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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  Poorly built/poorly designed - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By RB - September 24 - 11:53 am

  This car is mediocre at best. Very poor quality, the interior molding and panels started coming off withing a few months, despite being well-taken cared of. Interior also awkwardly designed and made of cheap material, seats very uncomfortable, dash is dimly lit, useless cup holders, This vehicle is surprisingly low quality for a Nissan.

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  8 years old, 148,000 miles, still happy - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By ronrn - September 24 - 11:14 am

  My 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5SE was the first NEW car I ever purchased, having only purchased used cars before. I have been very pleased with the car. I now have around 148,000 miles on the car and it is still running strong. I have not had any major problems. I have gone through the original set of tires and replaced the tires twice and need to go get new tires again. I first needed the rear brake pads changed at around 100,000 miles. The front pads needed changing for the first time at about 130,000 miles. Im not sure how long Ill continue driving this before buying a new vehicle; earlier this year we replaced my wifes car with 2013 Ford Explorer (fully loaded Limited), happy with it too.

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  frontier - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By tennessee fan - September 24 - 5:10 am

  Truck looks good with good v6 power response. channel tie downs are great and will come in handy. hoping MPG will improve with break-in. vehicle is tight and doors fit good. there seems to be some oversteer on the hwy driving. transmission shifts good. would rather see electric engine coolins fans than the direct engine driven cooling fan.

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  Great value - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Vicky - September 23 - 8:53 pm

  The XE is a sleeper. Sure the 154 horsepower four cyl. isnt for the macho types. It works hard to push a 3,500 lb truck, but this is the engine that makes the Altima great, just tuned for truck duty! Give me the 23 mpg any day over the (admittedly GREAT 4 liter 6s 16-18. Workmanship is excellent, handling is great, towing capacity of 3,500 lb for a 4 banger is amazing! Ride is a little busy on rough road, but cornering and braking is super. And gas mileage for a truck that I use to haul around tools fo work is fantastic.

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  You get what you pay for and sometimes more - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By boxvendor.com - September 23 - 8:23 pm

  Ive owned prestigious German cars ever since I could drive. I am now 43 years old and tried something different when I got the Nissan Maxima.I love it, It has been a great car all around. For the money that I saved by not buying the German car it makes alot of sense. It has great performance and styling all of its own. I would refer anyone who wants a car.

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  Best Truck on the Road - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By Longhorn Lady - September 23 - 7:40 pm

  This is our third Nissan and loved all three. Our old Pathfinder (fondly called the Mountain Goat) went anywhere in our pasture. It was 15 years old when it pulled our truck out easily (another brand), towing a 20 foot tailor, loaded with cows, when I stuck it! We traded it in on a 2004 Titan Crew Cab, but later wished we had not let it go, it was great for the hills in our part of Texas. I Fell in love with my Titan the minute I stepped into it. Drove like a dream, loads of room, made a great truck/family vehicle. I have severe back problems but can drive my Titan all day. We will never even consider another truck. Consequently, we just bought a 2010 XE Crew Cab.

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  An altima beyond its name - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Russ - September 23 - 12:43 pm

  To start off i love this car. I also happen to be a nissan technician so i see these cars everyday, i know them in and out far more than anyone else just looking to buy a car can know. That is why i bought this car. Its a family sedan thats fun to drive, u dont feel like u have to be old to buy it. Im in my mid 20s with a family, i did not want to be stuck in some boring family car, i wanted one that i could take out, enjoy myself, and return home with a smile on my face everytime. I get looks from people all the time wondering is that an altima, especially ones who own the base 2.5S, or 3.5Se models. To put it simply, if you want to feel young in a family car, this is it!!!

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  Rogue - better than the reviews - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By RogueDriver - September 23 - 9:33 am

  I am a guys who reads all of the professional car/suv reviews, and my experience with my Rogue is much more positive than what the reviewers say about the vehicle. I am high 50s male with a bad back from an accident and went looking for a "right height" vehicle since I have trouble crouching down to get into many sedans or hopping up into most SUVs. After sitting in a significant number of vehicles I found the Rogue fit the bill perfectly. Height is just right for me to slide into, and the seats are extremely comfortable (I didnt believe the Nissan propaganda about zero gravity design seats until I sat in them). And in spite of the professional reviewers who say that the Rogue drives poorly, I love it. Recognize that I use my Rogue for what I think a typical driver would use it for. I drive a few miles each day back and forth to work, go around town on errands, and will hop onto the interstate occasionally to go visit someone. I am not looking for a street racing machine and I dont care if it doesnt corner at high g-rates. Just typical average everyday driving. And in this the Rogue does wonderfully. Plenty of pickup, and no - I dont get a horrendous "drone" from the engine/transmission since I am not trying to drag race down the street or into interstate on ramps. Accelerates just fine. Smooth and comfortable ride - maybe not to the standards of a 1980s Buick - but what SUV does? Much smoother and more comfortable than the BMW and Mercedes SUVs that my friends drive for name recognition. Lots of room inside. Carries plenty in rear. A/C works great which is key here in Florida. Handles my daily grind just fine. Are there things that I dont like - sure. Nissans bluetooth connectivity is somewhat behind others - my iphone connects perfectly to the other 3 cars in my family (Toyota, BMW and Hyundai) but even the dealer cant figure out why the Rogue wont pull in my full address book for all voice recognition calls. Gas mileage a bit lower than advertised. But bottom line is that the Rogue handles my daily driving needs admirably well - and at a great cost (dealer hugely discounted off list price). Highly recommend the vehicle for anyone looking for comfortable, normal transportation. I will continue to read the professional car reviews, but now I recognize that their specific vehicle criticisms may not apply to a typical driver like myself.

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  Black 2005 Nissan 2.5S4drSedanAutomatic - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Lisa - September 23 - 7:16 am

  Quality was number 1 to us, so the first place we shopped was Toyota but I was very unimpressed with the looks of the 2005s, that was really important to us subsequently we tryed Honda but was equally unimpressed with appearance of their 2005 model. We ended up at a Nissan dealership and saw the 2005 Altima WoW! was my first thought. It has everything we were looking for with a fabulous $ to boot. We bought one but it is not the quiet smooth ride that I expect. We therefore have been discussing other options and see ourselves in the near future test driving the Chrysler 300 or the new mustang for smoothness and quiet.

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  great car so far - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jefferson2 - September 23 - 4:27 am

  We bought this pathfinder back in Oct 2013 we have put over 15,000km on it and have had no problems up until after the first oil change and tire rotation.... since then its been making a loud noise and the faster we go the louder it gets it almost sounds like a lawn mower or weed wacker when we get up to 110-120km per hour!! if I put the car in N and rev it up I do not here the sound only when I am driving. I love this car but this noise is not cool I guess Ill find out what it is when it goes in today. other then that I have had not other issues other then the recalls which can be expected when you launch a new model, it always takes time to work out the unexpected bugs.