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 car - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Chandler1983 - June 12 - 10:00 am

  what an awesome car.. the automatic climate control is very nice and it maintains a constant temp. heated leather seats are supportive and adjust to a nice position, bose sound system is great.. acceleration is smooth and powerful.. all in all, this is a great car.. i love the way the interior is laid out.. awesome car..

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  Love It - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By goarmada - June 12 - 10:00 am

  We have had some minor problems such as ripped trim and unbalanced tires. but on the whole we love it. would not recommend as a daily driver or commuter as it guzzles gas. so much is standard that all we added to the base se was 4X4, bose, and dvd player. would have liked to have a sunroof at that trim level.

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  ying/yang - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By arm/lo - June 12 - 10:00 am

  Overall, when you first see it, its a stylish beauty.Moonroof leaks, service stinks, rattle on side doors, many manufacture defects! Rear hatch panel bowed and replaced with one that bows out even more!The miles til empty gauge was poorly designed, in my previous minivan it told me exactly how many miles I had left til I ran out,very helpful info when running errands, to know when to refuel. This minivan as soon as it hits 1/4 tank, the light turns on and the gauge turns to a * symbol and the guessing game starts!Have more complaints but space is limited!!

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  gas hog - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By m.r. - June 12 - 10:00 am

  i like this truck except for the horrible gas mileage. driving down from san francisco to los angeles, it took me 3 fill ups just to make it. i was averaging around 13mpg. i had a tundra that at least delivered around 18-19mpg on the hwy. i try to drive with a light foot as possible, the best i got was 14.5 mpg. very disappointing for a V6. my advice, forget the supercharger, go with the normal V6, believe me, the power difference isnt that noticeable. and, go with the white colored gauges. mine had the black background w/c is hard to see in the daylight while wearing shades.

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  My Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Roy Conaway - June 12 - 10:00 am

  The Nissan Maxima gives you the speed and power of a sports car. It is the most powerful in regards to speed as any car I have been in or have driven

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  Satisfied with my purchase! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By monique - June 12 - 10:00 am

  as soon as i test drove the car, i fell in love, it runs so smooth, i could hardly notice the car was on.The drive is so smooth and easy.

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  sentra s - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Tazz - June 12 - 9:13 am

  Great car and gas mileage. CVT trans takes some getting use to. Love the keyless start and door locks. Gas mileage is great, thats why I bought this model. ride is ok and steering is not bad. great car for the buck. looked at 5 other cars in this class glad I bought this one. Control features are all located to have ease of use. Thank you Nissan

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  silver bullet - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By sam - June 12 - 12:16 am

  my experience w/my murano has been wonderful, my salesman said when i purchased it that each day i would find something new that i liked about it and he was correct. i dont not have anything bad to say about it. i love it. it drives beautifully, is very very comfortable, roomy, and fits everything i need and then some. it has already taken quite a few trips and has passed all tests with us. we call it the silver bullet, and it is living up to its name. what a great product...

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  dont buy if you havent - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By tquinquinn - June 11 - 7:50 pm

  I bought this car over the lexus and geniness because I liked the looks of it, well the car runs rough to say the least It started off making a flapping sound when I first started it at about 20 miles p/hr. then after a while it added the sound of something braking free to engage.I finally took it to the dealer and they didnt know what to make of it finally they told me they think its the alternator they will start by replacing that and work form there. For the money I paid and the problems Im having with it I would not recommend to anyone to buy it. my car only has 3000 miles on it. I wish I would have bought that Lexus. for peace.

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  Good until now - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jay - June 11 - 1:36 pm

  This is my 2nd Pathfinder. The 1st, a 1998, was great. The only problems until now was excessive rattles. Same with 1st one. However, I just got a "sevice engine soon" light so I got it checked. The dealer says my catalytic converters are shot and new ones will cost almost 2000.00! It seems to me 4.5 year old and 70k miles with all scheduled service and no unusual driving the car should not have this problem.