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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  Fun car---few problems - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By nocrv4me - February 24 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive...it handles really well off-road and on mud/dirt. I have had a few problems with the quality...I think my speakers are blown in the back- -and I am supposed to have the "premium package." Also, the centerpiece of my wheel (hard to explain)has come off, and I hear things that rattle when I drive???? The dealer is fixing these problems, and I have to say that the customer service has been great.

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  I love my new truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Eflesher - February 23 - 10:20 pm

  This is my first pickup truck. I looked at a Titan and it was just too big for my needs. I live and work in the city, but snowboard, mountain bike, and haul around kids, dogs, stuff. This truck is a lot of fun to drive and feels really solid.

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  Great car and fun to drive - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By dinola - February 23 - 2:56 am

  The car is fun to drive and it definitely gets s lot of looks. Even though the car almost five years old it still has a great style. The engine sounds is awesome. I have had few problems with the car except for having to replace the convertible top becasue it was cracking. Fortunately that was under warranty. The other problem has been the tires and the air pressure indicators. I had to replace the tires at 24,000 miles ($1100). The tires are quite pricey. But the most bothersome item is the air pressure indicator. They seem to be on a lot. The dealer has replaced a few of them over the years. But they seem to be always going on and the dealer is the only one that can turn it off.

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  Great SUV, good value, poor stereo - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By tomportland - February 22 - 10:35 pm

  Good, strong SUV. Engine has great performance. Mileage within expected range. Was able to get it for about $5000 under sticker. Stereo is low quality. Sound is horrible--which explains the lack of an Aux input even in the S"S model.

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  Oil consumption - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By april - February 21 - 11:56 pm

  I have had my altima (2.5 special edition package) since Mar. 2006. Loved it until I started to hear engine noise with only 4,000 miles. Per Nissan, they expect 87,000 altimas to have oil consumption defect where you have to get your oil checked every 700 miles. This problem led to me having to get a new engine with 5000 miles. Thank goodness for warranty!

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  Love but ? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By cvb8 - February 21 - 3:59 am

  Problems seems to be popping up. First time I had a car stop behind me when backing up...accident since no warning. Next, back up screen showed electrical waverings and passenger air bag lit up. Passenger door whistles and sounds as though something is open when not. CD player only holds ONE disc at a time (bad, bad) and recently when I did a phone call while CD was playing and ended it, a message saying No USB connection) Lastly (for now) the car slips into neutral at 35 mph and has to be shifted from drive to neutral and back to drive. Probably should have bought another Honda Accord since it seems Nissan, though has great styling, conveniences and good gas mileage, has many "bugs"

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  no problems here - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By augie - February 21 - 2:23 am

  I bought our 1997 Pathfinder new in 1998. Got a good deal on it. As our spare vehicle we only drove it about 4,000 miles a year the first 8 years. That all changed when our daughter started driving. She doubled the mileage in 3 years. It has had the normal things replaced/repaired. The A/C evaporator is the biggest so far. Im very comfortable with our daughter driving it full time. It has to be inspected next month and if we get bad news we may look around at some other SUVs. We cant afford another Pathfinder. That Hyundai 10 year 100,000 power train warranty is looking pretty good.

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  Awesome Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Nealy27 - February 20 - 3:40 pm

  This car is awesome! First time I drove it I didnt want to park!!! I test drove several other competing cars ( Mazda6, Camry, Honda) and there the Altima. Performs great and is alot of fun to drive.

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  Commuter Car Supreme - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Hoho - February 19 - 5:13 pm

  I got sick of driving my BMW 325 in the snow, and then got sick of fixing my Volvo, so I sucked it up and bought a commuter car. I have always been a fan of Nissan reliability -- have had several over many years. I now drive 25k a year. I have put 34k on this car, and it runs the same as the day I bought it. There was a minor vibration at 3000 RPM that was easily repaired (air conditioning insulation was vibrating). I have done all the scheduled maintenance. I recommend that. I am of the mind set that if this car is maintained correctly, it will last a long time. Is it fun to drive like a Euro car? NO! But it is reasonably quiet, handles okay, and slow as molasses. Overall I am happy.

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  I like my 2014 Nissan Versa Note 5 Speed - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By tim226 - February 18 - 5:10 pm

  I am in outside sales and drive about 49,000 miles per year. I selected Nissan because the dealer is very close to my home. I wanted an economy car with good gas milage and I wanted a stick. The 2014 Versa Note is a nice looking, professional enough, economy car. First, the EPA gas mileage puts it in the low 30s combined. I am averaging about 38 MPG combined, which does include a lot of interstate, but also in town and awesome TN Backroads. I like the 5 speed, which gives me great control. ANOTHER GREAT FEATURE, the Versa Note has a computer driven feature that allows the engine to maintain a safe speed on a steep mountain decline. This is an awesome feature.