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:

• 

  Love the car - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By bevdon - January 7 - 4:53 am

  We looked at all the boxy suvs, the styling of this car is wonderful. There is a lot of room, both for passengers and cargo when you need it. We like the transmission, so quiet. Just drove it from Tucson to Seattle with no problems and appreciate the power. Nissan seems to have asked all the right questions to determine what features potential buyers would like..... and then incorporated them all very nicly in this suv.

• 

  THE PATH IS BACK! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By GASTURBO1 - January 7 - 4:10 am

  Simply the most impressive Pathfinder yet. I never caught on to the previous model due to its somewat conservative and station-waggonish looks, (no offense to those who own one) especially when I had the privilege to own a 92 model (remember those?). I dont believe there should be a thin line between cars and SUVs, and the new Pathfinder takes care of that real well. The features I was most impressed with, besides the new design, were the third row of seats and the 4.0 V6 engine. I like most everything about the Pathfinder, although it feels a bit tighter than my Trooper. I guess Nissan sacrifced a few inches of space between the front and the middle row of seats to accommodate a third one

• 

  Solid Crossover SUV - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Vince B. - January 7 - 12:53 am

  This is a solid crossover. Its not super fancy or a high-performance car, but its not intended to be either. The ride is smooth and the SL premium features are convenient. I like the bright headlights and fig lights. This is a good vehicle for someone that wants AWD and an SUV feel while still getting decent fuel mileage and car- like handling.

• 

  Too many issues, now dealer wont fix, Nissan of Folsom problems - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By stever343 - January 6 - 5:44 pm

  Everything was going pretty good until about 50,000 miles. I am getting a pulsating when letting off the gas, and a rough idle when cold. The 12 v outlet quit working. I brought it back to Future Nissan of Folsom, and they replaced the head! Thankfully I had the Nissan extended warranty, but they wouldnt allow me a rental, even though the extended warranty covers one! I get it back, idle is rough, bring it back, they say the reprogrammed it per some bulletin. The next morning, the idle is as rough as ever. Now the service guy, Rod, who had always been so nice, changes abruptly and tells me theres nothing wrong with my car. Now they wont take my calls and wont fix my car!

• 

  Bulletproof - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Lifelong Nissan Guy - January 6 - 5:30 pm

  Original owner. 147k miles. Engine/tranny/drivetrain no problems at all. This truck has been in 6 accidents (none my fault) always kept me uninjured and today has no rattles or leaks - its as good as new. Have driven since 60k with check engine light on, no problems. Cd player has gone out twice. Everything else in excellent shape, great owner experience. Highway gas mileage really varies with speed. Keep it 65 and can get 21 mpg. Over 75 and its 17.

• 

  ultimate altima - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Mario - January 6 - 2:23 pm

  dont believe ;consumers reports bad ratings on this car,as they are bias on nissans, ive been driving for 50 years and had over 16 cars and by far this is the best car that ive ever driven..thanks,nissan

• 

  Fun car, not a family car - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By Benjamin Reddoch - January 6 - 8:40 am

  The 370Z although getting long in the tooth, having been a capable competitor of the Mustang GT, and early reintroduced Camaro has fallen behind and between. The current iterations of those previous competitors have surpassed the Z but the baseline version of those cars still fall behind the Z. This leaves the Z in a weird place it cost about the same as those improved cars, but lacks the refinements those cars received with their respective updates. I owned a 300Z during my early college years and loved it, the gauges, the performance, the looks there Z captured my attention. When the 350Z made its triumphant return to America I was intrigued, the performance and look checked two boxes on my checklist, the interior felt so cheap and bad that I left the dealer disgusted. I dont know how people justified the price when you were being sold an interior that Kia, or Hyundai wouldnt put on their cars because it was too cheap. So I waited, then the 370Z came along, the performance improved, the interior was incredible (compared to the 350z). The only problem I proudly was driving an MKV GTi, so I waited, once I had the money, and driven my faithful GTi to 100k miles, I could justify the swap. I bought my 370Z, the trim, color and options I wanted, found one on the next largest town over and argued all Saturday until a price was met all sides could accept. I am tall, 61" 185#s and fit in the car fine, admittedly I push the seat as far back, as low and tilted back as it will go and fit snugly. The steering wheel only adjust in height, telescoping would be nice but is not included. The radio is very basic, it has Bluetooth for calls, and if you hook your USB to an iPhone, it will let you play music as well. The climate controls are straightforward and given the cars extremely small cabin work effectively it takes little time to warm or cool. The rear hatch is not for storage, you can fit a couple small pieces of luggage for a weekend getaway but this car will not help you move from one apartment to another let alone a house (of you dont mind moving 1 box at a time maybe... No just rent a truck if you need to move stuff) I would never suggest anyone visit Nissan of Boerne in San Antonio, the sales rep and manager will leave your very angry, I disclosed these concerns with their customer care and am happy I have many dealers I can visit instead of them. If you only want performance, the Z isnt your car, its great but needs an update, if you want looks, performance, and only 2 seats then try a Z, the smile I had test driving it I still put on every day that I continue to drive it.

• 

  Incredible car!! - 2015 Nissan GT-R
  By jhanover - January 6 - 6:26 am

  So Ive been wanting to buy a GTR since I first drove one back in Gran Turismo on the PS1 when I was just a teen. Lucky me, Godzilla came to the U.S. in 2008 and they thankfully havent changed it that much over the years! So I finally got my chance to buy my brand new GTR about a week ago. Its my dream car! It is incredible, its got incredible power, prowress and comfort. Dont be frightened by auto journalists weenies. This thing rides like a pussy cat on the prowl. Not jarring or rough. If you want a Japanese supercar, this is it.

• 

  Stay Away from these SUVs - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Icewarped - January 6 - 4:23 am

  I purchased the pathfinder based on previous years reliability. Google "Pathfinder Transmission" or search Edmunds discussion groups. The transmission cooler in the radiator will leak, causing anti- freeze to enter into your transmission fluid. With 70,000 miles I need a new radiator and transmission. (Warranty good up til 60K) Interior plastic is very cheap (rear cupholders broke). Squeeks everywhere Just a poorly engineered and built vehicle. Whoever the engineering team is responsible for this transmission cooler design should be beaten with blunt instruments. This will be my last nissan product. Im selling this to purchase an older american made truck (2002-2004).

• 

  08 Sentra Um Not so good... - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Eric - January 6 - 4:00 am

  I have had my Sentra for a little over 2 years now. At first, I thought it was a great car. It seems a little wimpy as I have had other 4cyl cars with more guts. The factory tires wore out after 15,000 miles and it seems like there isnt a shop that can do a proper alignment on it. It tracks to the left and when braking at highway speeds, the steering wheel shakes bad. The interior looks cool, but isnt built with the highest quality. I would not recommend this car to anyone. The only good thing about it is the gas mileage. I get 31.5 mpg on average.