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:

• 

  Loving the best truck Ive owned. - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Paul Zopfi - August 23 - 8:16 am

  Really enjoying my purchase. Have about 38,000 miles with no problems except the brakes which were immediatelly replaced by Nissan. No problems with any thing else. I tow a 33 travel trailer with plenty of power to spare.

• 

  Fun to Drive and listening Music - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Suresh Kesapragada - August 22 - 10:03 pm

  Driving new Nissan Rogue is very much fun. I would like to go for Bose speakers in Nissan Rogue but because of budget I could not. But still speakers quality is awesome and I enjoy listening music while driving. Back seat is very much comfortable and I could not feel this much comfort in CRV and RAV4. Of course I am missing arm rest in the back seat. I love the Nissan Rogue style and especially the alloy wheels and the muscular shape of the vehicle

• 

  Follow-up After 2 Years: Still Good - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By David K - August 22 - 5:16 pm

  It has been two years since I bought my used Altima, and Im not loving it any less. Mileage is now at 73K and the car is asking for new brakes and shocks soon. Also, strangely, a motor mount bushing cracked. A few annoyances: Turning radius is too large, brake interlock in auto trans. clicks loudly when coming to a stop, and sometimes hard 1-2 downshifts. Now that I have the bad out of the way, none of the above prevents me from endorsing this car. Car is still comfy, stylish and sporting. Beyond one trim piece cracking, materials quality is satisfactory.

• 

  Happy with my purchase - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MountainGorilla - August 21 - 6:53 pm

  I really like my pathfinder. Its loaded out except satellite radio. It has a great amount of power, Nav is really nice, front seats are comfortable, Its a nice ride. It looks good and feels good to drive. No real problems.

• 

  Prowling - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Catlady - August 21 - 4:00 pm

  Love this car. Fun to drive, handles well, exceleration is phenomenal. Must get the 6 speed. Bought Blizak snow tires and handles great in the snow even though its RWD. Overall best car Ive ever owned, and Ive had quite a few!

• 

  Poor MPG - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Larrt - August 21 - 12:13 pm

  Purchased Sentra for wife to drive. Needed better mileage than the Ford Explorer she had. Ride is good, also excellent A/C, good design, good back seat space, adequate trunk space, but small trunk opening will not accept many packages. Steering is stiff and requires a solid grip while driving on the highway. MPG is very disappointing as it is 23.5 city, and 25.9 highway. We drive with a soft foot and take off slowly and drive moderate speeds.

• 

  Best truck Ive ever owned - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By here2there - August 21 - 9:20 am

  Purchased my truck used with 36,000 miles from a dealership. This was my second Nissan product. Had a Frontier crew cab that was extremely reliable and was the reason I purchased another Nissan. Have had very good service when oil changes and recalls were performed. Another feather in the Nissan cap. Dealership performance is another reason I bought Nissan. This Titan is solid. I have hauled an economy car from SC to MI without any problems. Have pulled my 18 foot boat on the weekends and its pulls like a dream. Use the Titan for many other projects and I cant see myself doing without it. Love the styling and always gets compliments. Neighbor bought one because he liked mine.

• 

  Done with Nissan - 2014 Nissan Frontier
  By mazzaducci - August 21 - 3:03 am

  I purchased my 2014 Nissan Frontier Pro 4x brand new 01/11/14. I have 53,567 miles on it already and will tell you this, never buy Nissan! on board computer-junk, locks up, loses connection with my phone, and the whole "pay attention to the road" sign could not be more irritating! I drive mostly highway, on cruise control...I have NEVER seen 21 MPG EVER!! The most important factor in selecting this vehical. They somehow neglect to inform you when you purchase the truck of all the mileage related "maintenance" that needs performed. In the 15 months I have owned the truck the dealers have soaked me for over $2000.00!! REALLY!!? I still need tires! I now have 110000 on the truck. The computer is still junk, and they want $150 to upgrade the map. I havent gotten the 100000 maintenance yet and my wallet is terrified. The serpentine belt is squealing quite loudly, and with all the internal fluids that will Im sure "need changed" I have no doubt a $1000+ bill is in my future. I put a 3" lift and 33" tires on the truck. With the bad, I will say the good; I cant get it stuck. I also highly suggest a cold air intake system, it really helped increase power.

• 

  Awesome value, some compromises - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By 2JnPP - August 21 - 2:46 am

  Nissan skimped on the materials used to make up for all the performance it packed in this $30,000 car. The overall interior "feel" is very cheap. We knew this before purchasing & were willing to make the compromise. However, we didnt bargain for all the rattles, creaks, and clanging we have with our Z. Weve had several mechanical issues that usually takes the dealer multiple times to fix. Weve tried working with a few Nissan dealers for service work and have been very disappointed in all aspects of their customer service. This is a beautiful car thats fun to drive, even on a daily basis. We recommend the Z, as long as youre willing to accept the negative aspects of Z ownership.

• 

  Buy This Car - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Bob - August 21 - 12:10 am

  This is my first Nissan Altima and I love this car. I like the looks for the price especially the rear tail lights and trunk deck. It looks like a Mercedes from the back. I picked White. This cost extra although Im not sure why. There are fewer white ones around and no color looks better clean than white. Handles great, good gas mileage, great 6 speaker 100 watt stereo. This car gets looks. Lots of room inside and Im 62. I highly recommend this car.