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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  recommended - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By elizabeth ochoa - July 21 - 12:03 pm

  I still have the car. Its been a great experience and plan to change it for another Nissan car. Very reliable.

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  Great Truck - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ace Dude - July 20 - 11:13 am

  I use my Pathfinder for business and drive about 20K miles per year, mostly on highway. The Pathfinder is comfortable, reliable, and a great all around truck. I occasionally pull a cargo trailer and have no problems. This truck has a great engine! It has more power than my V8 Ford Expedition had. Highly recommended. As for the fuel mileage, its a truck! I have almost 50K miles on it now with NO PROBLEMS!

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  Fun for your money - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Matt - July 20 - 1:40 am

  First, this car was quite inexpensive. A great value, but lacking in some areas. I dont think it compares to luxury sport vehicles, but it finds its way to the top of the pack for vehicles under $17k. The 2.5L motor is so torquey you can pull with most v6s off the line (however its not so tough on the highway). Handling is for tuned for driving fanatics, with excellent response and minimal roll, but the 17 in. wheels and hardened bushings relay every bump on longer drives. Adequate interior - love the seats, but the plastics scratch up quite easily. Exterior was "updated" for 04 to match the base model... Now theres no escaping the ugly "bucktooth"!

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  2007 Nissan Sentra - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By mark - July 19 - 9:06 pm

  Looks great and its fun to drive. The little computer is neat. But it gets lousy mileage! I was expecting a lot better than 23 mpg for mostly freeway driving.

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  The X-terraThe Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By jjkrush - July 19 - 2:00 am

  The Nissan X-terra XE is the best value if you are going to invest in a midsize SUV. I personaly recommend this SUV to anyone who wants to go off road, Its the best one there !!!

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  dnpos - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By frank - July 18 - 3:16 pm

  Thought I took a step up when I traded my f-250 for the Titan. Wrong! Brake rotors warped less than 5k Mi. Rear door latches work occasionally, even after replacement of both. Vents creak @startup &shutdown still. It drives like a canoe, will not go straight. nervous, twitchy. camber kit installed. 4 trips to dealer, realigned 4 times. told me dont come back. District ser. rep told me the roads have a crown in them, thats the problem. Ive been driving longer than hes been breathing, tell me something I dont know. I like the style, power, economy, even the sound. This is truly a d**n nice piece of junk. Thank you so much Nissan. I will recommend anything except Nissan to all listeners.

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  2008 Sentra S 2.0 CVT - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By talisman - July 16 - 9:50 pm

  The new Sentra has 2800 miles on it and was purchased about 7 weeks ago. Vehicle has been completely reliable, as a new car should be. Its a very comfortable highway cruiser, with a smooth quiet ride and reasonably comfortable seats in a roomy interior. Build quality is good, but some of the interior plastic parts (like the dash top, sun visors and cubby holes) could really use some improvement. Styling is attractive to most people, especially in the "magnetic gray" paint. Interior is a charcoal gray, which is somewhat depressing color, but it hides dirt fairly well. It has plenty of space for 4 adults, but trying to put 3 adults into the back seat is not a good idea - not enough hip room.

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  Love Hate - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By dizizbex24z - July 16 - 3:00 pm

  I have a dark green maxima. I really love my car but it keeps presenting me with problems. One thing I really hate that ive found on at least 2 other maximas is that the back of the car always sways from side to side when I hit a bump. I dont like other people driving it because I dont know if they know how to handle it. I also added green lights in the footwell and they look Nice.

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  JUST SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Nicole in PA - July 16 - 3:56 am

  Ok, so I have had this car for a little less than 2 years. Was brand new when I bought it and now has 30,000 miles. As other reviewers have said there has been nothing but recall after annoying recall. I absolutely loved driving this car, but about 2 months ago, it started to just not feel right. Long story short, I just had to have the front breaks completely replaced (calipers, rotors, etc) and had to have a NEW TRANSMISSION installed. All was under warranty, but give me a break! I love the way Nissans look, and they are FUN to drive when they run correctly, but I will never own one again. I highly UNrecommend this car!

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  2014 Nice but...wiring/electrical issues! - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By arlyo - July 15 - 12:42 pm

  I first tried a 2013 but didnt like it....really noisy. After test driving other midsize cars and reading that the 2014 had more insulation added, I took the 14 out again and thought it was a lot better...and bought a 2.5S. Unlike the 13s the 2014 S has a display audio package option.. (Rear view monitor...USB port....& 5" display) for $320...so I added that option. This car has a lot of positives....nice compromise of handling/ride...Great gas mileage...No engine shudder like some 13 owners had. Power steering noise once out of the garage is a non-issue for me. So Nissan has corrected problems for the most part that the 13s had. So the issues? Read on.