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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  Durable, Reliable Maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima - August 5 - 9:36 am

  I bought this 97 Maxima SE with 27,000 miles on it in 2000. I now have over 160,000 miles on it. Repairs have been minor and this car is extremely reliable, durable and inexpensive to operate and repair. In 160,000 miles I have replaced the starter, alternator and radiator. The other basic maintenance items have been replaced (struts, brake pads, battery, oil, coolant, spark plugs, hoses, belts). It has very few squeaks and rattles after 160k miles. No oil leaks either. Tires are cheap to replace. Oil is easy to change and the engine compartment is wide open compared to most new cars. I would recommend this as a good solid used vehicle.

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  Engine problem help - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By david - August 5 - 3:16 am

  Just a heads up to some of you experiencing rough running when cold or TCS light coming on. Three different dealerships couldnt solve the problem. Finally a small private auto repair shop solved the problem. It was two coils AND the intake manifold had a severe vacuum leak throwing off the timing.The coils alone did not solve the problem. Got the coils from Autozone where they are backed for 4 months if they go bad. If you read these entries...coils are a common problem. I would love this car otherwise with 145,000 on it.

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  Updated review from a couple years ago - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By Roger D. Luchs - August 4 - 2:32 am

  I live in suburb of Wash, D.C. Work in downtown D.C., shop in suburban shopping centers. Due to size of car, maneuverability, visibility, I regularly can fit into parking spaces other cars cant(on D.C. streets) and can get in and out of spaces and lanes in suburban lots while others with larger vehicles are backing up and moving forward, over & over, to get out of space, blocking entire lane entire time. Have likely saved hundreds of dollars in parking lot fees in downtown DC. because find parking at the curb for far less(or nothing at all). I now have 37K on odometer. Thus far - have never had to take car in for other than routine maintenance, tires, replace brakes, etc. & a couple recalls. Obviously lucky, but have never owned car that went more than a year without requiring service because something went wrong. Must note quality of basic components is very good(e.g. AC system is excellent). Stock radio was 2d rate, so replaced that. Also, dome light only in front of car- none in middle or back of ceiling so added one myself(battery powered, motion detector). Otherwise, back seat, in charcoal, too dark to reflect light when putting things in, getting them out. Nissan should add some color to interior, via subtle striping, decals, whatever. The black plastic & charcoal seating present little variety and gets boring quick. The only major criticism is dash light - it is a push button with something like 8 settings. 1st is bright, too bright at night., 2d setting dims a lot & 3-8 dim even more.. But turn on headlights in grayish weather, daylight, and 2d setting on too dim to illuminate dash(speedometer, tach, etc). Its nuts, because so easy to install better adjustments. Should have a dial. One is stuck with having to switch to 1st setting in gray weather, by pushing button 8 times or so to cycle thru settings, and then at night pushing that to dimmer setting, because dash too bright.

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  Love my Altima - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By FreezingD - August 3 - 5:43 pm

  Driven 2600 miles so far. Car is very fun to drive (I have the 6M). Is getting 31-32mpg, I drive 70/30 hwy/ cty. Love the styling, front seats are comfortable. Not sure about the passenger comfort, no one has complained. Car is very steady at 75MPH. Great family car that I dont mind driving around by myself. Stereo is ok, nothing special. Great value for the money.

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  Exellent Truck!! - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By Cartier - August 3 - 3:06 pm

  I bought this truck with 40k miles. 145k now. The only problem so far was the muffler. I replace it and the truck keeps performing like new. I am a snowboard instructor. In winter I take this truck to the mountains and is just the perfect truck for it. I replaced the stereo for a nice eclipse deck new speakers and a sub. This truck is comfortable. I haul a 20ft boat and it does not have any problem. Plenty of torque!!

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  almost perfect - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By value shopper - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Great van, GLE package a must, The only thing I would like, is more HP , I found that with the 5 of us it took some time getting up to a good speed when getting on the Interstate. If they could produce a 200+ HP van , I would be a Quest customer for life.

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  Would Like Fewer Repairs - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By G. Mains - August 2 - 11:36 am

  I bought it when it came off a two year lease with 32k on it and now have 89k. Have had it now for almost 5 years. Have replaced MAF sensor, O2 sensor, both rear brake calipers, 1 rear brake rotor, and 1 power seat motor. So much more than what I had to do with a previous 96 Camry that didnt need anything until PS work at 107k. Also much more engine and road noise so its not as quiet as I am used to but somewhat more fun to drive, and handles better. Exhaust system started to rattle (now fixed) and there is a rattle in the front passenger door (I think) that is driving me nuts, and cant seem to get fixed. These rattles make the car seem cheap. Leather seats have held up well.

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  Its Hip To Be A Cube - 2013 Nissan Cube
  By lynpossible - August 2 - 6:56 am

  I love my Cube, I got an all souped up SL, with a navigation system. My friends love being in the car, Im 53, and I feel like Im bigger than most cars because the seats pump up and offer a great view. Okay gas compared to its competitors - The Soul, Element, and XB - it beats them all. There is so much space for passengers, not so much in the back, but it will handle a trip to Costco with two people just fine. Its not a race car, it has no guts, but comfy for long trips, unless its very windy it can make a lot of noise because the car is a non-aerodynamic cube. Going up a steep mountain isnt the best, I went to Big Bear with it, people passed me, but it made it. Overall B, good price.

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  What its missing - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By texasholly - August 1 - 9:41 pm

  I bought my car about a month ago and I just hit 1,000 miles. averaging 22.8 MPG and I drive 45 HWY miles to work 5 days aweek. I thought I would get better gas milege... its fun to drive and I love it but it lacks in rear visibility, the backup camera is a MUST, but Its difficult to use if youre not used to it. switching lanes is a challenge as well, a small car would be difficult to see and miss... I hope this gets better the longer I have the car. I would buy this car again.

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  saved my life - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By D Coyne - August 1 - 5:10 pm

  I bought this truck just in time I owned a little SUV and wanted something a little bigger in case of an accident. Well a few months after I purchased this truck I was rear ended on a freeway by a semi truck going they say 41-50 miles per hour I was at stop and this semi hit me and I hit 4 other cars. I walked out of it I do have a broken lower back and a really batter up body after the accident but it saved my life. The frame on the frontier is well built. My family and I really loved the truck. The only down fall about it is the gas mileage and could use a little more leg room in the back. The ride is like a truck and feels like youre driveing a big truck and has a nice feel to drive.