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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  The good and bad.... - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By 1 Nut - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Now Ive been drooling over the XTerra for a couple years now so it was a dream come true to finally purchase this vehicle. Everything is like I thought it would be. For one thing I drive hard and rough. I love to go off- road, and this is what its made for. This thing is just a blast for me to play with. On the road driving is decent, cant complain. It takes a while for it to get up to top speed, but that something I can deal with. The MPG is insanely low. I average about 14 MPG, and thats just not right, but I deal with it. Comfort it great for the front seats, but in the back Im not to sure.

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  Only had it a month but I love it. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By jjg - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Being a gadget lover, this car more than meets my expectations. Ive spent my first month of ownership trying to test all the features - so far, so good and I still have things to test. Ive also been very impressed because, so far, I have nothing for the dealer to correct when I take it in for its first service.

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  Not so bad but can ask for more - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By Thomas - November 14 - 7:16 am

  Ive had my Altima for a little over a year now and its been fairly reliable, no major concerns so far. About the rattling hub caps, I bought a set of aftermarker hub caps and they make funny noises as well! Turning radius is horrible. You cant make a tight U-turn to save your life. Gas mileage is okay, all interior features are easy to read and use and the car rides smoothly. The stereo system is good too. Its a good value for the money.

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  If you live in the Mountains READ THIS - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Bob - November 13 - 7:36 pm

  So far not too many issues with this car. The car was a great price for what you get. The mileage is a bit less than expected. We live in a place some would call "off the beaten path" so I do have one major issue. The CVT is NOT designed for mud, snow or mountain driving. This is the first car Ive owned with the CVT and will be the last. A belt drive should be left for flatlanders, ATVs and snowmobiles. When you try to back over a small snowbank or rut you must gun it or you will burn the belt. This type of transmission requires some momentum to properly engage and that is not always an option.

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  Used Maxima - Good Experience - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By FredoinSF - November 13 - 7:16 am

  I bought the 2000 Nissan Maxima after being a loyal BMW follower for several years. So far I have not had any major issues. The car rides well, is very roomy, and very comfortable. I wish it handled as well as the BMW in the twisties and had a smoother and more direct shifting manual transmission though. Given the price that I paid for the Maxima, these are minor complaints. More concerning is the turning radius - I think a school bus cuts corners better. Nonethless, this is a great car for commuting and road trips. I would buy another Nissan product in a heartbeat . If I had to replace the Maxima today, I would have an Infiniti G35 in the garage. Its faster, handles better, and turns like a car instead of a truck.

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  Hmm - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By snowfish - November 12 - 10:56 am

  Well I have had the car for about 2 months now. There are a lot of things I like and some I dont. I traded in a fullsize truck for this car, so getting used to the smallness off the interior, and the low ground clearance has been tough. Also the lack of comfort and the road noise. I live in Alaska so some of the roads arent smooth. I do however like the gas mileage. I am getting a little more than 550 mi. On a tank. Thats mixed. The interior fabric is cheap ultra suede. Cannot be cleaned! I dont like the cheap plastic interior. For the price it should be much nicer. Am not totally happy with the car and find myself wishing for something else.

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  Something not mentioned - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By driver - November 12 - 2:33 am

  The fuel economy is tied to the battery efficiency, and the battery efficiency is highly ambient temperature dependent. I found that below 35F I get 35 mpg as rated, worse if very cold. However above 70F I can do mid-40 mpg on the same commuting trip. My best record is ~49 mgp. That said, economically it becomes a gray area to get this hybrid if you live in a cold region and drives mostly highway, a plain Altima may come out more economical. Another thing is this car uses synthetic oil! It was such a sticker shock with my first oil change. Factor this extra cost in for a thorough car purchase evaluation.

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  fair - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Bob Turner - November 11 - 1:17 pm

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  Great Truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Bruce - November 11 - 12:43 pm

  I have driven this little truck for 98000 miles with no problems. One set of tires and windshield wipers. Nothing else. Great in the sand at the beach. Has some issues puling and seems to be a little gutless on hills or with a big load and gets about 19 miles to the gallon. Not great but this little truck is as dependable as they get. I even push a little snow in the winter.

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  So far so good - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By prodigy1 - November 11 - 3:14 am

  We have a 2013 sentr sr with 600 miles. So far everything seems fine. A couple of things Ive noticed is the cvt transmission takes a lot to get use to. Its either slowing down or speeding up. It just took time to get the feel for it and learn the cvt. the Mpgs are okay. I drive about 8 miles a day and Im getting 250 miles a tank. Im sure on the highway Ill get the full 350-400 miles my wifes gets. The performance is blah which is to be suspected, its not a sports car. I like it for what it is. I liked it more then the corolla I test drove and more then the civic. You get more bang for the buck with the Sentra in my opinion. I will update later.