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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  Spec-V Wrap-up Review - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By J Ruff - July 28 - 11:16 am

  Recently turned in my Spec-V for an Altima. The Spec-V was a very fun car to drive and was a performance bargain that could not be beat for a few years. Finicky handling, but fairly high limits once you were aquainted with the car. Good strong motor, brakes, and nice steering. The only real weak links were the shifter (sometimes) and torque steer. After a while though you do become accustomed to these quirks and the car never lost its charm. The car felt solid all the time I had it. The only big complaint I had was the ease with which the paint got chipped in the front. My other big complaint was that Nissan did not see this as normal wear and tried (but failed) to charge me for it.

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  Split Seam - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Ignatius1 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  After only two months, one of the seams on the drivers seat has split. The dealer is ordering a new seat bottom to replace it, though. I am getting about 34 MPG in mainly highway driving. I was hoping for more with gas prices around $2 and rising! The front cup holders are only good for very short cups. Many of the under frame and engine components are rusting badly.

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  More compliments than on my Caddy - 2016 Nissan Juke
  By Debbie B. - July 28 - 2:30 am

  I love the spunk of this car! And especially the custom colorization. Since I was purchasing the car, I purchased all of the color accents that I could. The car is a beautiful dark blue, with red accents. I get compliments on the car daily. Everyone loves the look of it and especially the color accents. I previously has a Cadillac ATS and before that a Caddy CTS. Obviously both of the Caddys road smoother. But frankly, I got tired of the exorbitant repair and maintenance bills on cars that were only a few years old. Also, there was so much technology on the Caddys that it was constantly in the shop. One even a needed a new transmission when it was just 4 years old. So I was looking to downsize, have a car with less electronics, better mileage and just a simpler ride. The Juke is all of that and more! I cant say enough about how happy I am. I purchased it in June of 2016 and it really does get 30 mpg. And I have had no problems in the year and a half Ive owned it verses the probably 8 times the Cadillac was in for service during the first year. Often, the service visits were recalls or simple technological glitches, but frankly I dont think a new car should be in the shop at all in its first few years. And thats the case with my Juke. Yes, the back seat is small, but it is typically just me and my husband and my mom and I fit in the back just fine. Yes, the trunk space is smaller than my previous car, but the seats lie down easily, so its actually better then than before. Love, love, love it! Thank you Nissan for a solid, sporty car that spends more time on the road and less time in the shop.

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  Did I get the only lemon??! - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By C.A. - July 27 - 9:56 am

  I read these reviews and purchased a 1996 Nissan Maxima with 76,000 miles. I thought that it would have plenty of life left. I have replaced the odometer, the radio works only about 20% of the time, locks malfunction often, and the passenger door gets stuck and wont open so we have to crawl through the drivers side. It has been out of service twice lately and had to be towed. The repair shop said it might be best to get rid of it.

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  Love the Intelligent Key - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By kinta77 - July 27 - 8:00 am

  I have always been a fan of the Maxima and the Nissan brand. I have owned 2 Altimas and 1 Maxima. I previous had leased a 2004 Nissan Altima SE V6. My lease was due to expire in July. I decided to purchase the 2008 Nissan Maxima. I have had my Maxima for about 6 months now currently with 13000 miles on it. I have not had any problems with the car so far. I really wanted the 2009 Maxima but decided to wait until later to get one, but I am very satisfied with my choice. The CVT did take a little while to get used to. The car does have a wide turn ratio and can be difficult to park at times.

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  Great for light hauling and commute - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By Atlantic Diver - July 26 - 6:56 pm

  This truck fulfills a need to haul equipment for the weekend warrior and provides great transportation for the daily commute. I am consistently averaging 20 MPG. A 10 hour drive is very comfortable for two. The jump seats are only used for a short local trips. I installed a spray in bedliner plus a matching color high cap over the bed to keep items dry and out of sight. The truck looks great and performs well.

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  Still love my X! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By MTNDD - July 26 - 5:40 am

  I bought a new 2004 Xterra SE 4WD over 2.5 years ago. I still own it and drive it part-time. So this is a retrospective review. Overall, Im happy with this Xterra. Ive driven to rugged areas and didnt worry about the Xterra being able to get me through. The engine reliability has been perfect. Have had only minor cosmetic and noncritical problems. The Xterra makes you want to roll down the windows and cruise along, which is what I do in mild weather. I drove my Xterra from Oklahoma to Colorado to California and back, just cruising along enjoying the scenery. It was not an uncomfortable trip. Ive had more comfortable vehicles but this was a great trip in the Xterra.

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  Brake failure - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By nurse1369 - July 25 - 4:53 pm

  I posting on this site seeking help. I have about 16,000 -17,000 miles on my car (its in the shop now so I cant look) and my brakes completely failed while driving. I was going about 50 on a service road and my car acted as if it was going to stale. So I decided to slow down and pull into a parking lot. When I tried to apply the brake I couldnt even push the pedal down. It was as if a brick was under my break. So I turned my car off and coasted into the parking lot. Thank the Lord no one was in my way. I sat there for 15 minutes and turned my car back on. I started to drive around the parking lot and it acted fine. I took to the dealership and they stated they couldnt find anything wrong.

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  Ok car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By T - July 25 - 3:36 pm

  I will never buy a car with the CVT transmission again. Engine noise is awful. But very comfortable car.

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  Just purchased vehicle. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Judith Rothstein - July 25 - 9:00 am

  Only drove it once so far and was satisfied the way it handled. I like the latest features and safety provisions.