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:

• 

  I Love My Maxima - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By General - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned and driven this car for 175,000 miles. The only repair that it needed was a starter. Ive put on two sets of brake pads (genuine Nissan) at 85k and 170k. I put new spark plugs in (genuine Nissan) at 170k also. Thats all Ive done to it besides oil changes! It still doesnt have a rattle or squeak. It sure has treated me well.

• 

  2002 Nissan Frontier XE CC 4x4 - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By BrewJeep - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Its a great little truck -- very handy. I purchased the shortbed for ease of handling offroad, but would prefer the longbed for hauling loads. Handling is very nice with less understeer than some of the competitors offerings and better ride than the Tacoma, which I also looked at.

• 

  AWD SE - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Tyler_Canada - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive put almost 2100 miles on it already, and I love it! The transmission is smooth, the engine is quiet or powerful. The handling is incredible, including in adverse weather. Eye-catching exterior design. I really enjoy the interior styling, the aluminum accents the charcoal nicely. Filled with lots of technology for the price.

• 

  Best Cross-Over SUV On The Market - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Mike995134 - November 14 - 2:00 am

  It has head-turning good looks ... all positive I might add. The interior is spacious, extremely functional, well- constructed, and has a awesome high- tech ambiance. And the seats ... well they are about the best Ive seen. Very, very comfortable. As for the mechancials ... it takes a llittle while to get accusotmed to the CVT tranny but it is sooooooooooooo smooth. And its clearly evident that there are 245 ponies under the hold pulling their own ... this things flat- out screams. I think the Jan article in a major car magazine called it the "Z of SUVs" ... and that is soooooooooooo true.

• 

  More then an SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By wbury - November 14 - 2:00 am

  We had just purchased our AWD SL Murano during the Presidents Day Weekend. That Monday we picked it up and my wife used it that evening to go to work. We had a relatively large snow storm. It was the vehicles first test for us. We owned an Explorer prior to getting the Murano, so we expected a certain amount of AWD performance. When my wife arrived home that evening from work, she was just elated how well it handled in the snow. She said it cut through the unplowed streets like butter. The ride is so car- like versus the ride we had in the explorer. We love, not to mention the head turns we get when we drive it around.

• 

  2010 LE Frontier Review - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By John P. Mundy - November 13 - 11:16 pm

  I am very pleased with my 2010 Frontier LE Crew Cab. Ive driven full sized trucks but wanted a mid size. The Frontier and Tacoma were the two I looked at. The Toyotas offer very few cabin comforts while the Nissan offers many added options. Mine has 18" tires/wheels, leather, power windows/doors, heated seats, XM radio, bluetooth. It is comfortable and has plenty of power. I am totally satisfied and happy with my truck. Id recommend anyone to purchase this truck. It rides like a full size truck.

• 

  Poor Quality - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Jason R. - November 13 - 7:16 pm

  I bought this car brand new and from the start it was full of problems. Aside from the 5 recalls that were all handled by Nissan (one of them without paying my tow bill) here is a list of many problems that my vehicle had. 1. Check engine light started to come on after the warranty expired and continued to do so very 6 months for no reason ($180 repair each time). 2. Cranckshaft sensor went out at 48K 3. Battery went out at 37K 4. Front rotors and paads needed to be replaced at 50K. 6. Rear bumper paint started to peel at 50K. 7. Power windows (front) went out About the only positive thing it had was the gas mileage and the exterior look. Very poor quality and reliability.

• 

  Versa is okay but... - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Andy - November 13 - 6:30 pm

  Ive had the vehicle for 4 months and these are the things Ive found: The vehicle gets no where near the mpg advertised, Im averaging 22 mpg. I was also told that the back seat folds flat and it does fold down but leaves a hump so large that most of the useful storage space in the rear is taken up with it. Ive also found that the vehicle is underpowered, but then it is a 1.8 L engine so I can accept that. Im hoping that my choice of a Nissan will turn out that Ive purchased a reliable car. We bought this vehicle to keep for the 3 years in the hope that in that time the fuel saving technology will have improved

• 

  Love it - 2014 Nissan Sentra
  By vlkins - November 13 - 2:06 pm

  Ive had this car for almost 6 months. It has driven me back and forth from SC to Ohio no problem. I really like the sport mode, makes the acceleration comparable to my 04 Camry I had prior. Only downfall is the aforementioned rubber band effect with CVTs. It takes a second to accelerate and get where I need to be unless I floor it, which I really dont like to do. Ive used eco mode and its been fine, no issues. There were a few times when in sport mode that the RPMs stayed fairly high while decelerating. Ive had no issues, great gas mileage and its a beautiful car inside and out. For the money I paid, Im very pleased and I got exactly what I expected for the price.

• 

  sporty suv for mom! - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By AK - November 13 - 12:56 pm

  Incredible car, fun to drive, great handling, second row seat has generous leg room, large cargo area, leather is soft and supple - added wood trim kit - very rich and warm interior, center console has spots for cell phone, change & cup holders - all hide away nicely when not in use.