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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  Embarked on an (almost) new Frontier - 2014 Nissan Frontier
  By Robert L. Van Elsberg - July 1 - 11:42 am

  I traded in a well-worn but very reliable 2003 Toyota Tundra base model with regular cab, 5-speed manual transmission and a 3.4 liter V6 engine. Id badly injured my left foot in a falling accident and kicking the clutch was painful. I love Toyotas, but the price on the used Tacomas was too much for my budget. Enter a well-maintained 2014 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab with the SV package. While not as big as the Tundra, the Frontier was quite comfortable and its automatic transmission and cruise control were blessings to my injured left foot. I also found the Frontier tracked well in its lane rather than wandering the way my Tundra had. The only fault was in the limited rear view along the drivers side of the car via the door-mounted rearview mirror. After a few hair-raising moments I learned to lean forward and look back along the drivers side of the truck to watch out for traffic. Once I got used to that it wasnt a problem. I love the 4.0 liter V6 engine, which offers 60-plus more horsepower than I had in my Tundra. No more being left behind at the stop light by everybody else (including grandma). I bought the truck in December 2016 with just under 35,000 miles on it. I saved a good $8,000 to $9,000 compared to a new car. Do I see that as a great deal? Oh yes--Nissan trucks are made to last and I saved a lot more than I gave up by purchasing a late-model used pickup. The previous owners clearly maintained the vehicle well. Also, the built-in towing package is a plus as my wife and I--both in our 60s--are ready to trade tent-camping for the comforts of a trailer. The more I drive this truck, the more I like it. And while I would have preferred a gray-colored truck, the shiny black highlighted with chrome bumpers, sidesteps, etc., is definitely a "sexy" combination. I worried about going from Toyota to Nissan, but both companies make great vehicles. Like the old saying, "You pays your money and you takes your choice."

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  Moon mileage. - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Tom - July 1 - 10:00 am

  The fuel pump failed the third week of ownership and I thought uh-oh. But that turned out to be the last major problem thus far, 251,000 miles later. Most reliable car Ive ever owned. Have used 15w-50 synthetic oil every 6k miles and drain the 4 qt of transmission fluid out of the automatic every 30k and everything still works, except for the CD player. Mileage is now only around 19 with gasohol,

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  Doesnt start from first try - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By valentina miller - July 1 - 10:00 am

  2006 Nissan special edition; have trouble with starting, especially in hot weather; does not start from first try. Should be recalled.

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  Fun - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan Driven - July 1 - 5:50 am

  Power Power Power. This is a fun car to drive. I bought mine used with 26000 miles on it. The mileage is horrible, but the power has to come from somewhere. The tires are 225 which are high performance tires and are expensive as well. Did I mention the power? Overall great buy. I think I will go wash it now.

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  Transmissions are the downfall - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Charles Abourezk - June 30 - 10:33 am

  A great car other than the transmissions. I have had to have the transmission replaced twice while under warranty and now Nissan has extended the warranty on the transmission in recognition of this. Nissan of North Americas customer service is terrible. The second time it went out it cost me about $1900 out of pocket as I was on vacation at the time and had to leave it in another state for over one month. They refused to pay anything for this and I was on my own. Advise against buying this otherwise sweet car because of that experience. I would have been a loyal Nissan person forever if not for this experience.

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  03 Nissan Xterra SE S/C 4wd - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By nikkinbrian - June 27 - 1:40 pm

  I bought my Xterra 2 months ago and I absolutely love it. I just happened to find an atomic orange one, at first I wasnt so sure about the color but after a little while it grew on me and now I even love the color.

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  whyd they stop making these cars? - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By angelbb - June 27 - 2:00 am

  i bought my 200sx-se in june of this year and, so far, it is a very reliable car. i got a good deal, 2,550 for 57,000 miles at the time. since then, i have driven to 64000 and i havent really had a problem. they only mechanical defect is something with the air system. it blows a/c and heat but only on speed 4 and i cant run the a/c because the car will shut off. (by the way, if any one know why, let me know!)

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  Did anyone have this problem? - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By himileagemaxowner - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I have 135,550 miles on this 5 speed 97 SE, right now its in the shop with wheel bearing/axle problems. Mechanic said somehow the boot near CV joints broke and grease leaked out. Its going to be a $1200 plus repair. Does anyone know if maintenance is required on those parts? Owners manual sure dont state that it is. Kinda envy people on this post with 150k miles without these major headaches. Its been a great car until now...!! Wonder if this was owners neglect or manufacturer flaw. Anyone care to shed some light?

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  Der Maximator 6spd - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By prodigalsun - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Got this car 3 weeks ago, and have put about a 1000 miles on it. Other than the Saab 9-5, I cant think of a car that depreciates as quickly, yet is as flat out reliable as the Maxima. The Maxs acceleration is awesome, the suspension while sporting for a family car, leaves a bit to be desired. I may invest in an anti-roll bar and a front strut brace to start of with to see if thatll cut down on the body roll. Overall, very pleased!

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  No complaints really - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By gris001 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new off the lot, within 22,000 miles the main drive pulley started to go out, I had it replaced around 55,000, and have had no issues since then. Now it has 197000 miles on it and the pickup is still great it is still fun to drive and has had very little maintenance done on it. I average 14,000 miles between oil changes using fully synthetic oils and the only complaint I can say now about the car is my gas mileage is down from when it was new, it is now 30mpg on highway and 28 city. First set of brakes was at 135,000 miles. Overall it has been the best most reliable car I have owned.