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:

• 

  A Nissan Surprise - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By lafoca - June 9 - 7:43 pm

  My wife and I got this car used with 18K miles. For three years we loved the car. Great acceleration, comfortable, decent mileage, and WAS fairly reliable. At 70K miles we started having problems with the vehicle starting. After 5 (!) trips to the dealer the extended warranty we purchased is proving to be a life saver. In the past month they have replaced the starter, battery, fuel pump, MAF sensor (3x), and it still has cold start problems as well as engine stalling problems on accelleration. The most frustrating part is that the DEALER cannot figure it out. I have been in a Mazda for a week (the warranty covers a rental) and Im about ready to dump the Maxima for a new Mazda6!!!

• 

  I love this crossover!! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Colleen - June 9 - 1:33 pm

  Wow-- this car has it ALL. We opted for the SL, no x packages.The one we purchased came with floormats, splash guards and a moonroof. The seats are incredibly comfortable. Even the back seats are somewhat form fitted to your body! The leg room is unbelievable. We fit 2 booster seats and a carseat in the back. The cargo area is very large, with hidden compartments. There was ample room for 2 bales of hay for our Halloween display. The ride is smooth and with the CVT, you cant feel the car shift at all. Its a very quiet ride too. I would definitely recommend to everyone.

• 

  Decent car, minor annoyances - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By ragged1234 - June 9 - 12:01 pm

  Bought my 2.5SL about a month ago and its my first Nissan after owning Toyotas and Hondas for the past 10 years. I feel the car is attractive (inside and out), smooth to drive, and has nice features such as blind-spot monitor, reads text out loud, back-up camera, Bose speakers, and very comfortable leather seats. Heavy traffic commuting=24 mpg. Two issues have annoyed me: 1) the high-pitched morse-code whine at low speeds resonating from the power-steering pump (that lots of other people also notice), and 2) a buzz from the engine @1500 rpm under light acceleration (also noticed by lots of other owners). Without these problems Id give the car 5/5 stars, but now feel it only gets 3/5 stars.

• 

  Tons of room! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By carlson66 - June 9 - 8:46 am

  I bought this car yesterday - I went to look at the Altima and the Maxima; the dealership had just gotten their first Cubes, so I was curious. I was sold as soon as I sat in it. Its deceivingly big on the inside! My husband is 61" and when he sits in the driver seat, there is still a good 8-10" of head room. It has very comfortable seats and is extremely easy to get in and out of. The back seat offers again, tons of room and it slides forward or backward to give you either more leg room or more cargo room. I have a 5 year old who uses a booster seat and its been hard finding something that is easy to get her in and out of, until now. The fun part...its a blast to drive!

• 

  2008 Nissan Frontier - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Ponch - June 9 - 4:20 am

  Purchased my frontier a week ago and love it! Prett fast, smooth ride. Excellent color choice and fabric for the interior cloth, doors, etc.

• 

  Great Car - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By KJB21 - June 9 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Maxima. I also had a 93. Great cars!! Been driving a Maxima for the last 7 years. Wouldnt had it any other way.

• 

  Xterra from my perspective - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Holiday - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my Xterra. It is extremely comfortable, it is stylish and a good cruising car. The power isnt that great for a V6. I have had multiple problems with the car and am a little worried as to its future reliability.

• 

  Excellent Sports Sedan - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By ___WORM - June 9 - 2:00 am

  This is a 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE in a manual. The car is is jet black on the outside and charcoal inside. This is the best car both sedan or sports car that I have ever owned. It handles like a dream and is extremely fast. The 5 speed manual shifter is very smooth and is very fun to drive. Interior space is very spacious with lots of nice storage compartments including two huge copholders in the front as well as in the back and with a huge trunk. Drove a new Camry and Accord and discovered that if you really love cars and want a sharp looking car that really stands out and is fun to drive than get the Altima otherwise get something else.

• 

  First 3 months - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Carwiz - June 9 - 12:36 am

  Im satisfied with my Rogue. Really glad I got an AWD since it performed better than expected in the deep show. Fuel economy is the biggest disappointment, 20-21 mpg on the highway. Ive driven 6000 miles in 6 weeks and never got better than 21 mpg. For the 4 cyl this is lousy. Radio is average and the car has only one power plug! No vanity mirrors, oh, well. I can replace the radio and add accessories but the gas mileage is a problem I did not expect.

• 

  Great truck needs a few small tweaks - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By mike - June 8 - 11:56 pm

  Bought new in Oct. Great power,very fast. Very nice clean design interior and exterior. 4wd works very well in the snow. Better than expected fuel mileage approx 19mpg avg. Excellent value. A few small gripes show that I am spoiled and have forgotten how crappy my Ford was: A small squeak that comes from the back right corner of the cab, large turning radius, lots of wind noise, interior plastic scratches way too easily. Inside is nice and clean in design but could use some more luxurious touches like Tacoma. Still a great Value, I would buy another one.