considering a CRV and even though I heard about the Rogue, I didnt think much about it until I saw an ad from Nissan, so I decided to test drive one. Im glad I did. I was so impressed that I purchased it immediately. Exterior is appealing... sort of like a baby Murano, interior is nicely laid out, very comfortable, the fit and finish superb. Since I live in South Florida and do mostly highway driving, I chose the FWD model. Handling and cornering are excellent, and acceleration is surprisingly good for a 4-cyl. through the CVT. Most impressive is how quiet and "solid" the vehicle is at 70mph.

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  Fabulous vehicle! - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By texlass63 - September 17 - 4:16 am

  I love this vehicle!!! I had a 2014 Honda CRV for a week and traded it in for the 2014 Rogue and am so happy now! I havent finished mstering all of the buttons and commands yet but will have it shortly. The ride is very comfortable and dont hear any engine strain at all when accelerating. Havent determined yet what the actual gas mileage is but will update later on. All of the features are great and it is SO comfortable to drive If the warning beeps get to be annoying I can and will shut them off, but for now not so bad. This vehicle should be, and hopefully will be soon, #1 in its class. Just wish the auto dimming mirror came standard.

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  Buy Honda or Toyota - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Bill - September 17 - 3:33 am

  The Quest was the most unique minivan when we purchased it. In retrospect, we should have gone with a Honda or Toyota. We have had problems that one would not equate with Nissan. The end-links on the rear stabilizer somehow self-destructed, the horn fuse continually blows, the original brakes only lasted 27,000 miles. The rear brakes were shot after this period! Ive never experienced this in ANY vehicle I have owned of any make! Radio is flakey and just goes mute on its own at times. Transmission has gotten stuck in one gear and required me to stop the car, shut it off and restart it. I planned on keeping this vehicle for a long time but now Im not so sure.

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  Love it!!! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By keith & tammy - September 17 - 12:33 am

  We searched around looking for the best, most fuel economy car, but that has style and class. We ended up zeroing in on the new 2007 Sentra. The car is just awesome. We have the S with all the upgrades including the CVT and intelligent key. Never realized how much we like the intelligent key as we never have to take my keys out of our pockets to open, start or lock the vehicle. We also love the Rockford Fosgate stereo system. Its a very quiet car inside - no rattles, road noise, just a fantastic vehicle. You definitely should give this vehicle a "serious" look. Totally redesigned!

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  Very unhappy and frustrated - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By nothappynissan - September 16 - 4:08 am

  I bought my new 2013 Altima about 3 months ago and its been in the service dept 3 times. My car vibrates terribly. They first said it just needed a computer upgrade or something and that should fix it. It didnt. I took it back and they determined it needed a new Torque Converter and that would stop the vibration. It didnt. I took it back a 3rd time and they said my back right rim was oval and replaced it with a round one and that wouldfix it. It didnt. Each time they hooked it up to their computer, contacted "Tech line" and stayed in touch with Nissans regional office for further instructions. Its still not fixed. Now nissan is telling me its normal and thats it!? Im not sure what to do