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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  Sexy car - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Ashlee - November 6 - 8:46 am

  I recently passed the 100K mark on the odometer and the problems have begun :( Randomly driving one night it felt like I was not going to stop while braking, it turns out Nissan diagnosed the ABS actuator pump as "bad". $ 2200 to fix, I had just put brand new front and rear brakes, new tires x 4, and a new battery. I have taken very good care maintenance wise, and Nissan will not work with me at all. Disappointed with the car? No- I am however very displeased with Nissan and not being willing to help me despite the technical service bulletins on NUMEROUS 2005 Maxima ABS actuator pumps :( Also have have both fog lights and head lights replaced at least 3-4 times each light!!!

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  Sporty Family Sedan - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Anissa - November 6 - 8:16 am

  Bought 05 Maxima SL with GPS, Satellite, Elite Package...I tested and priced various vehicles including BMW and Lexus. The Maxima is a great vehicle for less money and exciting to drive for good old Dad. The kids love the heated rear seats and the DC connection for Laptop. The vehicle has plenty of power. I love the automatic to manual shift when I want to play.

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  Spec V - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Sharpmaxell - November 6 - 12:53 am

  This is my second Spec V and I love it. The exterior styling is better on the 02 and 03 but the performance is great. I dont really race but it certainly has plenty of get up and go either on the street or the highway.

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  Great SUV - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By William G - November 5 - 9:44 pm

  First off, the interior of the Rogue looks more like a luxury SUV than a moderately priced one. Nissan did an exceptional job here. The ride comfort is extraordinary and at highway speeds there is basically no wind noise. The only negatives for me - which are extremely minor - are: the switches to turn on the Sport and Eco modes, and the rest of these, are located in a place - lower left hand side of dashboard - which makes it difficult to see when driving. The only other thing is the map graphics for the nav system are a little dated. Other than that, I checked out a good number of SUVs in this general price segment (Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Subaru) and for y money, the Rogue blew the rest of them away. The adjustable configurations for the shelves in the hatchback area are excellent. Sometimes we carry things - like grocery bags - that are long and vertical and would have a difficult time staying vertical when driving. We just configure the back and put the shelves vertical into their holders and voila we have an area that will hold the bags tight and keep them up. We can also put the shelves horizontal and double the storage spaces back there. Fuel economy around time is not great - about 23 MPG - but highway in ECO mode we were getting 32-33 MPG easily. Since we bought the Rogue in Sept 2017 we see ALOT of them on the road, so if you dont like that then buy something else but seeing so many just confirmed for me that this is the best small SUV out there right now....

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  Best car Ever - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By James Armstrong - November 5 - 6:13 pm

  This car has been in the family for ever my Aunt bought it brand new and had no problems with it but didnt take care of it so her new husband made her get a new car. well my Uncle bought it for my Cousin and fixed all that was wrong. Well now ten years later and 142,000 i own it because my cousin got a new car to go off to college in i bought it from her for $50 and it has been worth it. just had it in to be worked on and the mechanic said its the best car he has seen in a long time he said its a great car and will be for many years. I love it never regret the purchase even though it was only $50 it is an awesome car and love it a lot

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  2000 nissan frontier - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By iphone956 - November 5 - 1:20 am

  very nice truck just bought it a year a go and has not given me problems....no oil leaks no nothing ... fun to drive .... not a fan of the windows since there manual ... but engine and trans is good

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  Great Value for the Performance - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Halwg - November 4 - 2:13 pm

  Just purchased the Maxima SL after driving Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300, Ford Five Hundred. This car is a great value for the performance and the accessories. I bought the red with tan leather...very sharp!!

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  New Truck - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By pahunter - November 4 - 1:53 pm

  Only have 170 mi on odometer. Drove home to Littleton from Greeley, CO on I-25 at 75MPH. Truck surprised me on the broken concrete with the amount of bump steer. Front end of the truck gets light and jumps all over. Wife following me in our van and I noticed swaying in the long bed when changing lanes at 75 MPH (not to severe). Other than that this truck is a pleasure to drive. I enjoy the power and solid truck feel. I bought the truck to tow my Ford Windstar while we are traveling. Surprised to find out that UHaul considers this truck too small to haul my Windstar on their tow dolly. Nissan owners manual also recommends electric braked trailer to haul anything over 1000 lbs. Recommend!

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  For the price you cant complain - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By SentraOwner2006 - November 4 - 1:06 pm

  I have owned this Sentra for more then two years. The only thing that broke so far, was the CD player. It would not play CDs. Other then that I have no problems. I generally get 31 mpg and have no problems speeding up or braking. Back seat area is cramped if the car has passengers over 6 feet all. Seats are comfortable enough but the head rest could go an inch higher. The track area is great. Engine is noisy when going over 3.5 rpm. Overall I am very happy with the car and would purchase another Sentra.

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  great truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By mike grillo - November 4 - 12:23 pm

  Love the truck, however according to my nissan dealer the power package i got on my se did not include keyless remote,and according to nissan it cant be installed. with no outside door lock on the right side, its very inconvenient without a remote