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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  Better Van Needed - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By Godzilla - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Nissan needs to upgrade their minivan. All other vehicles are excellent except for the this van. Ive owned all sorts of Nissan cars and this one is the most disapointing.

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  Fun & Reliable - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Max Family - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Mine is 3rd Maxima in my family. All have been great for us. No major problems in 5+ years. Fun to drive, plenty of room for people and cargo, extremely reliable. Great in snow, sun, rain, whatever.

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  An excellent choice! - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Resa - October 14 - 10:00 am

  I totally disagree with the review written by the other customer on this page. I found the dealer to be very responsible and accommodating... the quality of the Nissan Pathfinder (and a previously owned Nissan Maxima) is what makes me coming back for more! I love the interior quality, performance, reliability, style and more. My next vehicle will be either a Pathfinder or a Maxima!

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  Very Pleased !!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By IndyAltima - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car !!! If the 02 interior was cheap (as I have read) then they have really improved it. While there is some plastic, it does not come across "cheap " at all. It is layed out very well, is very easy to use and the fit is very good...the car is really quiet also (surprisingly). Very impressive, not a lot of wind or road noise....also it is very roomy and comfy. I am tall and have a ton of space in the cabin. Overall, I am very impressed and would recommend an Altima to anyone.

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  Murano-proof the Japanese make shoddy products too - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By G - October 14 - 9:10 am

  Edmunds have the manufactures in their back pocket so Im betting this review gets pulled. Here is the truth (remember its never libel if it is true). Our Murano has been the worst money pit of any vehicle we have ever owned. I AM METICULOUS ABOUT DATA and our Murano clocked in at over USD $23,000 in repairs (out of warranty) - specifically this is for the hold period of year 4 to year 10 (6 inclusive years). Things that went wrong with this vehicle (fuel dampeners, wheel bearings, visors, control arms, exhaust system is a joke, etc) are well above and beyond any car we have ever owned. Case in point - the common Honda we owned during the same period was less than 7,000. Muranos are akin to the attractive women that gets ugly real fast then needs a fortune in plastic surgery. I NO LONGER TRUST CONSUMER REPORTS EITHeR FOR RECOMMENDING THIS PIECE OF JUNK. Lots of cheap Chinese parts assembled in Canton, Mississippi..yeah, right thats a recipe for a quality vehicle. IF YOU BUY GET YOUR REPAIR SINKING FUND Ready. You are going to need it.

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  Nice, spaaaaacious, fuel efficient car! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Reinholdt - October 13 - 8:20 pm

  Got the 2.0s 6M in April, and I found the ride very quiet and reasonably well mannered. It certainly does not like any sort of rough road, however, where the suspension can have me bouncing around all over the cabin. The shift throw had been difficult to get used to, but thats okay. I mean, I can play "hide-n-go-seek" inside the cabin there is sooo much space! I do find the quality of the plastics inside to be lacking. The interior is very easy to mark if you are not careful but overall, a great car for my long commute, and knowing the Nissan powerplant, the engine should get me close to half a million KMs.

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  In the end, reliable - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By wrecks7 - October 13 - 11:26 am

  The car proved to be fairly reliable, especially since I paid little attention to its upkeep. At the time and at this price point, the Altima stood alone in performance and appearance. The AC went kaput in year four, engine mounts in year six. Downside is the poor material used in for the interior (Ive seen GM cars with better plastic), and the body is only slightly more dent resistant than a can of Spam. However, the most frustrating was its awful turning radius. It was inexcusably poor.

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  Pleasantly Suprised - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Mike Kelley - October 13 - 11:05 am

  I purchased this vehicle used, I read many reviews on this vehicle and while the Star value from all sites were 4.5 or higher I saw a mixed review of how people perceived the vehicle. Overall Since Ive owned the vehicle I couldnt be more happy as a 6ft tall male weighing 195lbs its quite comfortable. Pros would be lots of leg room, Quiet Ride, plenty of upfront storage, Good gas mileage(Based on weight, motor size and size of vehicle. Lets face the facts its a 4 dr Truck weighs a couple tons not a small car weighing in at a buck fifty). CONs only one I can think of think of would be a bit more storage space.

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  Poor Quality - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Kevin - October 13 - 5:56 am

  A Nissan Failure. Very poor in quality, poor braking system. Rotors are too small and warp between 3k-4k. Sunroof leaks and rattles. Rattle sounds through out entire truck. Poor radio reception and navigation system will not work in cold weather until vehicle reaches warm temperatures. Also though your wheel alignment may be fine the steering wheel itself becomes off centered. My Armada has been in the shop for all of the above problems 16 times in the first full year. Not where a new vehicle $40K+ belongs unless its a Lemon, the Armada is a lemon. The truck has already lost $20K in trade-in value. Thats a big hit just to get out of this and in to something more reliable.

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  Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By murano - October 12 - 10:03 pm

  Love this vehicle. The dual transmission did fantastic in the Rocky Moutains...very little braking required. Fun, fun, fun. Lots of compliments on this vehicle. Only complaint is that the mirrors and wide windshield frame create blind spots....mirrors need to be lower to avoid huge void.