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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  Good commuter car - 2011 Nissan Versa
  By lughead - October 23 - 11:14 am

  Good car for a long commute.

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  Great First Truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Vince Wojo - October 22 - 11:13 pm

  The Nissan Titan LE with tow package gives me the truck I need to easily pull a 25 ft. travel trailer and still use it as a personal vehicle (Crew Cab). My trucks 18 inch tires are super quiet and smooth, its engine is fairly quiet and the transmission is silky smooth. It is easy to enter and exit from all four doors. It has some rattles, but it is generally a tight fit. The gas mileage is not great, but did not buy it for fuel economy. I would recommend it to any potential pickup truck buyer.

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  Decent car with maintenance issues - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By nncincinnati - October 22 - 8:03 pm

  The Altima was very reliable early on, but as it aged, needed many more costly repairs and fixes. At ten years and less than 100,000, it has cost $600-1500 per year for the last five years to keep it running (not including tires!). My mechanic says there a few fundamental design flaws that show as this car ages that are costly (because they are labor intensive) to fix.

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  If only it was as good as its ads! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Jerry Brickwood - October 22 - 9:10 am

  So far I am unimpressed with the XTerra. It should be a fully competent SUV but it isnt. In fact with only 3 inches of wet snowfall I couldnt even get out of my driveway without using 4wd low range. 1/3 of my driving is on Bradford County PA dirt roads (read partially improved cowpaths) which are often running mud except when thay are frozen mud. So far the Xterra has not matched the performance of either my 1999 Explorer XLT or my 1993 Explorer 2-door. I dont believe it will ever come up to the level of my 1971 Land Cruiser Wagon or my 1973 International Scout II.

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  no start - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By rotty - October 21 - 12:03 pm

  I have a 2007 Nissan versa, I am having problems with it starting, very intermittent, turn key for about 10 seconds, just cranks over and wont start, wife embarrassed trying to start it also, also am having probems with weatherstripping falling off back doors in the same place, not overly impressed with gas mileage as what the sticker says.

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  Overall Satisfied - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By postalmaster - October 20 - 10:00 am

  This is the best looking import mini van.

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  2007 Altima - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By vlc78 - October 19 - 7:10 pm

  There are many qualities that I enjoy about my Nissan Altima, but there are a few that I am not so crazy about. I will start with the positive qualities first. The 2007 altimas interior is very spacious. I also really enjoy the push button start.... The audio features sound great, and it looks much sportier than some of the other cars in its class. However, I do have some complaints about the car. The drivers seat is very uncomfortable after about 20-30 minutes of driving. I find that my back usually hurts after long trips. Also, today it was 70 degrees here and my inside temp. said it was 41! The check engine light comes on from time to time.

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  Almost a Lemon - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Dave D - October 18 - 9:00 am

  We have owned the Quest for a year and a half and in that time have had it back to the dealership for repairs/warranties/recalls/service about 15 times. Within the first month of owning the Quest, I noticed rattling noises, wind coming from the rear doors, and other "small things" that seemed much worse becasue they only added to the overall total of complaints I began to have. Couple this with the passenger side mirror needing to be replaced, rear defogger unit replaced, doors adjusted, sensors tweeked, and the kicker, the alternator and battery dying in the middle of January in Minnesota away from home, and you can see why I must say this is the absolute worst vehicle I have ever owned.

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  2013 Pathfinder problems - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By leprechaun3 - October 17 - 12:13 pm

  Purchased on 12 Aug 2013. Took it on a trip last week (30 Oct t0 2 Nov). Experienced power surges when stopped, rpm jumped from 500 to 1000 . Had to keep foot on brake. Vehicle shuddered, once to the point that the whole vehicle shook. Took it to dealer today, 4 Nov, they called and told me that the transmission had to be replaced. The vehicle is 2 1/2 months old and has 2300 miles. They also told me that it was Nissans policy to replace transmissions with remanufactured transmissions. Immediately called Nissan customer Care, told them this was not acceptable. Was told that my complaint would be expedited and that someone form Nissan HQ would call me. Waiting for more info now.

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  Oil Consumption - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima -Minimus - October 15 - 6:53 am

  Had to replace engine at 61K due to excessive oil consumption. Was adding oil weekly driving less than 30 miles per week but rings still damaged cylinders. Bought car for known reliability. Very sad and painful experience. Wards 10 best VQ35. Yeah,Right!