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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  Bad Ride - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Ken Simpson - April 21 - 2:00 am

  Sold "Z" within months of purchase. I have owned three Nissan "Z" machines and this one had the worst ride of them all. Like one of those old Chevy Corvets.

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  A perfect start - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By jekyll137 - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Two years and 20K Mi and it has been great! My wife has a civic VP and she is always taking MY CAR! I have the SE Model and it has tons of gitup-N-Go. This is a great value for someone looking to get into their first car or just tring to find something to get around town with. Only 1 time for a recall, it was done in ten minutes. The biggest downside of this car is that the back seat is only big enough for my two Jack Russell Terriers, My 6 foot tall friend hates it because he is always kneeing me in the back of the chair. Other than that I love it, it was affordable, and its "peppy." I would reccomed this to anyone, and have!!

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  The car that would not die - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By sloemoe - April 18 - 11:30 am

  Ive put over 200,000 miles on my Altima and its still runs great. My wife owns a 1998 Altima with 90,000 miles on it and it also solid. Ive had to replace the drivers side visor in both several times because it is connected by cheap plastic. This is the great choice for anyone wanting to get out from under a gas guzzler and still get a dependable car.

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  Fuel Economy suffers - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By volsfan16 - April 17 - 5:10 am

  I traded a 2005 Maxima for a 2007 Maxima. The fuel economy was rated the same so I didnt think anything about the CVT affecting it. However this 07 Maxima operates at 25% higher RPMs than my 2005 Maxima did. It also gets 25% less MPG than my 2005 Maxima did. Traveling on the interstate at 70MPH, I get about 23MPG and the RPMs are turning at 2500. In town driving yields gas mileage similar to my V8 full-time 4WD vehicle. Tried consumer affairs to see if this was something that should happen and they were of no help at all. Received a form response that didnt even attempt to answer my question. Also, the CVT is not nearly as responsive as the old transmission.

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  new - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By hawaiian - April 17 - 4:56 am

  Just picked up this van and i think its a good deal. Nissan did a good job keeping this design fresh until the new 2003 model appears (rumored anyway) The interior is a big improvement over the old model and the size perfect for in-town/parking garages. The Nissan P/up, Altima, and Sentra I had were all reliable and never gave me any problems.

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  Honest review - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By rye3 - April 16 - 3:11 pm

  I just wanted to make a honest review from first hand experience. Bought this car brand new in 2001. First problem I had was a flat tire with but that was a easy fix. I had the oxygen sensor fix, ECU unit replaced all under warranty with about 60,000 miles. At 130,000 miles had the rack and pinion replaced due to leaking. Stuck at the park gear and using the shift lock to release to other gears. Currently have 148,000 miles and still going. The paint on the hood is fading away. Its a 9 year old car. Will have to replace the timing belt soon. I tend to loose power going up hills. Hopefully reach the 200,000 miles. Other than that a reliable car.

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  Unimpressed - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By TVTech - April 16 - 10:00 am

  First time owning a Nissan. Size of the car is perfect, great for parking in the city, but handling is unremarkable and has been in the shop too many times. O2 sensors all replaced twice already and have had ECM module replaced twice. Ride too stiff and car severely jolts even at small potholes. Hitting larger ones feel like the car will shake loose. Too much road and air noise. Fuel economy does not meet expectations. Test drove 2004 and found the same stiff ride. Very disappointed, probably wont buy another one.

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  95 Pathfinder is dependable - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By bill7 - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I have owed my 1995 Nissan Pathfinder for just over 9 years. I have owed 7 different brand vehicles (BMW, SAAB, Toyota, Chevy, GMC, Mazda, and Ford) and it, by far, has been the best quality and dependable vehicle I have owed (a close second was the Toyota owned). I intend to drive it until it stops, which by the way it is running, will be a while.

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  For the $ its hard to beat - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By MarkDriver - April 15 - 9:36 am

  I was trying to decide between a 2002 Accord or a Civic EX. Having owned preludes and accords in the past it seemed the way to go... until, on a fluke, I test drove the 02 SE-R. What a value for $17,500! It had the performance lacking in the accord, and the difference between the SE-R and the Civic is night and day. Value is apparent in that the SE-R comes standard with side molding, fog lights, spoiler, real rims. For the same price, the Civic EX gives you HUB CAPS of all things!!!

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  2001 Nissan Frontier - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By thedevilsadvocate - April 15 - 12:30 am

  This truck is rock solid - it was designed to work. The larger Frontiers are for play, this truck is entirely for utility. The gas mileage wasnt bad at about a consistent 22 mpg; I used it as a student commuter or to haul my motorcycles. I never had a single mechanical issue with this vehicle (I logged 60,000 miles!). The engine is very easy to work on (I used to be in mech.engineering), insurance is dirt cheap and the body panels are easily recoverable from eBay at decent prices. This truck is much like a Lego set if you ask me.