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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  Not Bad - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Tim B - May 1 - 10:00 am

  Got 24,500 miles and one front end accident, and car is still kicking. When I bought the car it had the wrong speedometer in it. Got the speedometer swapped after complaining. The car is smoth handles great, and is fast. Still I think it is over priced but no one can tell that mine is not the fully loaded sv model. I got a good deal on it

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  Update on third Rogue - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By twowhldoug - May 1 - 10:00 am

  This us our 3rd Rogue. 2008 AWD was very noisy. 2009 was a lemon, Nissan could not fix it. Dealer helped us into 2010. So far this one has had none of the problems of the 2009. It has averaged 29 MPG all around driving. The trans is still noisy (as all are).The seats are good We take a lot of road trips (last week 2,983 mile trip). Fuel gauge is wacky (as all are). Disappointed that this 2010 has no in mirror compass. Would we buy a 4th? Cant say for sure (due to the way Nissan Company treated us with our 2009). But the dealer will have our biz for sure.

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  Great for the price - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Joe - April 30 - 9:43 pm

  Beside the bolts on the tie rodes not tightened resulting in a trip back to the dealership and the light always going on for the low tire pressure, I really like this truck. The gas mileage is about 11.5 mpg which I dont think could get any worse. But it is a truck and it is very user-friendly and the ride is great.

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  Goku - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Nissan Man - April 30 - 2:33 pm

  Truck runs great has lots of power and also handles very well foe a truck

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  Very Happy so far! - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Harleycag - April 28 - 2:30 am

  Ive had my 2010 Rogue for a week...and I LOVE IT! I bought a base model with the 360 package...definitely worth it! I added heated leather seats, Bluetooth and remote start...all for under $2000, which still brought the sticker price of this car in well under $26K. LOVE the CVT...drives smooth, no transitioning of gears. Ive yet to drive in the snow, but am hopeful from all the reviews Ive read. The 4 cylinder is powerful enough for me, but Im a "chick" and was told that the 4 cyl. is a "chick car" because of that, lol. It is a quiet and smooth ride...which after owning a Subaru Forester is a nice change!

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  Has been a decent car - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By greg_m - April 26 - 4:30 pm

  My dad was the original owner of this car and sold it to me in 2003 w/about 135,000 miles on it. Its a pretty quick car for only being a 4 cyl., but the gas mileage isnt all that great either. When I was putting mostly highway miles on it traveling to work, I think I only averaged about 22 or 3 mpg. The engine still runs nice at 170k miles, but it has always had an oil leak. Ruined a distributor and an alternator. Got the seal fixed once, but now it leaks again.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By j - April 26 - 11:06 am

  Great SUV, mine has 74k on it and I pound on it. Everything in my car is original except the tires which wore down at 65k. Still on original brakes battery and everything else. Drives more like a truck then a car. Interior is well laid out and I haul a lot of stuff to sports tourneys etc. Never had a real problem (knock on fake burlwood). Great ride and reliable, only annoyance is the constant problems with the tire pressure sensors (o ring is too small and tears causing a small leak whenever it gets cold). Fuel economy stinks, 15mpg no matter how I drive.

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  Just upgraded - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By S.J. - April 26 - 2:00 am

  97 SE to a 03 LE. The added horsepower is great. Truck is 2 weeks and it needs a new power sunroof motor. Otherwise, the overall design and features of the LE model are well worth the price, invoice that is. Gas mileage could use some improvement but its an SUV what did you expect. Our final decision came down to the Pathfinder vs. the Lincoln Aviator. The Aviator had all the bells and whistles, but its still a Ford product and resale value compared to a Nissan will make you realize that eventually. I would definitely recommend this truck if you are looking for a reliable vehicle thats fun to drive and holds its value.

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  Bigger is better - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By heliumarm - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Have owned Tahoes,Suburbans and a Sequoia. The Armada is an improvment.It has nice power but the trans shifting is vague. Ride and handeling are above avg. for something this big. Interior is comfortable enough but has lots of plastic. Bring your Exxon card,its thirsty, 13 1/2mpg. Great storage and cup holders. I wish Bridgestone had Revo tires this size.

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  Frontier Review - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By stratamite - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I like this Truck alot. It is not the smoothest ride out there, but it does alright. Gas milage bites! A little over 200 miles on a 13 Gal. tank. It is very reliable and starts well in cold weather. It loves the winter driving! Id recomend the Fontier.