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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  80000 miles and very few problems - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Saurus - September 20 - 3:20 am

  Approaching 80k miles now and in the 6 years i have owned this vehicle it has required: 1. Oxygen sensor replaced at 50k - about $100 2. Exhaust worn out and replaced at 75k -probably due to amount of snow driving and salty roads up here in Canada 3. Tires replaced at 50k and 80k. I am very happy with this truck, it never breaks down on me.

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  I LOVE MY JUKE! - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By 86bandit - September 20 - 2:47 am

  I purchased my JUKE SV AWD at the beginning of the month in Electric Blue. I LOVE it! I traded an 06 Buick Rendezvous w/ all the trimmings and only 22-23mpg. Heard a lot of flack about JUKEs lack of mpg, however, I commute 50 miles one way daily, 1/3=2 lane hwy 1/3=interstate 1/3=city, and Im getting 27-29mpg. I have NO idea why I have never driven a Nissan before now, but it will be difficult for me to drive anything BUT in the future. Its been called a baby hippo, and alligator, etc. I choose to think of it as my frog on steroids! AND I dont see many of them on the road, so that makes it more unique. :) Love, love, LOVE IT!!!

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  Suspension Defect!! - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By 2016Rogue - September 19 - 2:36 pm

  At 900 miles my 2016 Rogue started making a popping noise in the front wheels area when I turn the steering wheel. Nissan states it is a manufacturing defect in the struts and they a working on a solution. I was told they know it is annoying but it is not a safety issue. That tells me they are not overly concerned with finding a solution. The paint scars and scratches easily. I wish I had not bought a Nissan. Im sure if I tried to sale this Rogue, no one would even drive it out of my driveway the way it is popping.

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  Good reliable car-quality so so - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By paulsod - September 18 - 3:03 pm

  Great entry vehicle but it does not want to stay centered in the lane at highway speeds. Great engine and performance for a 126 hp 4 cylinder, but cheap components for the rest of the vehicle. I got it for $13,300 out the door and I consider this the best car out there for this amount. However, Civic and Corolla better but more expensive.

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  A fun little car - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By mark Chan - September 18 - 2:00 am

  THIS SENTRA SER SPEC V IS A FUN CAR TO DRIVE, WITH LOTS OF TORQUE AND PLENTY OF POWER. THERE IS NO TURBO LAG OR WAITING FOR THE VTEC MECHANISM TO KICK IN, PRETTY MUCH LIKE DRIVING A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MUSTANG, IF THERE IS ONE. THE SUSPENSION SETTING IS FIRM BUT COMFORTABLE. FORTUNATELY, NISSAN HAS INSTALLED THE HELICAL LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL INTO THIS VEHICLE, OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE A REAL CHALLENGE TO DRIVE THIS LITTLE MONSTER IN RAIN OR SNOW. BODY STRUSTURE IS IMPRESSIVE, COMBINED WITH THAT PRIMITIVE REAR BEAM AXLE, IT HANDLES MUCH LIKE A GOLF GTI, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING.

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  altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By gkmjdavid - September 18 - 2:00 am

  very fun car to drive, still get lots of compliments on looks. needs lighting at night for door controls and cruise controls.

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  pile the miles on - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Tom - September 17 - 12:46 pm

  Bought this for a low cost commute for 800 miles/week. Bought it with 95K and after a year its at 140K miles. Ive had to replace O2 sensors, one spark coil, and half shafts (they werent ready to fail but the boots were cracked) at a cumulative cost of about $900. The car still drives new, looks to be a couple of years old and gets about 28+ mpg. The performance has fallen off some but it is still fast. The handling and steering are as tight as a new car. Pretty amazing.

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  Strictly Utilitarian - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By devilsadvocate - September 17 - 10:53 am

  Nissan created the Frontier XE with reliability and function in mind. It eliminated all components that are prone to fail: power windows, locks and seats and created a truck made specifically to endure a very harsh work environment. I used it as a commuter and motorcycle hauler. For these activities it performed very well. Of the 40,000 miles I logged on this truck it spent not one hour in the shop aside routine maintenance. The larger Frontiers are designed for comfort and performance but the XE is as rugged as it gets. The interior is composed of durable plastics and rubber. The bench seat restricts the already small cab but is overall comfortable.

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  MIXED Feelings?? - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By guyhazard - September 16 - 11:13 pm

  There are things about this Truck I love and things I hate. The performance as far as road handeling and power are Great, this truck moves when you put your foot in it! stability steering all good even at high speed. Off Road is very poor, Handeling is rough, I have had to replace sway bar mounts 5 times the last time with a beefed up aftermarket kit and instead of the joints breaking the whole sway bar broke off. multiple broken u joints, you might think im beating this truck to death, this is simple offroad washbed driving not trail running, jumping crazieness like I used to do in my Silverado. Paint is completely faded in roof, hood and wheel wells and ive hand waxed it 4 times a year .

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  Tough damn looking car! - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Frank - September 16 - 1:54 am

  I loved the way it looked overall. I found the "A" pillars to obstruct the view out of the front window especially looking to the left or right when trying to see before pulling out into traffic. The ride was never entirely smooth except when on the interstate. The final straw for me was the CVT transmission and the noise it constantly created. It was maddening to try and find the "sweet spot" with the transmission to get it where I did not hear the growl. I never could so decided to trade it in for a 2010 Lexus RX 350 and man oh man, what an amazing difference. This Lexus is a totally different experience and it is all good.