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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  titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By bbhmf - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Love the truck,exhaust noise a little to much.Steering wheel wobbles occassionally over tracks? A pillars way to fat. Electronic throttle to jerky.

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  good suv - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By ewaller - November 22 - 10:00 am

  great suv i will buy another one looking forward to the 2005 great for work or play

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  My 2nd Opinion from review 5/29/03 - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By WdnUlik2no - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I got tired of the car so I sold it to a private buyer. The 04 Maxima is a very powerful car, it has smoked a lot of cars that have challenged it. This car is just has fast if not a bit faster than my 01 Mustang GT. The sound system is a great one for one coming right out of the factory. The leather seats are ok, but nothing compared to luxury models. The interior which I liked at first got old real fast. My biggest gripe is the FWD which causes a lot of torque steer when flooring it. If you never had a FWD be warned, its a totally different ride. I should have gotten the G35.

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  One Hot Auto - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Blue Ram - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Altima is a fun car to drive, the first week I had it we took a little four day trip down through West Virginia. The Altima performed great on those narrow, curvey roads. I just love the auto but may not get to drive often as my wife has taken it over. HaHaHa

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  Great All Round Car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By S vess - November 22 - 8:44 am

  I bought this can back in June and now have approximately 7000 miles on the car, I am very impressed with the overall ride, comfort, and gas mileage of the car. This is the first new car I have ever owned (that I personally drive all the time) and I am 60 years old. The brakes on the car are outstanding and I bought the technology package with the car so I can use my iPod. I drove several different cars when traveling on business and quickly found that this was the car I liked best out of all the different cars that I had rented. The CVT transmission makes the car great to drive on a long trip and in the mountains it will climb steep grades without all the down shifting that you normally see with other cars. So far I have averaged 38-39 MPG on my daily drive to work (50 miles total mostly interstate driving). CVT can be somewhat jerky when in stop and go traffic at times but other than that the CVT is very impressive for the performance and the MPG I get. The car will comfortably seat 4 adults and the trunk size is great for a trip. Only a few things concerns me about the car, the sheet metal is very thin and it would not take much to make a ding in the sheet metal. The motor rattles when it is first started after sitting for a period of time, I believe this is due to the type of lifters they used and the very light weigh oil used in the car. I plan on changing over to 10-W30 at the next oil change since I don’t live in a cold weather area. Once the car is hot the problem goes away, I have been a technical type of guy (electrician/mechanic) my whole life and I am not overly concerned at this point. These problems are not a major issue but in fairness I thought they should be mentioned. I highly recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a great all round car.

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  Maxin - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By iceprinzes - November 22 - 7:50 am

  I purchased this just before taking a road trip roughly 1200 miles round trip. This car is perfect, every where I go someone was asking me what it was. I got the white SV Sport Package. The leather seats are to die for and the pick is just outstanding. Another thing that I love about this car is when taking off from a full stop and punching the gas peddle I dont have to grab onto the steering wheel to control it. I live in the suburbs of DC and have only seen one other 09 on the road. I love this car!! Oh by the way this is my 3rd Maxima and 4th Nissan.

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  Great "Full Size" Truck - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By TitanSteve - November 21 - 11:06 pm

  I purchased my Titan a month ago and have enjoyed driving it every single day. I drove the F-150, Dodge Ram 1500, and the new Chevy Silverado before driving the Nissan. I felt the Nissan had the most power, most rear seat room, was very comfortable, and had many features the other 1/2 ton trucks didnt even have (power rear window WITH defroster, side lock box, utili-trac bed, self damping tailgate, extendable tow mirrors, and more). The interior is comfortable. The power seems endless. The Rockford stereo sounds great, and I love the killer exhaust note that some complain about (no need for aftermarket exhaust!). Over all the Titan is a very versatile truck for the money and fun to drive.

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  Love my car but... - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By msl60 - November 21 - 7:29 pm

  I love my sentra its the color I want the design I love and the gas economy I need. Although my car is 8 months old the transmission went out on it and is being replaced. I hope this is all I run into for quality of the build of this car. Lemon law says I have 18 months or 18,000 miles so hopefully this is the only issue with the car.... I am looking for other issues these 2013 Sentras may have as well to have them checked out before it happens .. I did see the stalling issue which I shall address at the dealership.

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  BAD RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Trina - November 21 - 7:10 pm

  Purchased in 2005 at 110,000 miles the radiator fluid leak into the transmission without any warning nor is it included in the service repair to change. To no end Nissan will not accept responsibility of a faulty radiator design. I am not the first and the last with this same problem. I will never buy another Nissan! Consumer relations stated they will not accept responsibility and states the warranty of their radiators go out at 36,000 miles.

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  Loved My Nissan - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Michael - November 21 - 6:16 pm

  I purchased this 200SX new from dealership in CA. Moved home to NC and drove all the way. In 8 years I put 200K on this car. Other than normal maintenance, the alternator was the only thing I ever replaced. I gave this car to my sister 2 years ago and shes still driving. Im convinced if it has lasted her 2 years, I could have driven it 10 more. She only knows how to pump gas and drive. I regret the day I parted with this car. Im searching for another today. I am a Nissan fan, with 3 others in my drive.