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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  Best truck I had ever owned - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By ROBERT HODGSON - August 15 - 9:40 am

  My experience with this truck so far has been good,Problems found so far is the front passenger window will not go up if it is all the way down,and the front brake rotors had to be turned down.all is fixed and runs and performs outstanding.I had loaded this truck with so much fire wood and it did not even get me a problem with a heavy load,the truck did not even sag one bit. The gass mileage is not bad at all for the style of truck--I get 20 mpg highway 16 city-if you are heavy on the peddle expect 13mpg city or lower!!

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  Overall a good buy - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By Alex - August 15 - 3:20 am

  I bought this car 3 1/2 years ago when it was already 5 years old. Ive had a few repairs done, nothing out of the ordinary for its age. The gas mileage is amazing, although when you have the a/c on it affects acceleration and braking.

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  Fun little car - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By scottyb1234 - August 14 - 10:49 pm

  I bought this car new in early 2012 and now have about 27k miles on it. Its in Super Black with the optional upgrade package. I was looking for a fun, quick compact sedan w/ a manual transmission and some bells and whistles (navigation system, moonroof, etc). The car feels like a go-cart going around turns and I always feel like I am in complete control. Overall, its a great value for the performance when compared to other similar vehicles and I am very happy so far. I use the vehicle as a daily driver (~20mi highway commute to work) and have driven it across the country twice w/o incident.

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  shakes rattle and road noise - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By very unhappy cosumer - August 14 - 7:21 pm

  high road noise, rough idle, front passenger seat shakes when idling,seat belt buckles rattle against the interior side panels, doors are poor quality,fan comes on in the off position.I took the car to the dealer three times to fix fan switch and they said that there was nothing wrong with the switch and that they would fix it but I would have to sign a disclaimer form.I traded the hunk of junk and lost a lot of money.

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  Right car for smart ppl - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By DeeTee - August 14 - 4:10 pm

  Well I didnt actually purchase it, though if I had money for the downpayment, I would have taken it right then and there. I test drove it, although I would prefer the SL trim level, but they didnt have it yet. The ride, very comfortable, very smoothe, and enjoyable. When you see it in person, it is really strange, it looks so small, like a rock or a toaster with wheels, but CAVERNOUS inside. I really hope I can purchase it.

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  2011 Altima - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By bailey26 - August 14 - 1:22 pm

  I test drove quite a few cars in this same class and by far the Nissan was the best choice. Its comfortable, steering and handling are tight, the fold down seats in the back are easy to use. The features that I have are all easy to access and easy to use.

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  Beautiful and fun to drive gas suspect ! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By belal242 - August 14 - 7:56 am

  The Maxima is one of the best 4 doors sedans ever. This is my second (97 Max) old. I love the new 2005 got a great deal fully loaded for 28k, missing navi. The car is very fast, has a great snarl with a touch of the pedal. I expected at least 20 miles per gallon but so far only giving me 18.8 on the avg. I just got it so im expecting it to improve just working in the engine. other than that i have been very happy with the car, so slick with the blk on blk, the leather feels like pleather but its all good. BUY IT if you looking for under 30K too many options to list. Its a Flagship so they put everything they got into it so you know its fine tuned.

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  Great Truck - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff - August 14 - 4:43 am

  This truck has been great so far, truck is actually fun to drive for a truck. Great Power, and tons of room inside.

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  198k and still rolling - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Hootna - August 14 - 4:12 am

  I have owned my Armada since I bought it with 75k miles on it about 9 years ago. I guess overall it has been a good car but if you are the type that takes your car in for every minor issue it will bleed you dry. My automatic opening rear died long ago.. The brakes suck there is a known issue that the brake system fails and makes a grinding like your wheel is about to fall off but resets once you shut off and restart but u never know when it may happen.. AC fan interior controller went out but I replaced it myself.. AC fan by the radiator went south long ago so if car is not moving AC is not super cold in summer months.. Clicking noise sounds like machine gun from some broken vent actuator happens every so often and finally the crappy check engine light because of the exhaust manifold cracking issue that I am not paying $3500 to fix.. Oh forgot the oil pressure gauge is pegged on high but its a sensor issue so whatever.. I live with this stuff now for the repairs I had to do... Fuel pump took a dump towed go dealership that told me it was not only the pump but some fuse box this cost me $2500.. Screw u Nissan... Also $250 because the piece that the oil filter attachs to that is between it and the engine got screwed up guess if they over tighten when installing oil filter it can happen but think its a bad design.. But hey overall I love my Armada but as you can see I dont care about check engine lights..squeeks..rattles..etc. so my overall cost for repairs hasnt been crazy. In fact I have yet to change the tranny fluid and probably wont for fear replacing it at this point may cause the beast to fail. We will see how long she runs at this point if anything fails I will just buy another vehicle but I will miss her she has been a great ride.

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  Maximize Your Ride - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By johnnyboy8 - August 14 - 2:59 am

  I was looking for a fun, sporty, pre-driven sedan. I looked at a number of cars including the Acura TL and Cadillac CTS. This was a gorgeous car, but after reading the reviews, it appeared that buying it would be like having a beautiful blonde with STDs. Every review spoke of how often the car was in the shop. I was done then with the GM flagship. So I took a trip to the my local Nissan dealer and found the color I wanted. After 10 minutes of test driving the Maxima, I was hooked. It was smooth, roomy, powerful, comfrotable, and cornered like it was on rails. The technology in the premium package was as good as any Lexus or Mercedes. Best value and best decision I ever made!