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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  In Love - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Sentra4me - December 20 - 7:13 am

  I love this vehicle! I have owned it now for 5 months and still love getting into it every morning. This car is such a great value for all that it comes equipped with. I was looking for the bells and whistles and found it in this vehicle. CVT did take a little getting used to. I am 50 and found this car to fit me perfectly. It also fit my 62 brother-in- law when riding in the BACKSEAT. Good driving visibility. Looks small from the outside but is extremely roomy on the inside. Easy to use bluetooth and great with iPhone. Husband enjoys driving my vehicle and is really impressed with the ride & comfort. Owner of a BMW rode with me then stated "WOW! What kind of car is this?"

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  Perfect Commuter Car - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By Shayne Sintz - December 20 - 3:46 am

  Purchased 2000 GXE off lease in 2001 with 12K on it. Drives like a smaller car and predictable if pushed. No rattles or squeaks. Economical, but still very able to have fun with. Only had brake pads, serpentine belt, and tires replaced (now with over 85,000). Very reliable. Yup, the body style is bland, but who cares? For a car payment under $240/mo to own, you simply cannot beat it. Plan to drive into the ground (150- 200K+ miles). The A/C is cold and other climate conrols are fine. Literally, the only complaint may be that the e-brake handle protrudes into leg room on larger drivers. Id recommend to anyone looking for a well built commuter car on the cheap.

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  Awesome Fun Factor - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By ZMan - December 19 - 4:46 pm

  I bought my Z about 6 months ago, and this is my eleventh Z car since high school.....is also the best. Hot looks, great handling, AC/Heat very good, gets LOTS of compliments everywhere I go. Especially for the price, this car is a bargain.

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  So far so good, but MPG is way off - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By kelcon - December 18 - 1:12 pm

  We did countless hours of researching crossovers, compared all of the models and test drove a few. We fell in love with the Rogue after seeing the redesign and learning about all of the great standard safety features for such a reasonable price. We are going from a Prius to this, so the promised 29-33 MPG was a big selling point. Unfortunately... I have yet to get more than 25 MPG! (I bought the FWD version instead of the AWD to keep the MPG at the higher end... we are quite disappointed. We are hopeful that it will improve, but so far very disappointed.)

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  I have now had 2 Altimas, Great Car, Great Value! - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By JD - December 18 - 7:20 am

  I guess that I take what others say with a huge grain of salt. Having owned 2 Altimas (and my parents have owned 3) I can say that they are great cars and weve never truly had any issues. In fact, my mother swears by them as she has been rear-ended 2 times in her vehicles and walked away with no issues. I have owned Toyotas and can never get truly comfortable in their cars--but Nissan/Infiniti, I can always find a comfortable driving position. My wife owned an Accord, and after purchasing her Nissan Rogue and riding in my Altima, she will never go back to Honda again. I am truly impressed by the midyear refreshes on this 2016b Altima SL. I am glad they finally upgraded the headlights, and the navigation is MUCH better than my last model. The voice interactive software actually works better with the iPhone as well and you can access Siri through the voice controls. Even the SiriusXM interface is upgraded. AND...finally the Altima has phone control remote...the NISSAN CONNECT is ACTUALLY USEFUL this time around.

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  Big rear ends are still in fashion - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Chris - December 18 - 3:56 am

  I wasnt really liking the convertible vs. the coupe, but I looked at them anyway. I traded in my CLK-500 cab to buy a 2 seater Z. Its mostly for weekend drives, but I love it! I like it more now, than when I actually bought it. You must drive with the top down though. You will get in an accident with the top up; you cannot see a thing, whatsoever. The sad thing, is that you will never use 1st gear. In fact I think Ive used it 3 times for the 900 miles Ive put on the car. Now I know why Infinity is making a 7-speed skyline. I looked between the S-2000, Z4, and SLK models. This topped them all.

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  2003 2.5 4 cylinder Altima - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By bclark_1 - December 18 - 3:36 am

  This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. I feel I got scammed. The engine used oil from the day I bought it, with only 33,000 miles. The massive oil consumption only got worse. I took it to the garage and was told the catylatic converter had fell apart and went into the engine causing it to destroy the engine. I was informed this is a common problem with this vehicle, due to the recall on the sensor that causes this to happen. Obviously this is a factory defect. I contacted Nissan to make them aware of my problem and received no reply. Be aware of this problem.

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  2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 S - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Nigil Ramotar - December 17 - 11:16 am

  I have owned my Altima for just under 2 years. Bought new. It is a great car, and good value IF you are someone who holds on to cars for a long time (6+ years). The car has 25,000 miles now and I havent had any mechanical or electrical problems with the car. Only 1 recall so far (hood latch). My Nissan dealer gave me 3 years free maintenance when purchased, so I have spent very little on maintenance costs so far. The car drives well, it is a more sporty drive than an Accord or Camry, but doesnt feel as "refined" as the Accord. The best thing about the interior are the front seats, they are very comfortable. Great gas mileage, I do about 90% city 10% and average 31 mpg in summer, 29 mpg in winter. A month after I purchased the car, we took it on a 3,000 mile road trip (Chicago>Orlando>New Orleans>Chicago), for the entire trip we averaged 66 mph, including stopping, in-town driving, etc. and averaged 39.2 mpg (650+ miles/tank of gas), also got the car up to 100 mph and I must say it was fairly easy for this 2.5 engine. The CVT transmission takes some getting used to if you have not drvien a car with CVT before, but you will realize that the car is simply doing what its supposed to do. CVT is the future of the automatic transmission, and the CVT on this generation Altima is much better than the previous gen (my last car was a 2012 Altima). The only negative I have about this car is the resale value is very poor, especially when compared with the Accord and Camry. I wouldnt buy this car new, but look for one that is 2-3 years old. Still highly recommended.

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  Awesome truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Stan - December 17 - 3:46 am

  Test drove the Frontier & Tacoma, went with Nissan. This is an awesome truck. Style,comfort and man does this truck have balls. Step on this gas pedal & you wont be disappointed! Handles great at 25mph or 90mph. This truck is a must test drive if you are buying new! My last truck was a Ford Ranger, the Frontier puts it to shame. Nissan has taken a giant step forward!

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  Altima CVT Transmission Problems - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Oblique - December 16 - 2:16 pm

  Ironically what attracted me to the Altima besides its styling was the CVT (Continuously Varible Transmission) which is a new style automatic with a belt inside instead of gears. It is smooth but not reliable or durable. After just 55,000 miles the transmission began to act up on warmer days especially in stop and go traffic. The dealer just said, "oh that cant happen. They reset the check engine light and charged me to replace the fluid (60K service) and the very next week it got worse, check engine light on all the time. They spent 5 hours telling me a new transmission would be covered under the extended warranty. I am trading this troubled CVT Altima in on a HONDA Accord! CYA, CVT!