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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  great smaller truck - 1999 Nissan Frontier
  By bronco_fan - August 8 - 2:00 am

  If you are looking for an inexpensive pickup thats great on gas too, then the Nissan is the way to go. The bed is bigger/deeper than any other small truck. I bought the std cab because I didnt want to spend more than necessary, though the extra cab would be nice to have. I have owned this trk for a few months and enjoy it. Wife thinks the steering wheel has too much play, but I dont notice it. Rides rough like a truck, and on windy days I get thrown around the freeway because its not heavy enough to hold its own. Thats what I expected though, so Im not upset.

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  Second Maxima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Hunterct - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Anyone looking for a great sports car with a reasonable price should look at the Maxima. This is my second one and I love it. I paid well under 30K for a loaded SE, I cant believe all you get for that price. You would pay almost 40K for a similar equiped BMW or Lexus. My only compliant is the ride is a little harsh, but I can overlook that as the rest of the car more than makes up for it.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Caramel_Goodie - August 8 - 2:00 am

  This car handles great. Loaded with standard equipment, and just all around solid. Once I test drove this car i decided to go ahead and let the lease on my 1999 Volvo S80 T6 come to an end. This car has a very smooth ride, unlike the T6, which also cost a heck of a lot more. Nissan has really done a good job on this car, keep up the good work Nissan.

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  Bootylicious - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By cbwcars - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Great car! Slick styling, well-made, great performance, and downright cool.

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  Poor suspension - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By armada platinum - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I love everything except the navigation, suspension and the dark dashboard during daylight driving. Suspension you feel everything steering wheel vibrates when going through bumps or pot holes. Navigation does not work while driving. Set-up that is you must stop, put in park and hand brakes in order to operate. Imagine driving with family kids want to watch another movie cant do it. Setup address cant do it. Nothing. Who ever design this was a total idiot. Imagine stopping on the interstate, side road with kids, some one hits you from behind. Is that not a safety issue. Who is really going to wait for rest stop or an exit specially 15 or 30 miles down the road lets be realistic. For the money it cos

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  Nissan should issue recall - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JonnyBRich - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Bought our Pathfinder with 37000 miles on it. Purchased the extended warranty for security. Had the same problem as many others, radiator went causing the transmission to fail. Nissan would not cover the cost to repair ($5500) either because the radiator caused the problem. Couldnt get anywhere with Nissan corporate so we wrote a letter to our Attorney General. Got a phone call from Nissan Corp shortly after asking for repair bill. Received a check a few weeks later for the cost of repair with no explanation. Come on Nissan! Own up to that fact that this is design flaw. These vehicles should be recalled. Dont buy one of these and if you have one, sell it before its too late.

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  Bad Experince - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Brian - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I paid $41,000 for this car and guess what? At 54,000 miles transmission gone, I heard about this problem before but never believed in that and I was always saying its the driving habits but its not, this SUV is junk, v6 and only gets 12 to 14 miles a gallon, brakes and rotors at 28,000 miles, tire pressure sensors at 40,000 miles and many more trips to the dealer, today I got rid of it after replacing the transmission with 22,000 loss, worst resale value, Nissan does not make a good car and I will never ever by Nissan again.

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  Poor Choice - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Dave - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Amazing to read all of the posts with similar issues. The tires wear out quickly, AC is out, headlight replacement costs over $100 and now the transmission goes! 120K on this car and replacing the tranny, hope to get another year or two out of it. Great looking car and I love the zip but I cant imagine going with another Maxima again.

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  Dont Let the Face Turn You Away! - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By JKP - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Put the bold styling of the Juke aside (you will either like it or not - very subjective), Nissan has delivered an excellent product. Purchased for my kids, I have driven the car for 900 miles. Ive had numerous Acuras, Hondas, Porsches,and GM products - and while Im not saying the Juke is a Porsche (nor does it cost as much), the driving experience is excellent. The engine accelerates eagerly, the transmission (my first CVT) works great, the XM and Nav are implemented flawlessly (better than our MDX), and the torque vectoring AWD pushes the car through twisty mountain roads. Its the combination of all elements, finely implemented, that puts a smile on ones face.

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  Simply Wicked! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Fobroader - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand spanking new in 05. Drove the 4 cylinder Then drove the v6. The 4 is pathetic, this car is a rocket. Had to get the 5spd manual because an automatic is just wrong when paired to a vq35de engine. Stock tires were absolute garbage, all seasons on a 250 horse car? The 6 pack changer had to be replaced under warranty. Floor mats wore right through under gas and clutch pedal. Great car, highly recommend the v6 model to everyone. Drive a manual before you buy the automatic to see how amazing this car can be. Ive got about 60,000 miles on mine and its been bulletproof.