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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  One year later....still love it - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Paul O. - October 24 - 2:33 pm

  I leased my 05 3.5 SE w/ auto trans back in May 04. At 20K and over a year later I must say this is a great car. The engine is awesome (especially with the auto stick mode) and it makes merging on the highway a joy. I get about 24 mpg in mixed driving conditions. The freshened interior is attractive, seats are comfortable and the Bose stereo is great. The Xenon lights are bright and clear at night and they look great w/ the smoked out lense covers. All in all, Nissan has done a great job with this car and I highly recommend it to anyone. Good job!

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  A manly truck indeed - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By cbrown - October 24 - 3:30 am

  I have beaten the heck out of this truck on many rough and desolate west Texas roads. The truck performs flawlessly. Its locking rear differential gets me in and out of situations normally reserved for 4WD vehicles. Whether cruising 85+ mph on the interstate or slowly clawing through a dry wash, this truck is amazing. It is absolutely the finest truck I have ever owned. You can spend a heck of a lot more for other makes without coming close to the value this truck offers. It is exceptional in appearance, features and performance. Do yourself a favor if you are in the market for a truck. Test drive a Nissan NISMO. You will be amazed by Nissan engineering. I am. Thanks...

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  CVT transmission issues - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By denver13 - October 24 - 1:13 am

  Please google Nissan Rogue CVT transmission issues before considering this vehicle. I used to love my Rogue, but after 2 years of driving it, some serious concerns came up. I had multiple experiences where the transmission overheated, putting the vehicle into safety mode. When it is in safety mode, it DOES NOT GO. This happened to me on the highway, and right after getting off of the highway in the middle of an intersection. This issue has been reported in several instances, so please do research it! Nissan is aware of the reports, but only offered me a solution of changing the transmission fluid. I traded it in, as I found the vehicle too risky and unreliable. Please be careful.

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  Great all around affordable car!!!! - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By John F. - October 23 - 2:56 pm

  Weve owned this car since 2000 and the one thing we can say about it is "Reliability". This car has never left us stranded. We have done nothing to this car except the regular scheduled maintenance. We live in NH and for the last 5 winters its never started hard and it actually goes well in the snow too (FWD) Keep in mind this car is not a BMW nor a caddy. Its not sexy or even necessarily cool but its been a great, reliable daily driver. It has plenty of Pep and easlily maintains 70 - 80 mph on the highway. For a mid-sized car the legroom, interior compartment space and the trunk size is surprisingly large. Seats are very comfortable, even for long road trips. Top recommendations!

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  Sports Car Power in a Compact Truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By crailey01 - October 23 - 12:06 pm

  Right from the first start of the engine, I knew that the 2005 Nissan Frontier was one of a kind. This truck has sports car power with the versatility of a compact truck. The speed of this thing is incredibile for this size of vehicle. The ride is smooth and almost the quality of the Maxima except it has larger tires. I know I will be more than pleased with this vehicle. Typically, Nissans compact trucks are very reliable. I also test drove an 2005 Toyota Tacoma and it was no comparison to the Frontiers power.

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  Too many recalls - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Beverly - October 22 - 11:56 pm

  I fell in love with the 2007 Murano, and when read about the 2009 I waited 3 months to purchase the new sleek 2009. I even paid full MSRP to get the right color and style I wanted. But it has been one service visit after another. 2 recalls, 1 for reprogramming the airbags, and 1 for the repairing the clock. This last visit, there seems to be a air leak that is a known issue in Muranos, but since the car is so new, the parts to replace are not yet being manufactured, so the service department returned my car and asked me to wait for the recall notice to fix. How disappointing.

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  Had to have SUV - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By modriver - October 22 - 10:00 pm

  I spent 3mos researching cars and then wrecked my 03 Santa Fe about a week ago. Had to have SUV for AWD in winter. Considered Mit.Outlander, Sub.Forester and Rogue. Decided on Rogue for drive and features. Drove 200mi to pick up. Avg mpg on trip home was 26 on brand new motor!! A little disappointed in ride. Not as smooth as remembered in test drive, but its okay. Got premium and tech pkg so have Bose, Bluetooth, XM, premium seats. Would have liked leather, but couldnt get all pkgd with the color I wanted. (Gotham Grey) Would like more storage in front. Glovebox is huge, but not a lot of space for small things. I havent had long enough to know for sure, but so far I really like it.

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  Best car ever owned! - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Jess - October 22 - 7:23 pm

  I have owned my Maxima GXE for 7 years. This is by far the most reliable car I have ever owned. I have never had to have anything major done just normal replacements muffler, tires and brakes. I highly recommend this car to everyone. Its great to drive, comfortable and good on gas. I could go on and on about this car. I will drive it until it falls apart. It drives as if it were brand new and it has 140k miles on it.

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  Great Car - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Jason - October 22 - 4:16 pm

  First car I have ever bought on my own. I was looking at the Honda accord coupe gti and and civic si, being that I am 26 I didnt want a " boy racer" so it came down to the altima and accord. The accord is a little bigger, but the altima drives like it weighs nothing and the look of the altima surpasses the accord hands down. Love the cockpit of a drivers seat love this car

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  A Total Disappointment - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By Wilma Transou - October 21 - 3:57 pm

  I purchased this Versa in 2013; after about 68,000 miles I started having transmission problems. I was totally frustrated especially after no one would take responsibility for the problem. It is just a disgrace that so many other owners of the same model are having transmission problem as well and there should be a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of this vehicle!!!!!