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:

• 

  Best car for 10 years of ownership - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By BSR - November 18 - 1:16 pm

  This car has been great for 10 years!! I drove this car on the east coast when I had to travel for my job. It was comfortable, had great acceleration, and gas mileage. I now have 192K miles on it. I havent had any major problems with the car. I hope Nissan has built a comparable car the last few years when it comes to reliability

• 

  Almost perfect - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Gary Knowlton - November 18 - 12:30 pm

  I dont drive my 2005 Nissan Murano much, so I am experiencing low gas milage. I have had this vehicle for almost a year and still only have 4,000 miles on it. It drives like a sports car, but gives me the utility of an SUV. I moved from a Honda Pilot to the Murano for the performance and handling. I like it a lot, and am waiting for a chance to take a long trip so I can see if the gas milage goes up. The Murano is also very quiet on the road, and a great touring vehicle. It sits just high enough to give the driver a good view of whats going on around you, but low enough to be very aerodynamic. I keep looking for things I would have done different, but they have done everything right.

• 

  Value Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By kzitikat - November 18 - 3:53 am

  Bought the car to drive back and forth from work. I plan on keeping it until it dies or 300,000 miles - whichever comes first. I like the ride and quality feel which isnt what I expected in a subcompact. I wish the gas mileage was better compared to my last car (my Corolla was getting 38), but I am getting between 32-34 which isnt terribly disappointing. The air conditioner is making a disconcerting grinding noise when I first turn it on. I plan to have it checked by the dealer. Otherwise the quality has been excellent. The engine in the car is not very powerful. I like to call it a sewing machine engine. It is sufficient for my usage though.

• 

  A lot of problems... - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Scott - November 17 - 4:06 pm

  I bought this car in 2006. It has about 76k miles on it at the moment. I have had a LOT of problems with this car. One time the car shut off in the middle of an intersection, cost about $500 to repair. The tires wear unevenly, the dealer said its because the tire arms went bad, and to replace everything wrong with it right now he said its going to cost over $2,000. Terrible car from a maintenance perspective, and doesnt get nearly as much gas mileage as it claims. Probably will never buy Nissan again, and I do NOT recommend this car at ALL.

• 

  Family Man Fun - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By MR. E - November 17 - 12:56 pm

  Purchased new SE as a demo with 7k miles. There werent many choices for a sporty 4 door with a manual tranny. The newly lengthened 00 was bigger than an A6 or 5xx BMW and cost much less. It has lots of legroom and the leather interior is still holding up even with two kids. After 8 years it is still fun to drive and comfy on road trips. With 100k miles I get 24/28 running 89 fuel. I drive more gently now. The exterior has held up pretty well even with occasional modifications in the parking lot. Because of the reliability, I wont consider a new Maxima to replace my 00 unless they include a FREE 100k bumper to bumper warranty.

• 

  Family Man Fun (not so much anymore) - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Mr. E - November 17 - 5:06 am

  This is a follow-up to a report from a year ago. Since then I have replaced the brake pads and rotors (again), the O2 sensors (again), and the clutch hydraulic line. And again the engine light is telling me to be prepared to spend lots of money come inspection time. Well, the die has been cast and the Maxima will have a new home by then. It will NOT be replaced by another Nissan product.

• 

  Poorly built - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By disappointed - November 17 - 1:13 am

  I should have bought the Civic. Purchased this vehicle Feb. 29, 2008. This vehicle is like a tin can on wheels. The wind noise is prominent and there are numerous rattles from doors and trim. The weather strips around the front doors are coming apart. This is not a luxury drive and the bumps in the road will confirm this; you will feel it in the seat of your pants and can be clearly heard in the cabin. Tap on the panels and trunk and you will get a hollow sound. The fuel economy is way below the advertised rating. The foot pedals are too close and any foot above a size 9 will be in for trouble. The arm rest is more like an elbow rest. This is a terrible car.

• 

  Overall best value in full-size SUV - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Bleasdell - November 16 - 2:23 am

  If you simply price compare the full- sized SUVs out there, the Armada is a clear winner in virtually every respect. It is a huge winner in terms of performance and power. The only thing that Expedition or Suburban has over the Armada is room behind seat #3. Well, Nissan clearly decided that more room between each row of seats is more important than room for stuff. And I agree with this decision.

• 

  Been an outstanding truck - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Dg - November 15 - 8:27 pm

  First off I dont write reviews, but i thought I would make an exception. I bought my 2001 ad crew cab used in 2003 with about 30k on the clock. I have it a 3 inch lift and a few other mods, fast forward to 2015 and I still have the truck, 190k now and it still gets compliments and it still runs great. I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere, in fact I still use it to go on road trips across multiple states some times towing a travel trailer, it has held up well. I thought I would write this review because Ive seen people say "Ill never buy a Nissan again" "my toyota never had problems" and that may be true, however I also have a 1990 hardbody that I bought used in 97 and it now is approaching the 300k Mark and other than 2 clutches and a timing chain, its still running great, and i also have two very good friends who both have toyotas, both with 22re and both didnt make it very far past 145k before a rebuild was in order, now Im not digging toyota, I believe they make good vehicles, and quite honestly ,thats what I originally wanted to buy, but I am far happier with my nissans. They have been super reliable, you will usually see the reviews of people who think they have been wronged somehow, and things do happen, but I have owned 4 kids and and they are very reliable. Love my frontier, its been my daily driver for 12 years,and just now the leather seat is starting to wear out, supercharger is still original. It does not leak or burn anything, the gas mileage would be my only complaint. I average 15mpg but I also have larger tires...cant say enough good things about the truck

• 

  Finally, someone built a fun car again - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Uncle Al in Md - November 14 - 7:10 am

  I waited until I made a good deal on this car before I test drove it. I was not in any way disappointed. Ive been carefully breaking it in over the past few weeks and I like it more each time I drive it. My dogs can get in the back seat easy and seem to enjoy the view when they go for a cruise. All instruments are laid out to use easily. Im going easy the 1st few thousand miles so Im doing things in stages. I like the keyless starting and all the displays. The a/c works fine and the std radio is good. I didnt get the 3 high $$ options but I did get the cheap 3 and the new homelink/compass option mirror - a great deal! Only 3 other cars in 38 years have had me so excited.