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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  Third world country vehicle - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By deneng - February 16 - 12:30 am

  When i saw this vehicle in the philippines i said to myself if this ever comes to the states i gotta get me one. When it came i said ok i paid the 14500 asking price and drove it off the lot. Has 89000 and the timing belt replaced. Gas milage 10 to 25 mpg. 10 miles with 4500# boat and 25 when driving like a green freak. Still with original clutch. Its hard to decide if this or my integra are better vehicles. Both are far better then expected.

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  Great Vehicle, Dealer Lacking - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jerryol - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle is great even though I dont need an SUV. 50,000 miles on only oil changes and a wheel alignment. The dealer, Country Line Nissan, did rip us off on a CD Changer, which we paid for but never received. What we did receive was hollow promises and shuffling back and forth between sales and service. I gave up; they won.

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  Cant Complain - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Bobbi - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car new Aug 2000. Had 2 miles on speedometer. It has been really a great car. Yes Ive had some issues as with all cars but all in all It has treated me fairly good. The belts need to be changed around every sixty thousand miles and it still wants to squeal especially when cold. AC never that good. Oil dip stick broke off twice. They need to get rid of the plastic head. I have two hundred and thirty thousand on her and shes still running nice. Fuel pump replaced once. recall done on sensor...free I now need struts but wont put any more money in her as shes old. Shes been a good car and Ill drive her till she stops!

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  Getting disappointed - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Disappointed Ed - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Was great from the start, great seat comfort, great handling, decent mileage, only problem was rattles all over. Nissan used cheap plastic materials. At 50,000 the front suspension began to have problems. First the right wheel bearings, axle,and tie rod had to be replaced. Now at 62,000 the same issues with the front left side. All issues with suspension are in the front. Murano rides hard, maybe this causes excessive wear on front suspension, still no excuse for this. Also front and rear motor mounts, dealer says need to be replaced, private mechanic says no. They cost $1000 to replace! No excuse for these problems on car with only 62,000 miles. Dealer uses hard sell to push service.

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  Good Bionic frog 2011 - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By noshoesinhouse - February 13 - 11:12 pm

  bought mine new in 4/2011 and truth is i thank god havent had any problems. Im sorry to hear about the people who are having problems with the chain. i just got called last week from the dealer to take it in to have the chain replace which after reading the reviews i will do ASAP. i do however hate that it goes thru gas like crazy im looking into buying a more gas efficient car but to be honest there is nothing out there that i like or that would make me trade my Bionic frog.

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  Satisfaction - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Robert A - February 13 - 9:54 am

  I am impressed with the gas mileage. I have owned the Rogue since August 2016. So far, I average 27 city and 36 highway. Driving seat is comfortable but I would like another 2 inches of leg room. Plenty of head room. Storage space is ample. Wish they had a sunroof for the base model S. Still figuring out all of the electronics and the weather hasnt allowed me to test winter traction. Speakers are weak but this is a base model. Would highly recommend as a cheap all-wheel drive that is predominantly front wheel drive. Nissan wins with this one.

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  Cant beet the price for a new car. - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Roy - February 13 - 9:50 am

  Bought this car for my daughter and could not beet the price compared to other cars in its class and cheap on gas and fill-ups.

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  Awesome little SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Pwrl3ss - February 13 - 9:00 am

  My wife and I are really happy about our decision to buy a new 2nd gen. Xterra. We were considering buying a H3, but in comparison to what you get for the price, the X made more sense. Dont get me wrong, the H3 is nice (under-powered though) but its not worth the extra $10k for it. I would say the fit and finish of our Xterra is as good if not better than the H3. The cabin is quiet when cruising around. Interior noise under acceleration though seems a little loud but hey thats a good thing because it reminds you got a little monster under the hood. The X definitely has power on tap, which was I think the biggest factor in our decision to buy the X.

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  Enhanced convenience and comfort - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By CarolAndDavid - February 12 - 1:56 pm

  Overall I cant imagine being more happy in any other van, but I wouldnt give 10s to anyone, hence the 9s. It drives and handles a little better than our 2004SE. Controls are more intuitive. Although still getting used to the new information display, its been very nice so far. Overall arrangement is a little crammed, and the center storage area disappoints. Although that could just be my unique way of using storage areas, unquestionably if you liked the ability in 2004 models to swing your legs around to get in the back area from the front, thats no longer easy to do. Phone and DVD systems work very well and the audio ROCKS!

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  Love my new Xterra! - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By chrislynn - February 12 - 8:10 am

  I did a massive amount of research on this vehicle and could find nothing wrong with it. Not only did the Xterra win top ratings in 2006 across the board, but I could find no substantial cutomer complaints. In addition, these SUVs sell like hotcakes in my neck of the woods, which is a good sign. Aside from the obvious performance features the Xterra has to offer, the lack of complaints and overall customer satisfaction aspect proves this vehicle was a good investment. Im in love with my Xterra!