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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  Rogue is Just a Name - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By originalstarlite - September 23 - 3:16 am

  Having waited for this car since Jan., it would be easy to be disappointed. This vehicle is perfect for my wife and me: a comfortable people mover with bucket seats that have very good support, great road manners with AWD and Vehicle Dynamic Control working full time on every curve and turn, and just enough pep to do western PA hills, flexibility in hauling everything from 18 grocery bags to 12 boxes. Wash a car once and you learn a lot. Not only is the Venon (pearl) Red paint luxurious, but the application is perfect. This complements the fit of the doors that have rubber weather strips to seal out water and dirt protecting the rocker panels.

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  Dollar store paint - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Mark - September 23 - 2:46 am

  My first Maxima... and last. Impressed with the ride, very confident and comfortable. Good upscale features like xenon headlights, electronic console display. However, comes up short in several respects. Bose stereo is a rip off - sounds boomy. Paint is extremely cheap and if I look close enough there are areas where the primer can be seen. The dealer, of course, says these are paint chips which they are not. I am confident Nissan used the best paint the dollar store had to offer. The metal is thin and when closing the doors the car sounds like a big tub. Drive by wire throttle system needs improvement - there is notable lag. Overall, not a value. European rivals are a better buy.

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  best out there - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By paulr - September 23 - 1:43 am

  I BOUGHT MY NISSAN ALTIMA USED WITH 24800 MILES ON IT. IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND I HAVE ALREADY MADE 300 MILES ON IT. THE HANDELING AND ACCELERATION ARE BETTER THAN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE HAD (03 COROLLA, 03 GALANT) BOTH 4 CYL CARS. NISSAN HAS GREATLY IMPROVED ON THE STYLE, BUT NEEDS TO WORK ON THE ENGING NOISE THAT YOU HEAR WHEN YOU FLOOR IT. OTHER WISE GREAT CAR AND VERY RELIABLE.

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  Okay - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Armada - September 22 - 5:06 pm

  The performance is great for a vehicle that size. It has great pickup speed. There is something about the driver side chair that is not right just cannot explain what. the fuel economy is very poor and should be design better. It is fun to drive because it is big and somewhat easy to handle. Interior design is plain for the price I paid for, exterior is simply but good to look at if you had the right color. Built is okay cannot judge it right now. I believe this vehicle is very reliable.

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  Close, but not quite the best of SUVs. - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Helder - September 22 - 7:43 am

  I purchased my brand new 2006 Pathfinder SE with all of the package options, leather, sunroof, etc. Its been a great truck so far with no major issues, but it still has its flaws. It feels solid and strong and is very quick at the same time, however, there is nothing that irritates me more than a new vehicle that is already sounding like a cheap, old car. How do you explain noises that just started to appear after 12,000 miles? I think Ill purchase a European car again after this one goes, omething more refined.

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  Lovin it! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By dd - September 22 - 4:43 am

  I am very happy so far with this car. I formerly had a Toyota Corolla, so my standards were high for my new car. I was most interested in a reliable, good-handling, stylish car with lots of conveniences, and I seem to have found all these things. It is a beautiful car that makes me smile! (A caveat however -- I have only had the car for about 2 months, with 2K miles on it currently.)

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  Cute Little Car No MPG - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By wallyw - September 22 - 12:23 am

  We have put 1500 miles in 4 months. For a small car it is nice to drive. Do not like the gas mileage. It has averaged about 21 mpg in mixed driving since we bought it 4 months ago. Bought it during the clunker program. I always check the mileage when I fill up. I fill the car until the gasoline level stays in the top of the neck. Ive never trusted the electronic mpg. Surprisingly enough it is pretty close.

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  2005 1.8s sentra - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By paul m - September 21 - 9:33 pm

  Very smooth riding car for a small sedan. Fuel mil. is good. Nice stereo.Would have paid more for the features in this car if i had gone with the corolla or honda.

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  Check the seats before buying - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Jeremyaz - September 21 - 4:53 pm

  This six cyl. CVT launches like a rocket. Complete blast to drive, but the seat is physically uncomfortable. The build I purchased has no lumbar adjustment and my back constantly aches after 20 minutes or so of driving. I am 62" and 220 pounds so my experience may be very different from others. My old 2000 CR-V had far more comfortable seats. Perhaps time will soften the foam. :)

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  Great car with big appetite - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By markuslycus - September 21 - 2:18 pm

  Like everything about the car but the fuel economy. I do almost all 95% HWY driving on 90% flat roads, and have driven 1500 mi. I average 26.80 mpg. My driving is done on all 4 lane roads, while driving 55-65 MPH. I always drive with fuel conservation top priority. I was expecting to get at least 35 mpg, not 26.80mpg.