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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  170,000 in 6 yrs & still going strong! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Susan - June 18 - 4:50 am

  I was really surprised to read of the problems that others have had with their 2003 Murano. With 170,000+ miles on mine, of course Ive had to replace normal wear-out parts, do the brakes, etc, Also had to replace front strut sleeves, but that is the only problem that I have had in 170,000 miles. Love the transmission and I have always done as my salesman advised, "Come to a COMPLETE stop before shifting from reverse to drive - no rolling shifts!" I like mine so much that when I get another 50,000 miles on her (about 1 1/2 years for me), Im going to get another Murano. I do wish that the back window rolled down, though.

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  Stay Away - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By unhappy in maryland - June 18 - 4:43 am

  Had the car for two months and water has entered on the drivers side. Although the dealer is attempting to determine the cause and will fix under the warranty, I now worry whether there has been any damage to the wiring or computer systems most critical to this vehicle, as the water has entered up under the dash. Particularly, the keyless starting system and the possible rust to the floor boards due to the amount of water that has been deposited since I do not know how much water has entered the car. I am retired and have not driven much and there have been at least 4 heavy rains.

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  New to the minivan family. - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By barrell - June 18 - 4:13 am

  We are new to the minivan thing so i can only say moving from the 2005 Nissan Altima I am very pleased with the Quest so far. Drivability has been great, it handles very well for a minivan and has plenty of room to boot. Looking at the 06 model versus the 07, I have to say they are moving the design in the right direction on the styling.

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  Saved My Life!! - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By LilKim - June 18 - 3:06 am

  Purchased my 96 Altima as college car in 2001 used w/115K.Could not have asked for a better ride! Comfy (for a 52 chick), SUPER reliable,and LOTS of fun to drive.Sunroof,woodgrain,& Alpine CD made it heaven. Easy on the insurance bill and as everyone knows miles dont hurt Nissans! I was at 162K and going strong except a finicky O2 sensor, but thats nothing that midgrade gas didnt magically fix :) Unfortunately someone decided to drive in my lane going the wrong way & hit me head on (we both were going 45) thats a 90MPH collision. Amazingly -NOT buckled and blessed beyond belief- I WALKED away from the wreck w/2 airbag burns. THANKS Nissan for making such a great car,just bought a Maxima, staying loyal!

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  Highly dissappointed!!!! - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By VERY DISSAPPOINTED.. - June 17 - 9:26 pm

  To make a long story short. Ive had my van for 3 1/2 yrs. Now... Ive spent 1500 to repair a pair in the engine and the service depart. Did not fix the problem... When I return the van 2 days later they decided that it was now the transmission that needed to b replaced (which they would pay 1/2) after Id already spend 1500. Ive had new brakes front and back and new rotors... Ive spent at least 2500 in 09 for repairs! Not happy at all with this van..

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  Absolutely Love It - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Luke - June 17 - 2:33 pm

  We just bought the new Xterra this weekend and absolutely love it. It rides great, has a ton of power, the interior is well designed and comfortable and it is priced great compared to other SUVs. I would highly reccomend it to anyone. It is really catered to the active lifestyle.

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  end of ownership review - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By zoolander1 - June 17 - 11:01 am

  This is an update to an old review. I sold my juke after 2.5 yrs and 42k miles. I think the car is priced right for what it is. MPG is nowhere close to estimated; I observed 25.1 average with 90% highway driving. I had the engine replaced for free for a defective cylinder at 31k mi and I learned to live with a grinding noise coming from the AC that the dealership never figured out.

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  Sentra is great! - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Missnay14 - June 17 - 10:36 am

  The 06 Sentra 1.8 S is a fun car to drive, good for a first time car owner. Good overall performance, very sporty. The Sentra also has the best brakes in its class, which lends for better performance. The Sentra is very easy to operate, the layout is awesome, everything inside the car is easily found.

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  Listen up its the alternator not trans - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By James - June 16 - 4:51 pm

  I bought this car a year after it came out luckily I bought through Carmax because once I started having the problem and called Nissan they basically gave me the runaround but Carmax is dealing with the problem superbly now for everyone having the shuttering problem like I am having it seems to be the transmission but the CVT transmissions are very sensitive to The electrical current that they receive and the alternators on these are faulty Nevada how many transmissions they throw in it if they dont change your alternator youre going to continue having the problem over and over again so anybody researching this get the alternator fixed before it destroys your transmission I had the alternator and belt tensioner replaced and problem was gone the shuttering that everybody has. I just dont get how so many Nissan dealerships would rather keep throwing in transmissions and not realize its the alternator Im hoping this review helps at least one person out there because I am almost willing to guarantee that a new alternator will help your problem because remember a lot of these peoples cars are shutting off luckily my never did that but a transm shouldnt cause your car to shut off so I hope someone out there reads this review and it helps them

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  Love My Xterra - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By GSX-TERRA - June 16 - 10:00 am

  I have now lived with my X-Terra for 5 weeks. So far I have no major complaints. I got the most bang for my buck with the X-Terra. The handling is not as bad as everyone says, it is quite nimble for a truck. Low to mid range acceleration (to 45mph) is good, but the curve flattens at high speeds. Gas mileage isnt great, but then I knew that when buying the X. Passed on the supercharger which you have to feed premium gas. Great daily driver, great people and gear haule, good looks ...what more can you ask for?