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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  MISS MY INFINITI - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert de la Cuetara - March 7 - 7:40 am

  I thought I was getting a fun and fast car, but when I actually purchased the Maxima I was disappointed! If I would have been able to return the car for my 3 year old Infiniti G35 Sedan I would have done it without thinking about it! That was a fun car to drive and it did much better on gas than the Maxima is doing! Dissapointed with the power, I feel like Im driving my grandmothers American GM car.

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  Good Buy/Lease - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By William - March 7 - 4:33 am

  Great car for anybody looking to get something that looks nice, is reliable, safe and wants to drive comfortably. My biggest problem being 64 is that I could not fit in any car without having my legs cramp up. This car has great space and drives well on the road. Recommend to anybody looking for a basic car with a sleek look.

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  Best Truck I Found - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By Allen - March 6 - 4:23 pm

  This is my 2nd Titan, after owning an 2004. True, the Titan has changed much but I still think its the best looking truck. My neighbor has a new Ford and the Titan just looks better. So what if its been around longer? Before buying this truck I test drove a loaded tundra 5.7l immediately beforehand. The Titan felt more powerful, had better acceleration, and handled better. It was at least $5k cheaper too. I have the loaded LE with navigation and everything and the interior is really nice. Its also notably cheaper than the competition who must defray their frequent redesign costs. Nissan got it right in 04 and customers benefit from lower prices today.

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  Great first starter car! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Hailey Adamson - March 6 - 6:49 am

  I got this car when I turned 16 and I have had this car for 6 years now. I got it will 100,000 miles on it and Im up to 168,000 miles on it and it has run so smooth! I only bring it into the dealership to get routine checkups and once I had to take it in because my engine was rattling which was due to a loose part, which I guess is a frequent problem with this car. It was a 200 dollar repair and thats the only issue Ive had on it!

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  Great small cargo van - 2013 Nissan NV200
  By demp223 - March 6 - 12:08 am

  I purchased this vehicle for my business Oct 2013 and could not be happier. Bought fully loaded SV with all options. I have been using full size Ford and Chevy vans for over 20 yrs in auto glass trade and the Nissans tall interior height combined with low floor make life much easier on the back. Averaging 25 mpg mixed and hitting 32 highway regularly. CVT transmission is very smooth and vehicle is sporty to drive around with little bit wider tire/rim combo 205/55/16. Factory headlights are plenty bright and wide,HID conversion not needed. Fairly quiet ride for cargo van. Great view of road especially out side glass compared Transit with 2 piece side with bar.

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  Finally green - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Carlsbad - March 5 - 3:40 pm

  Just bought our first hybrid and so far it has been outstanding. After driving a dodge durango for a few years (17 mpg on a good day) its nice to finally have a car that gives a little back. Great handling, quiet ride, smooth acceleration, and great gas mileage. Looked at other vehicles in same class, Altima won us over mostly due to its sporty styling and smooth ride. Highly recommend this car to anyone. One more thing, in your instruction manual it states that there are three instances which your engine will run automatically. They are engine warm-up, batt charging and high or low batt temp.

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  204,597 miles and going strong! - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Cheryl Boop - March 5 - 3:21 pm

  This car has been reliable for us! We bought it in Georgia (brand new) and now live in Ohio, so weve had the car in extremes of weather. Weve used it to move, to drive people around town, for work, and for play. I had to replace the air conditioning compressor this summer, and just had the exhaust system redone. But those have been the only big items maintenance-wise. I love my Versa!

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  Had to buy another one! - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Sam Vega - March 4 - 8:06 pm

  Bought the first Xterra in May of 07. Loved it so much that my wife decided to trade in her Ford for another Xterra last month. "Fun to drive" is the best way to decribe it!

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  Beware - My Murano Has Not Aged Well - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By fran31 - March 4 - 1:50 pm

  This car was great for the first 5 years. At 73,000 miles some very expensive and un warranted repairs became necessary. The drivers seat frame cracked, this necessitated replacement that cost $1300. The high pressure power steering line also went, this was a $600 repair. The transfer case associated with the CVT transmission is seeping and requires a rebuild that will cost over $2500. My Niissan service manager told me that Nissan is fully aware of each of these issues and as has published service bulletins because of the high failure rate. Unfortunately Nissan would not reimburse me for these repairs. The extended warranty on the CVC does not cover the transfer case.

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  Very disappointed - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jml20 - March 4 - 11:28 am

  My wife and I have owned and driven a 2009 Rogue, 2009 Altima, and a 2012 Rogue with no issues or problems with CVT or road noise until I traded my 2009 for the 2013 Altima. When accelerating slowly from a dead stop, a deep rumbling, vibration noise starts at about 20 mph, briefly stops as you reach 40 mph, then starts again. After 40, the rumbling continues and then the road/tire noise kicks in, which is much louder with this model. I have had the vehicle checked by my Nissan dealer several times, but the problem has not been resolved.