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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  1st and LAST NISSAN! - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By 1st and LAST NISSAN - December 3 - 10:30 pm

  I agree with the person who wrote, "the list of things that didnt go wrong would be shorter." this truck and Nissan corp usa can take this truck and shove it! These people charged me for a fuel-pump, oil/spark-plug change, ipdm, and a mass-air-flow-sensor, as well as a throttle position-sensor, to the tune of $6300.00, when all that was wrong at the time was a loose wire on the #2"mini-super-coil". (which they gladly fixed for free) Kraft Nissan in Tallahassee, Florida is one dealer you should pass up. I was told by Nissan corp. USA and Kraft Nissan that they had the best techs and they were right and I was wrong. I hope that $6300.00 gets them through this rough economy, they are gonna need it!

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  happy as a clam - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By pete - December 3 - 6:23 pm

  Went from a 2005 $65K E-class Mercedes to this! I just got tired of knowing my service adviser on a first name basis. This car has been great to own/drive. Its roomy for clients and has just enough performance not to let me get bored like my Accords did. I had one small interior molding issue and that was fixed in just a few hours by the dealer.

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  Nice Looking but Poor Quality - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By bdunk - December 3 - 4:03 pm

  The quality of this car is horrible. Sliding doors rattle constantly. The car has been to the dealership for numerous recalls and fixes (at least 2 weeks). The dealer offered a "Spam Can" (Nissan Sentra)as lender while car was being fixed and this is unacceptable. I will never buy a Nissan again. The extended warranty that was recently appended to this lemon of a car was nice but I would rather buy a Honda Odysey or Toyota Sienna and I would suggest you test drive each before making a final decision. In addition, dont be fooled by the posted Fuel Economy Rating (20+). Im averaging 15mpg.

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  Finally a Stand Out Sedan! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Tiok - December 3 - 3:00 pm

  I just purchased this car Jan. 7 and found out that this car really runs great with no jittering feeling when the car shifts gears thanks to the CVT. It really made a big difference. It accelerates good and has a special feature for those who were locked out of their cars. This one wont lock you out and I found out about it accidentally. Put my back pack in the trunk without knowing that my key is in one of its pockets and the trunk keep popping up everytime I tried to close it till I realized that the car key is on it. What a relief, I dont have to call a locksmith.

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  Bad Tranny - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Biggy - December 3 - 9:20 am

  We just bought this titan crew cab and it has less then 5000 miles on it and it slams into reverse. whats with that. but driving the tranny doesnt struggle at all. all its power is easily put to the tires. never had a bad shift when driving. just putting it into reverse. other than that its a great vehicle.

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  Avoid the Snetra - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By bcramer003 - December 3 - 8:29 am

  Poor acceleration and lots of road noise at highway speed. Poor material used in interior. I have had three warrenty issues and had to pay to replace brakes and rotors at 20k miles. The car has also had to be alligned twice in the first year of ownership.

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  People Need Retraining - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By badrobot - December 3 - 3:20 am

  I only heard one or two reviewers mention this car was a good value. The cars CVT takes some getting used to because it accelerates in a linear manner but overall this is a very well built car. I have owned Scion and Hondas and this cars power is just as good as a Honda and much better than a Scion. I have also owned a Kia and have had friends who own Hyundai. They are good cars until you get into a collision in them. Then they will sit in the auto body shop for at least a month while you wait for replacement parts to come from Korea. I bought a SR Special Edition Model for under 16.5K. There are none of the competitors than can match the options and accessories for this Price!

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  Poor quality Nissan Quest - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By taglarry - December 3 - 2:55 am

  I bought this van brand new in 2007. The factory tires were bald at 25,000 miles and the brakes were worn to nothing at 27,000 miles. Just after the 36,000 mile warranty expired both front armrests fell off, the front cup holder broke, both sun visor light covers broke off, and an exterior trim piece fell off while driving. At about 50,000 miles the drivers side sun visor completely broke and two of the TPMS sensors had to be replaced. I just hit 80,000 miles and both front struts and the rear shocks had to be replaced. When compared to my other cars, this Nissan Quest is a constant problem.

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  The Best Ive ever owned - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By LovedaMax - December 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is unbelievable Ive owned it for 5 months now 15k miles no problems at all. Its unbelievably fun to drive. I owned a TL before it no comparison the maxima handles better and the Engine is unbeatable. its very quite and very responsive best car Ive ever owned

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  Cant go wrong... - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By h.c. - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I cant stress enough what a beautiful car this has been. Ive put over 20,000 miles on it so far and its been a fantastic car in every respect. Great mileage, complete comfort, handles wonderfully. Not a single problem yet, I doubt any will arise soon. I get about 30mpg on highway and mid twenties (depending on driving habit) in the city. Its put to the test on Los Angeles streets and highways everyday and takes it like a champ. Great for long trips with four adults- PLENTY of room. Adult passengers in the back seat have ample leg room, without the front seats having to scooch up at all!