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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  New truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By rich - September 10 - 2:50 am

  Truck well thought out, good use of storage spaces -under seats, wheel well, side pockets etc. Very comfortable to drive, well built! Decent gas mileage - best truck I have ever driven and I have owned a lot.

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  Wind noise problem - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By jar - September 9 - 6:26 pm

  Like the size and outside design of the car. Fuel economy is good. MAJOR wind problem driving over 70 mph on highway. Howling and screaming wind noise comes from both sides of the front windshield. Have taken it in twice to add foam sealer. Nissan Corp said the noise was "acceptable". We also own a Honda CRV which has a super quiet ride. Would not recommend the Rogue.

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  Feedback - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Aubrey - September 9 - 7:40 am

  Have owned my 2008 hatchback for almost 2 months. Drives great and lots of room. I trust Nissan and know they make excellent cars. So far there are 3 undesirable issues. One is that the wheels have very cheap hub caps. One of mine came flying off while I was driving. Its a piece of junk these covers! Also the cup holders are in a horrible location. I had to install a cup tray (from a conversion van) on the dash in the middle. And finally do not buy this car without the power option. A huge mistake. Power locks should be standard but they are not. You will regret it w/o the power package.

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  Better for families than Fit or Corolla - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By jw - September 9 - 4:10 am

  This is a great little car. We looked at the Honda Fit and the Toyota Corolla. We were impressed with the versatility of the Fit and the reliability of the Corolla, but were very glad we bought this Versa sedan. Were a family of 5: three kids between the ages of 6 and 11. Our Versa has the same rear legroom as our Mercury Sable, no kidding. It just seems so spacious! Much roomier & more comfortable than the Fit or Corolla. Rated safer than those cars too. We regularly get an average of 32 mpg in mixed driving (with 3 kids and their stuff!) -- no complaints there. True, resale value wont be as high as Honda or Toyota, but our Versa was at least $2000 less to buy!

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  The Xtera is like a xxx movie (awsome) - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Jimmy Spencer - September 8 - 8:43 pm

  The xterra has an awsome powerplant with enough torque to pull my 3500 pound boat with ease.The gas mileage is that bad for 265 hp there is alot of suvs with alot less hp n torque that the xterra that get worse gas mileage. (Trust me I have owned 2 of them).

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  Great Little Car!! - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Dave - September 8 - 6:10 pm

  Ive driven the Fit, Scions, Focus, Corolla, Yaris and Civic and I have to say that I like the Versa the best. The Corolla, Yaris and Civic all are well made cars, but for me the Versa had the smoothest ride/acceleration (CVT) and best interior. The layout of the controls was top notch. Also you sit up higher in the seat so you have a better view of whats up ahead. The keyless feature seemed like no big deal at first, but when your hands are full, you dont need to fumble in your pockets for the key. Its a pretty neat feature. However, what people like is so personal to them that I think you need to drive all the aforementioned cars to decide what is right for you. Good luck!!

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  Why havent you bought it yet ? - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nick - September 8 - 6:03 pm

  Well i just traded in my 1993 Maxima and my 1998 altima for the 2001 pathfinder. I absolutly love the truck. The 4 wheel drive is excellent, the VQ35DE engine delivers the power i was looking for, and the auto tranny is smooth as glass. i had 255 tires on mine when i got it so i was pleased. The ride is supportive and the interior is roomy. Ergonomics is nice and interior parts are not cheap feeling.

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  I used to love nissannot anymore - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By jennifer macklin - September 8 - 1:30 pm

  I have a four door 3.5 liter engine Nissan sedan. I was excited when I first got it because it had low mileage and it seem like a very dependable car. I had the car for a little less than 4 months and had to take it into the dealership because the lights were flickering and the Windows would not go up and down. the dealership said they could not find anything wrong with it and left it at that. A few months later again it was a sensor that went bad they had to replace that but the lights were still flickering and again they couldnt find anything wrong with it. we did this for over a year went to the dealership 4 times. I dont know if anybody else has experienced electrical issues with this type of vehicle but I highly recommend that you dont purchase. it is to the point now that Im actually scared to drive it because it says no key on a constant basis after changing the batteries out Im pretty much a regular basis. the doors wont lock even though there automatic lock doors and this makes me nervous with my children in the car and driving. so if anyone has young children and travels more than 15 miles this car is not for you.

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  I love it - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By impeach obama - September 8 - 10:50 am

  The car was bought brand new and I have not had many problems with it, the struts had to be replaced once but that was under warranty so there was no problem there. Other than that the car runs perfect except for a rattling type noise that I think might be the timing chain but thats only heard at really low speeds when the engine is straining to go up a hill, I had it looked at and replaced but it makes the same noise. The car has around 61k on it and runs like its brand new. It is very very fast and really quick, it handles exceptionally well and it drives like a sports car I absolutely love it and have fun every time I drive it. I would recommend this car to anyone. P. S get the nismo intake.

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  If only the Shaking would be FIXED - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Majestic Blue - September 8 - 7:26 am

  I LOVE MY CAR! if only the steering wheel would stop shaking when i hit the brakes at 50-80 MPH. I got a call from my dealership today saying that it is my tires, you know....the ones that are $300.00 each. It has been in the shop about 6-7 times since i bought it with no resolution to the problems. They diagnosed it as my rotors previously now its my tires....well see. Other then that the car is a dream to drive, you get where you want to go REAL quick!