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 Ever Owned - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By DL Boozer Jr - July 31 - 4:43 am

  Ive purchsed a ton of trucks in my lifetime, and the Titan by miles is the best truck I have ever owned! I brought my first truck in 1987 at age 22, which happen to be a Nissan (hard body); great vehicle. As time would have it, I eventually decided to purchase a big truck. I test drove them all, for two years. Finally, Nissan decided in 2004 to get in the big truck business and the rest is history. I thank goodness for my patience to pass up purchasing a big truck from the rest and returning full circle to best! DL Boozer Jr

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  After more than a year of ownership - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By texasstyle - July 30 - 11:53 am

  I own this van for a little more than a year now. I am please with it. It never gives me any problem. The engine is smooth and powerful, and reliable in the rough weather. The entertainment system is great.

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  Id buy again but Frontier too big now - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By kyboy - July 30 - 8:43 am

  Truck is babied. Other than oil and filter changes, no expense, but air went out at 45k. Still on original tires at 55k. Rear vibrated even when new, 55-65 mph. Gearing is very tall, making engine appear sluggish, took some time to get used to having to rev up to take off, but love the mpg, 24/28.

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  Tried them all, Murano won. - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Scott - July 30 - 6:10 am

  I recently bought the 09 Murano after religiously researching all the vehicles in the category. I found the Murano to stand out from the rest in many ways. At first glance the vehicle just does not look like its competition. (Many of them all look alike.) The inside is very nice. The leather seats are incredibly comfortable. Controls are all easy to reach, instrument cluster is nicely arranged. The engine performance is great. Rides very quiet and very responsive. Power life gate is great, very handy. Back up camera is great, much more useful than I thought it would be. Aimable headlights are very bright. The orange light over head creates a soft glow at night. Awesome car!

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  Attached to this car. - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By N.Matthews - July 29 - 5:30 pm

  I have had this car for about seven years and have only had little things go wrong with it until very recently. With only a few breakdowns in 7 yrs. I have to say its usually very reliable. I havent gotten around to putting it in the shop for this latest breakdown but Im hoping its only something minor. (Its never cost over $400 to fix before!) In the meantime Im driving an SUV and missing my Nissan Sentra tremendously. I never realized how comfortable my Sentra was until Ive had to drive that thing. I cant wait to get it fixed and back on the road. Terrific car!! Its perfect to drive around town or for a long trip but I hate to load groceries in it!

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  Best car I ever owned - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Brittany - July 29 - 5:10 am

  Never broken down! Not once in coming up on 8 years! That is impressive. Such a stylish car for being a 98, I still get compliments on its appearance. It still looks cutting- edge in design. This car has such superb stability and it has even more manuevering ability. I can turn around in the tiniest of places! We have gotten excellent customer service from various Nissan dealerships for maintanenece. Cannot even speak a bad word about anything about this car....not one thing comes to mind at all!

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  Nice vehicle overall with the technology package. - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By jmn5467 - July 29 - 12:32 am

  Bought mine new in early 2012 - its an SV Premium with Tech Package (basically the most expensive sedan the Nissan dealer had on the lot). Overall Id say Im happy with no major problems, although this thing was expensive for a Nissan (paid somewhere around $35k). I am so happy I sprung for the tech package as I would have regretted not getting it.

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  Service Problems - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By hipaulino - July 28 - 10:00 am

  We brought our 2002 Nissan Quest GLE from Performance Nissan in Everett, WA. It has been in for service there three times without the problem being fixed. We live about 45 miles away and have to drive up there every time to try to get it fixed. We brought the car there thatÂ’s why we drive up there to get it serviced; this was a huge mistake! The problem on the Mini-van is the passenger sliding door window. We have wind noise at speeds over 30 M.P.H. and problems with the window popping open when we hit a bump or slide the door close. How can such a small problem be such a major pain? . LOVE THE CAR, HATE THE SERVICE!

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  Best bang for the buck - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Cayman - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Compared to the Corolla, Civic, and Focus the Sentra is the best car value around. The 3 recalls surprised me considering Nissan usually builts good cars, but then maybe not as reliable as a Honda. I also had chirping sounds from the belt. Its fixed now unless the weather is damp and the belt gets wet. This car scares me when driving in snow. Not sure if its the tires or the weight distribution but the traction sucks.

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  Are Altimas Made by Duracell? - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By BabyMax - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car 3 years ago w/ 1900 miles on it. I replaced my 92 Accord EX with this vehicle (which by the way the auto. transmission began to slip @ 115K). Other than dealer faults I am proud to have the experience of owning a Altima. I have an Ultra Red SE Limited w/ almost 78K. All Ive done is changed the oil and filters on it. I love the rich look of the interior dash layout. I would recommend diehard Honda owners(like I used to be)to give Nissan a second look. Less maintenance runs great!!!