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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  One Great Truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By nismoblue - September 1 - 9:23 am

  My 06 is now 2yrs old w/ 33,000 miles on it and it still feels great to drive every day. The power is very good, drives like a sports car and feels solid. Try one out if you are thinking about a midsize truck. The interior design is nice with everything laid out really well. I always still look at it while walking way from it after two years.

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  Poor fuel mileage - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By bill - September 1 - 8:33 am

  The window sticker says 23-33 mpg, the mpg gauge on the dash says 32 mpg highway and 23 mpg city, but in actuality it only gets 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. These tests were done under very controlled fill up and driving conditions (I was an engineering technician with GM Research Labs). Our 4cyl Camry did much better than this. We bought the Altima because it was a little smaller than the Camry and thought it would get better mileage. Consumer reports gives the 4cyl Altima 18 mpg city. Feel like we were scammed.

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  Gibsons review - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Chuck Gibson - September 1 - 7:33 am

  I bought the car new in 2002 and have been very pleased overall. A few quirks witht the radio in the beginning, but all is resolved under warranty. Fuel economy is nothing to brag about (25.9mpg on the fuel economy meter, but dont believe it). Engine is powerful and extremely smooth. No problem getting around the slowpokes or merging onto highways. My only complaint is the limited turning radius on this car. Many times I have had to unnecessary 3 point turns that most cars, or even my wifes minivan would cruise through easily. I have received many compliments on this car and dont feel as though I have wasted a dime on it. The resale value proves the resale legacy continues.

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  Excellent SUV - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By loaa - August 31 - 8:20 pm

  Ive been very happy with this SUV since I bought it new in 2005. It has never given me a single problem and has performed amazingly in both snow and sand. This thing practically has claws for tires.

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  Same Book, Chapter Two - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By W. Klasner - August 31 - 5:50 pm

  Prior car was 05 Altima 3.5SE. Both provided great performance, plenty of room, decent to good fuel mileage, great reliability and trouble free operation. Both exhibited weak front suspension, poor dash lighting in radio display,some noticeable flex in body or chassis when under higher passenger loads. Would buy another.

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  BUGS!! BUGS!! BUGSS!!! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By evelynt1 - August 31 - 1:37 pm

  I have had a pretty fair experice with my Nissan Altima but a major dissapointment in this car is that when there is a problem with the vehicle the dealership seems unavailbale to fix it. I live in a rural area where bugs are prominent and it seems that my car as well as others around mine are extremly suscepitable to bugs being into the tail lights. They are very unsightly and nearly immpossibe to get out. When i contacted the dealer they told me that if the problem was not water they were not responsible for fixing my inconvience. I went to the nissan service area to see what I could do about this and they informed me that I would have to pay $500 each for new tail lights.

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  Eric Hill Armada - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Eric Hill - August 31 - 1:06 pm

  This auto was everything we hoped it would be. Comfortable, roomy, and fairly economical for a large SUV. Its styling is an eye catcher and mechanical performance has been outstanding. Made me a true believer that Nissan is the manufacturer I will stay with for future autos.

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  great truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By creaseys - August 31 - 10:46 am

  Love this truck, I think it is light years better than the competition. I have driven or owned all of them and it is truly the best.

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  Why Pay More? - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By NissanGuy - August 31 - 8:36 am

  Bought this car as a daily driver after wrecking my first 300ZX (I have another one now in the garage). Was very pleasantly surprised by the strong performance, and good interior room. I love Nissans - I think you consistently get more for your money than with Toyota or Honda. I wanted an auto for DC area driving conditions, so a Spec-V was out of the question, but the SE-R has performed just fine. I think the car is nimble and generally handles well in all weather conditions, but I agree that the OEM Firehawk tires need help. My main complaint is the same as most others - the interior is cheap looking and feeling. In sum, you get a lot more go for your $ with the SE-R vs the others.

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  GREAT Truck - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By TAMARA - August 30 - 11:00 am

  I owned 3 Nissan Pathfinders, a 1997 SE, 2001 LE and 2004 SE. I did not like the new models, but I love Nissan quality, so I decided to try the Xterra, since it was in my price range. I absolutely love the acceleration, a lot better than my Pathfinders. I love the way the truck looks and the way it handles on the road, very quiet on the parkway. I do miss the sunroof and armrest that were in my Pathfinders. The Rockford Fosgate stereo system is out of this world!!