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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  Fun to drive, great value - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By sharkman - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Just bought my Altima and could not be happier. Excellent build quality and features, especially considering cost of $19-22K. Have owned two previous Altimas,an Accord and a Camry and this one is MUCH bigger inside and MUCH better ride than any previous Japanese models. Buy it, love it!

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  2003 Altima 2.5SL - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Eric M - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Id highly recommend the 2.5SL over the 2.5S for the extra money. The Leather seats, Standard Bose, Wood Trim and Homelink make for a luxurious ride that easily rivals the high end Japanese brands (Acura, Infiniti, Lexus). The backseat is HUGE, your friends and family who drive in the back will definitely appreciate the roominess. The 4 Cylinder engine is perfect for the Altima, 175HP is plenty for the open road. The Altima frame stays strong at higher speeds (and the cabin stays very quiet) If youre in the market for a new sedan, I highly recommend dropping by your local Nissan and taking an Altima out for a spin, you will not be disappointed!

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  Altima-the 4 door Sports car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Redsoxfan - November 9 - 10:00 am

  It was between the accord and altima. After careful thinking I chose the silver SL altima b/c: A. The accord is too conservative B. The 6 cd BOSE system C. Price D. Reliability and recommendations from friends and family I love this car. I upgraded from the civic so going from 115HP to 175HP was great. For those of you who wrote that the interior was cheap and are complaining. WHY DID YOU BUY IT? Yes, the interior is not as high quality as say a jaguar or a Porsche but for around 22,700 it is a great buy. I love the power windows up feature, homelink, heated seats, sound system, style, and roomy interior. I love driving this car

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  One of the BEST - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By jmsworth - November 9 - 7:41 am

  This car is great, The oil everyones reporting being lost is due to a tiny rubber hose coming from the block to the oil filter, they used a cheap hose and EVERYONE has this issue. I replace it with a premium hose for about $2.99 at an auto parts store and viola, no more oil loss. My car had several performance modifications and was in the 400 hp range, 0-60 in under 4.3 sec. THE MOST SOLID CAR I EVER OWNED, I adore Japanese cars and American muscle as both are just full of potential. This maxima never went through tires, never overheated, never had ANY issues that were not product of my own doing. Most issues are due to lack of maintenance and car knowledge. Lost my Max in a car accident:(

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  Gas Mileage sucks - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By HCSD13 - November 8 - 7:53 pm

  This car is good for getting from point a to point b but anything else it lacks. You can get a better deal on a nicer suv. The car is actually not bad to drive but severely lacks in power and gas mileage. The most I have gotten in mileage on the road is 18 with cruise control at 65-70. At gas prices today, I would get another suv thats nicer even though they get the same mileage.

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  HUNK of JUNK - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By general - November 8 - 1:30 pm

  Brakes, Rattles, Wheel Alignment, Wind noise front doors just about blow off in the wind, quarterpanel Rust Through, Poor Front Seats Hard as a Rock no Side Support, Electrical Problems, Takes Months to get Parts, Have to Fight to get Warranty I am trying to get the lemon law going. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE OR ANY NISSAN JUNK. It spends more time in the shop then on the road. Nissan should be ashamed of themselves.

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  Guess what? - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By guess what? - November 8 - 9:43 am

  I have a 4x4 2006 frontier 4dr and Mitsubishi evo car how cool is that? told myself never ever buy a van. Van for Oldies. Guess what? I got married got kid on the way. I argued my wife coz she wants a van. go to nissan and got a good deal for my truck loyalty discount and a huge savings. I test drive it it was amazing run like a car smooth driving more engine power and the most important thing is it tows 3500 max better than my truck. very spacious superb design. only thing i dont like is the 2 front seats hard to lean on your back. I never thought that Ill drive a van........

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  Efficiency over Power - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By bkaiser - November 8 - 12:00 am

  I bought this truck used from an individual in 12/05 and have since put about 12,000 miles on it. Overall, I love this little truck for what it is: an inexpensive, efficient little hauler. Its not very powerful or roomy on the inside, but for a "compact" truck (of which there really arent any more, these days) it excels in many other areas. I routinely average 26 mpg on the highway (as high as 30mpg on a couple of trips) and about 22 mpg in mixed/city driving -- this is fantastic, I think, given that this is a TRUCK and not at all designed for efficiency. Ive had a few mechanical issues to deal with (front suspension bushings worn, rear shocks worn) but nothing major to date.

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  Tramission shot, engine mount broken - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Tiffany Pham - November 7 - 4:56 pm

  I owned a 1995 maxima and love it. still runable. bought 2004 and clunk noise when put in reverse to drive gear, brought to nissan dealer and diagnose front engine mount is broken (i have no car accidents)replaced it for $600, clunk noise did not go away. Brought back to nissan dealer and suggest me to replace the transmission due to "internal failure" cost me another $4000 to replace a new transmission. Reported and complained to Nissan Cooperate and waiting to hear from them. I think I got a defect transmission part and it can be a wear and tear on front mount engine when my car is only 84K on millage... very disappointed on Nissan, my whole family and husband voted out on Nissan.

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  SE 4WD - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jason - November 6 - 2:43 pm

  A bit tight in the front, but Im not on the small side either. Good ride, great appearance, and awesome stereo