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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  Nissan is Good - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By TaxMan - October 6 - 10:00 am

  The only car I drove that outperformed the Maxima was a 540 6-spd, but it was two years old, had over 30k miles, and was priced about $10k more than the Max I purchased. No other car priced under $35k can match the Maximas blend of performance, quality, and content. My only major complaint is the paint quality - the car is five months old and has almost a dozen paint chips on the front bumper. Great car - loads of passenger space, good looking, fantastic engine and transmission.

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  Great car - 2017 Nissan Altima
  By Chris rizzuto - October 6 - 7:54 am

  Best car for your money.

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  Great for the price - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Ethereal - October 2 - 8:30 pm

  Ive had this car for almost a year, and I do not regret buying it. It handles amazingly well, and I keep pushing it further and further with no complaints back. The car is great for the price.

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  Dont fool yourself. Go beyond the look. - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By VSW - October 2 - 4:46 pm

  My first brand new car. I decided to pay for it because I did not want to deal with mechanics any time soon and the bluetoothd be good. So wrong. As other mentioned, tires pressure light keeps going off and it stopped only after changing 4 tires. There are TOO many blind spots, the more I drive the less comfortable Im with the car. Few problems: blinds are broken, side panel badly aligned, so are the doors, brakes have to be replaced, battery over charging, bluetooth is not worthy and now the transmission is giving me problems, and the dealer cannot reproduce it. I do have good gas mileage, but Id not mind spending little more on gas for better quality. Think it through!

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  Doesnt Owe Me a Dime! - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By Bob - October 1 - 1:13 pm

  The car just turned over 223,000 miles and Ive had nothing major to complain about. Mileage with the 5 speed is still VERY good at about 37 MPG average for all types of driving, and upwards of 42 mpg on the highway. Just got my first tear in the cloth drivers seat, and one in the carpeting under the clutch pedal. A bit of rust inside the door openings but thats about all. Im going to be sorry to see this one go, if it ever does! Just maintain the regular service schedule and you should always be good to go.

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  A little advice - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By A little advice - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Do not have a DVD installed after market! Even though there is a flip down slot for the screen built in to the vehicle, the installers cant seem to install it properly so that the screen doesnt rattle around and can be opened at any position. I love the power of this vehicle and the roominess of the back seat. Little squeaks and noices began occuring soon after I bought the vehicle - very annoying for an expensive purchase.

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  So far, so good. - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By lbk2228 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Seems like a great car. Fun to drive and good features. The only draw back is the dealership, we got screwed on the deal - even after doing all of our homework. I guess that is our fault, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth!

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  Commute Brute - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By d2 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  This truck is a typical Nissan truck. Runs forever, not much power, but will run and run and run. 52,000 miles an no problems. Just gas and oil changes. I kind of neglect the truck, but heck I only paid 13,000 for it. If I can get 6 years out of it with no major repairs and then sell it for 2,500 it is a win win. I like the style and 24 mpg highway.This kind of truck is a must for a homeowner that needs some weekend hauling. They say you can never give up a truck once you have one. Ok off to Home Depot adios,

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  02 X - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By HokieX - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Picked up my Xterra in Aug 03 as a certified used. I have put about 16,000 miles on it since then and have had absolutly no problem with it. Very affordable, low maitenence vehicle. Lots of fun to drive. Rugged truck with the feeling it could go just about anywhere.

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  04 Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By md1971 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Great engine and handling. Rougher ride. Very poor interior build quality. Lots of creaking and cracking sounds on the bumps. Required a return trip to the dealer to fix the sounds.