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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  Im still not sure... - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Sonoma Red Nissan - November 27 - 12:36 pm

  I have put about 1250 miles on my new Sentra 2.0 S, and Im still really not sure how I feel about it. If I had it to do over again, I dont think I would have bought this car. I feel like Im driving a stick, it is hard to get used to driving it, thus its very jerky. Hits bumps very hard and shaky. I do love the smallness of the car, yet roomy inside. My inside door panels immediately scratched up terribly from just my coat buttons!! I do love the buttons that show MPG and miles til empty, but am disappointed at getting just about 25.5 mpg. Dealer said it should get over 30-38, but would be higher after breaking in. When is that?? No auto locks or headlights! :(

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  Excellent Car- Great Quality - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Excellent Car- Great - November 27 - 10:23 am

  My 1996 Nissan Maxima GXE has reached a milestone. Now at 250,000 and no signs of stopping. I drive 78 to 100 miles a day for work and couldnt think of a better car to drive. Every time I think I am asking to much of the car, it just keeps on going. I have had the car since Dec 2005 at 132K, Maintenance has averaged about $1,500/ year (spread out over the entire year- oil changes, tire replacement, alternator, hoses, air conditioning service) Also got new shocks and struts... I usually have 1 maybe 2 major repairs a year like the alternator, struts... nothing out of the ordinary

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  Awesome Ride - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Kan - November 27 - 6:46 am

  I purchased my 2005 Nissan Quest SE 4 months ago with 7,000 miles on it...let me just say, I love it! It is great and my kids love it as well. I got the Autume Red (burnt orange) with the Burnt orange (rouge) leather with Black interior, 5 sky panels, two DVD and the list goes on, everyone that rides in it or sees it cant get over how stylish and rommy this van is. No problems at all and Awesome fun to drive. Only issue is gas mileage, wish that was a bit better, but over all 10+ rating! Very happy with it!

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  If I Could Turn Back Time - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mommaT - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoyed driving this car, right up until the transmission blew. Our gas gauge hadnt worked in a long, long time. No big deal, I just reset the mile ticker each time I filled up. But what I will NEVER understand is how a 5 year old vehicle we bought NEW at the local dealer could be worthless. We did all the scheduled maintenance, used synthetic oil, treated her well. A 5 yr old car should not need 6,000+ dollars worth of work done. This is a design flaw in the coolant system and we should NOT be on the hook for it. Nissan should be ashamed! This was the only car we had that could haul our 2 small kids and now its junk! I dont have money to fix it, and a new car is not the budget!

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  9 months later - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Michael - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I still love this car as much as the day I bought it. Over 7,000 miles now and there is only one small issue I have noticed. I tend to always drive in sport mode because the engine seems to shift better and is more responsive. When driving in automatic, especially if you floor it, the engine will stay at a high rpm as if it will not shift into the next gear. It gets annoying although the car is more fuel efficient in automatic mode than sport mode. So, that being said the car is definitely more fun to drive in sport mode. I would rate the gas mileage at or a little above average. I like to drive fast and accelerate hard, plus I always use 93 octane. It can be expensive sometimes to fill up.

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  I love my Altima! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By TN Driver - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Altima used with 17k miles on it to replace a smaller car that had been wrecked. I wasnt sure about a 4 door family sedan (always had been a "coupe" lady), but I needed something I could haul grandchildren in. It is fun to drive and I love the slightly aggressive lines. My teenage son said "Mom, this is the coolest car!" It has the 2.5l 4-cyl engine, & while the pep from the 6-cyl would be cool at times, I dont want to give up the fuel economy the 4-cyl has.

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  Great value and a lot of fun - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Tony - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Wanted V6, Leather, Bluetooth in a mid sized or slighty larger sedan. Did not include luxury sedans (Audi A4/BMW 3 series/Lexus ES/Infiniti G37/Acura). Test drove all the usual suspects (Camry, Avalon, Accord, Focus, Taurus, Mazda 6, passat, Milan, Malibu, Impala, lacrosse, and maxima). Chose the altima 3.5sr. Handles great, powerful engine, smooth transmission, loaded with options for the money. I got the premium and sport package option. Msrp was 30,195 and got it for 26,200 before ttl at end of year close out on 2010 models. I should note I have been driving Toyota Camry xle v6s for 17 years. To be honest the altima build quality is better than Toyota Camry right now in my opinion.

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  Great Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By First Timer - November 26 - 4:30 am

  This is my first Nissan and I am very impressed. Very nice features and the build quality appears to be outstanding. The ride is very comfortable. The interior has a nice fit and finish. I traded in a BMW for this vehicle and I found that the Nissan has more features and comfort. It is a very attractive vehicle inside and out. I would recommend this vehicle for those looking for a sport crossover. I could not find anything that could beat this, let alone at the price.

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  Which problem would you like to hear first? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jesteruno - November 25 - 10:45 pm

  2013 Altima Lemon. When the right blinker returns to the neutral position the left blinker turns on for about 5 flashes, confusing the car behind you. Leaves got into the AC evaporator box causing a foul odor and Nissan says this is a maintenance issue, and I should avoid parking under trees. Now let’s talk about the passenger air bag light. Apparently it’s on a sensor and depending on what the sensor reads determines whether you get to have an airbag or not. According to the Nissan Specialist, “it’s a supplemental system”. so IT determines whether you smash you face against the glass. All of these issues are "normal operation" according to them. I should have bought a Honda.

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  Loving the Versa - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By mredct - November 25 - 10:17 pm

  I have owned my Versa for about a month so far. My mileage has been about 39 mpg, so this car has been quite economical to own. My previous car, a Subaru Outback, got about 22 mpg so I am saving some dough! I took a long distance trip - driving from CT to FL in the Versa and it was so comfortable. In the past Ive had to pad seats with a pillow to make the trip tolerable, but the seats on the Versa were just right for me. The cruise control made driving so easy - all I had to do was point the car! When I ran the A/C the car still got good mileage. My average for the trip was 40 mpg. We had our first snow storm yesterday in CT and the traction control handled it like a champ.