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:

• 

  alemon - 2017 Nissan Titan
  By heather Belanger - May 20 - 6:20 am

  2/24/ 17 we purchased a 2017 nissan titan SV what we believed to be a tough work truck with extras. Well within one week we started having issues with the parking sensors and sonar warning light staying on. off the dealership with this truck for repair. a day later they state it was repaired and ready to pick up. on the way home the sonar warning came on and the parking sensor error back on. back to the dealership again, this time they said it needed a right frony sensor, it came in a few days later so the truck was left there for repairs, we received a phone call the truck was ready to pick up. we get to the dealership and upon going out to the truck and starting it the same issues appeared the sonar warning and parking sensor errors again, went right back in the dealership and again the truck was left at the dealership, then service calls us and tells us the truck needs to have the sonar module replaced. so we wait and a couple days later we receive a phone call that the truck is all done and ready to pick up, so back to the dealership only to arrive at the dealership to find out that they have the truck back in the shop again for the same issues/problems and we are being told by the service advisor that once again the truck needs more parts replaced with this tome being a pin for a wire harness/connector. what a blow to us. especially when since the first time this vehicle was taken in the service advisor stated that he checked all connectors and all appeared to be in great shape. so now the truck is still at the dealership waiting parts and repair. We contacted Nissan usa consumer affairs division to file for a lemon and a replacement truck, this is pending and takes weeks. the dealership will only do a trade towards another truck which cost us several thousand dollar loss on the trade, NO WAY! apparently this dealership service has been in contact with Nissan tech dept. and being told try this and that which so far nothing has worked to fix the issues. Now we are very skeptical of these trucks especially since this is a new truck with very little miles on it. what next?

• 

  This is NOT a winter vehicle! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Joel - May 20 - 4:33 am

  I live in Ottawa, Canada and it can get to -40C here. On one such day (the second day I had it - brand new) the Murano would not start for me. It took about 6 tries over the course of ten minutes. On the seventh try it just started up normally. The dealership didnt know what caused it and couldnt do anything for me unless it was a recurring problem. Another thing, the wiper blades can not be lifted off of the windshield for those freezing rain days. For some reason the hood gets in the way! And another thing, the windsheild spray nozzles are under the hood which can get blocked by snow and ice and can be impossible to clear away. Besides that, I love it. Summer should be great

• 

  Best suv hands down - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By zach7685 - May 19 - 8:01 pm

  We have owned three pathfinders over the years. we currently have two! I love my 2001 LE its the best SUV for the money! it has 200K and runs top notch! the 2001+ have the bigger 3.5 engine and you can tell a differences. Only thing iv had to replace other than normal maintenance was the MAF sensor. Hint (replace with Maxima its cheaper)

• 

  Great work van - 2015 Nissan NV Cargo
  By Mike Cardillo - May 19 - 1:51 pm

  I own one with a V6 and one with a V8, both have enough power to do the job. The V8 is over kill unless you plan on carrying heavy loads. Milage is low around 13 highway. The V6 gets 18 highway and has plenty of get up and go... So far my 2012 has 40,000 miles and not a single repair. The van is tall so the wind will push it around some in windy conditions. A very good van to own.

• 

  Christmas Present - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By B. Parsons - May 19 - 6:56 am

  I reviewed the various options for a sporty SUV for about 4 months. I settled on the Murano and recently purchased this for my wife. I am 65" and fit very comfortably in this vehicle, front and back seats. Very good acceleration with CVT and very comfortable solid ride. The exterior is stylish. Overall, very pleased with my purchase.

• 

  My Mini-SUV - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By Valorie Smith - May 19 - 5:44 am

  Awesome gas mileage, 32 mpg in the city! Excellent cargo space-I even moved a love seat plus a coffee table at the same time.

• 

  Great except for squeaks - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Duane - May 18 - 2:00 pm

  bought this car in late June of 05 and I love it. It is quite quick and handles very well. The Bose system is a must have. The climate control is a bit confusing and only works to a degree. Like everyone else it squeaks when in reverse which is very annoying.

• 

  Smiles from Everyone - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Scott - May 18 - 3:20 am

  My wife loves the fact that when she drives around in her Versa, everyone looks at her and smiles. Its not a common car around here, but she picked it out because she thought it was the cutest. Inside it feels like a larger car. We got a sunroof (the only car in its class that had one as an option) and like the way it handles. CVT is smooth with lots of power and pep! With only 500 miles on the engine, got 32 MPG on highway, 27 MPG on Vermont back roads.

• 

  Best Hybrid on the Road - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Rondo - May 18 - 2:00 am

  I carefully considered the Honda and Toyota Hybrids. Personally the style of the available brands next to the Altima was no comparison, with the Altime clearly the winner in style, speed, great gas mileage, price, space and features. Altima appearance to me is far superior inside and out. I moved from a Camry due to a total loss accident to the Altima Hybrid for all of the reasons I just mentioned and the superior crash ratings the Altima has. Drive everything else first, then get into an Altima. If you like features, speed, a comparable price and style that turns heads everywhere you go, the Altima Hybrid is the clear winner. The tax credit and being "green" is a winner in any city.

• 

  So Happy and So So Sad - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By amber - May 17 - 8:36 pm

  This is a great car, it is very comfortable, and most of all safe. Just yesterday a woman ran a stop sign and t-boned me. The car took a beating and rolled three times from the force of the impact the car landed on its passenger side and I was held suspended in the driver side by my safety belt. If it were not for the safety features on this car I would not be here today.