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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  Excellent Package - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By jblaze13 - February 5 - 10:00 am

  This is a really nice car. The 4 cylinder has plenty of power for most needs. In comparison to a similarly equipped camry, you can see the difference in materials used on the interior. The camry has better interior materials. The light color for the readouts is a bit weird but you get used to it. Overall, this is an excellent vehicle. The leather seats are very comfortable. The ride is excellent, very similar to the camrys ride that has been hailed so much. Im very happy with my purchase.

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  Stick with toyota - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Junk - February 2 - 1:50 pm

  After having 2 Lexus and a Toyota, I wanted a change. I bought a 2005 maxima from an older gentleman that never drove it. It is a fun and fast car to drive, but that is it. The rides stinks. It is the loudest car I have ever owned, the sunroof broke with in 3 months of owning it, a switch had to be replaced in the heater, and everything squeaks or rattles when you go over a bump. By far the worst turning radius of any car. It is like driving a tractor! This by far the worst quality of a vehicle I have ever owned. Not to mention the resale is horrible! Good luck getting rid of this car without at least 3-5k out of pocket. Junk!

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  2005 Sentra Special Edition 1.8L Auto - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By NewEnglandDevil - February 2 - 8:10 am

  An excellent vehicle to own and drive, has made my commute (~66 miles/day, + trips to client sites = 100+ miles occasionally) affordable. Blew a head gasket while still under warranty (~48K), needed a chip download to eliminate rough shifting. Ive avoided replacing two expensive lights - fog light broke from being packed with snow and 3rd brake light went out. Other than that, no problems and Ive had no expensive repairs. Has performed great in NE winter; even managed to get up a ~10% unplowed incline to our winter rental in NH. Previously owned a Nissan Truck (350K) so Im not expecting any problems with the engine or tranny and Im at 123K now.

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  Very Early, but Like it So Far! - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By teflon1968 - February 1 - 10:26 pm

  Alright, Ive only had my Rogue for about 4 days now. I had leather seats installed (but not the $3800 SL package). The ride is pretty smooth for an SUV; looks sharp; accels well; breaks on a dime. Very small issues I have with it: Bluetooth is not as comprehensive as say the Honda systems. For instance, you cannot listen to music from your phone via BT. Setting phonebook data is a pain if you have multiple numbers for one contact. Not a lot of gadget space; USB & alt 12vlt are in bottom of the center arm rest--so if you put anything in it, youre covering the outlets--bad design. Again, little things. This is my first post; Ill update as I have it longer...hopefully it will be good

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  Twenty-three K and broken - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By soon2bxoner - February 1 - 12:06 am

  WOW! Was excellent car. At 8000 miles rear tires wore out. Service tech advised that along with each 6000 mile tire rotation 4 wheel alignment should be preformed. Dealership replaced the 2 worn out rear tires with new ones same brand Bridgestone Turanzas. This car should have premium Michelins on it. Now 01-07-07 engine knocks. Metal on metal grinding in engine. Oil change reveals metal chunks and metal filings in oil. Dealership advised Nissan of problem. Nissan has authorized NEW engine replacement only because remanufactured engine not available. This car was never abused. Any faith or trust that this car brand would be relatively good reliable car is shattered. NEVER AGAIN! NO NISSANs

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  Noisy - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Alex Povolotski - January 31 - 11:26 am

  Ive test driven almost any mid-size family sedan on the market and thats what I can say about Nissan Altima. Compared with others in its class, Nissan is noisy. Its engines (both 2.5 and 3.5L) produce, on average, 10-15HP more than the competition but at what cost!!! Engine noise beyond 2000RPM is excessive! At par with Suzuki Ive driven the other day (yes, its that bad)!!! On the positive side, the exterior and interior design is fantastic. No nonsense or extra not needed buttons. Everything is ergonomically laid out and easy to use. CVT is the biggest and unique feature about this car though (surprisingly) its not as smooth as it seems. You just touch the gas slightly and it jolts.

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  Really Like My Car So Far - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By joebobjones - January 30 - 8:57 am

  Bought my car July 2013. So far I really like it, but a few issues to note: 1) Gas milage isnt what was advertised, especially since the weather turned cold in Nov. 2) When coasting in traffic at 20 mph, I sometimes get a significant shaking when I step on the accelerator. Sometimes the shaking is strong enough that its embarrassing. It doesnt happen very often though 3) The "premium" sound system sucks. It sounds like something I would expect from a Toyota Corolla. Its very disappointing, espeically since its supposed to be an upgraded system.

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  Excellent Car for all around town driving at 40mpg avg - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By kirk_jackson - January 29 - 8:45 am

  We just bought our 2014 Nissan Versa Note and I have to say it is great. You cant hear the engine below about 2000 rpm which is the usable economical range. I am getting about 39 to 40 mpg average by watching the mpg constantly. Key is 25 inner city and 55 freeway on cruise. Lots of interior room except the driver door touches my left leg. We got the SV model at 500 of base which included everything. Very easy to park in tight spaces which is something we required. Has euro styling better than competitors. I am learning more about this car every day. Uphill is not good so go 20 to maximize economy. No sun roof.

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  Good car for the price - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By Sriralph - January 29 - 2:00 am

  Great fuel economy, reliable,decent features. But no alloy wheels,less horse power and the rear doesnt look very good. A good first car

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  Not a bad SUV - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JFLJ - January 29 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is solid all-around with no surprises good or bad. The engine is strong with good passing power and the handling is very good for an SUV. The battery and the wind deflector did need to be changed. No other problems so far.