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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  Sues Nissan - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Suzie-q - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I have taken the vehicle in for all service as recommended. I have not had any major problems. I truly enjoy driving my Pathfinder. I would definitely buy another one.

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  04 Maxima SE Lewisburg,PA. - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Allison Corl - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car to drive. It handles confidently, and a pleasure to drive on winding highways. Power is very adequate, acceleration teriffic. Torque steer hasnt been a problem.

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  Love It - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By RoadRunner - September 2 - 2:23 am

  I drive 120 miles round-trip per day for work. I havent had any problems to date. I love it. My only complaint is that there is a vibration noise sometimes from the interior "plastics". Other than that, I dont feel like I"m driving an economy car.

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  My New Nissan Sentra - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By s. wells - September 1 - 5:26 am

  My new Nissan Sentra replaced a 20 year old Nissan Sentra so in the beginning I really loved this car. After a few months I noticed the seats are a little too thin and I can feel the motor under the seat when using the automatic windows. Also, the suspension is the same as my old car. It seems the shock absorbing system hasnt changed in 20 years. The car can be very tiring on a drive exceeding a couple of hours. The windows film and are hard to clean. Nissan says this is normal when the car sits in the sun. I finally found a product that will clean the windows and they will not film for a couple of months,

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  Made the Right Choice! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - September 1 - 12:46 am

  I shopped around for the past 8 months, trying to decide between the Camry SE V6, Accord EX V6, or the Altima 3.5 SE Sedan. I ran the numbers, test drove all three and made it a point to get opinions from owners of each of them. From all of my research, I finally purchased the Altima the other day and can say that I have made the right choice! This car is amazing, CVT is smooth as silk, engine has loads of power, interior quality is top notch and so far I am getting excellent gas mileage.

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  Great Car - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By X - August 30 - 6:06 am

  I found this vehicle very fun to drive and quite capable both on road and off road. I used the car for everything from road trips, to LA commuting, to Rocky Mountain offroading and it did great. The gas mileage left a bit to be desired, but to be fair, mine was lifted with oversized tires. I was recently in a 20+ car pile up that unfortunately totaled my Nissan, but let me tell you, that car crashed incredibly well. My girlfriend and i were both able to walk away from the accident uninjured. The car took several high speed impacts from other vehicles and even a few walls quite softly. We both believe its safety features saved us. It really was an great car both in driving and in crashing...

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  great car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By demonhunterfan - August 29 - 10:10 pm

  I love my Nissan Sentra. Fun to drive. Has grate pick up and moves real smooth. Got the Rockford fostgate audio and that sounds sweet. My only real is the front cup holder. And the fuel pump needs addressing. But for the 10K that I paid for it is worth every penny. The transmission went at about 29k dealer ship said that it was a fluke. Probably the previous owner. Just put a new belt on look worn and did not want it to go when I was driving would have caused more problems. Great car. Hope to keep it for a very long time.

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  So Far So Good - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By afellows - August 29 - 10:10 am

  I have loved every minute behind the wheel of my Juke unless the driver in front of me is driving ten under the speed limit. I have never had a problem with the car, though Im still under the 40k mile mark. Ive put in some long trips with it and have managed about 34mpg on those trips. I average 23-25 mpg in the city. The AWD has gotten me out of some slippery situations. I enjoy the stiffer suspention and the cornering. Overall, probably my favorite of the cars Ive owned.

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  Good Vehicle - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jason - August 29 - 3:56 am

  Bought in 06 used with 20k. Did have a sending unit problem causing engine light to come on at 50k. Bought one online for $80 and spent 2 hours by myself swapping it out. Not to hard to do. And also was not painted very well in the gap between the front pillars and fenders. Found that out at high press car wash, used touch up and cant tell anymore. Other than those two problems I am pleased with her, lots of power, not bad in the dirt or mud and I dont baby it. Rides good on highway and handles a trailer well. Was looking at Trailblazers but Pathys have better reliability and much better crash ratings. Important to me when its the wifes car and shes always hauling my 2 girls.

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  Problems solved, hopefully - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dargon - August 28 - 10:41 am

  Purchased in July, 2010 with 82k miles on it from dealership without knowing what issues the vehicle had. After reading all the reviews I took preemptive measures and replaced the radiator myself, $200. Evap code tripped on the way home from dealership same day of purchase. Took evap canister out, found out a tab holding the evap valve in place was insufficient and zip tied the crud out of it and havent had a problems with it. According to carfax report the fuel sender had already been replaced. Havent had an issue with it since, but transmission has always made a small clacking noise when it makes its first shift after start-up, hope this is normal.