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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  Problems from the begining - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By abdulmoid - September 2 - 5:40 pm

  Bought the car, drove off from the dealership in Toronto and hear the rattling sound from the rear section behind the drivers seat. Took out everything from the car, drove again for about 100 kms & the rattling is there, took it to the dealership, they said its the headliner, tried to fix it broke the headliner, then they order a new headliner & replaced it, called me to pick it up after 3 weeks, I went to pick it up, inspect the car & there are big wet stains inside the sunroof shade, showed it to them left it for one more day, now its been a week they were unable to clean the stains and are replacing the sunshade. Ive been without my car for 4 weeks now. Extremely disappointed I am

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  Well worth the money - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By Todd Van - September 1 - 4:53 pm

  Review This is my first Xterra and love it. This is a solid, safe SUV. The 2011 is very comfy, but there is something I wish it had, carpeted cargo area (otherwise EVERYTHING slides around) I bought it with power seats, multi-CD changer, Sirius radio, and leather, the Rockford Fosgate stereo is great, and I added a ipod plug to complete it. The plastic console collects every piece of dust because it has a softer material. I my X to the mountains and give it a serious workout and it performs great. I have locking differentals, roof rack, and heavy duty bumpers and they all work great. Ive towed my 4K toyhauler around, but wouldnt recommend doing this in the mountains. The mileage is 10 to 14 in town and 15 to 17 on the hwy, not bad for 4 wheel drive. These are real numbers by dividing gallons into mileage. The few things Ive done to my truck is add, HD bumper front and rear, air bags in rear, Ipod plug, led light bar on bumper and winch. I have used everything quite a bit too. If you want a SUV that does it all this is the one.

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  its ok - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By kimbo - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I love the way my nissan looks, however, some charge up hill is slow, and slowly but surely many of the interior features are slowley fading, gas cage doesnt stay closed, tires stink, and are hard to replace. lighter doesnt work, small things like that. Overall it is a good ,reliable car. cost efficient on gas. If you get a good dealer price is is a steal. But if you care about the inside stuff, be warned

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  AWESOME LIL CRUISER - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By LOBOSOLO - September 1 - 10:00 am

  BOUGHT THIS LIL GEM FROM A PRIVATE PERSON AT 12K WITH ONLY 7800 MILES. I HAVE DRIVEN HER HARD FOR 2.5 MONTHS NOW AND AM JUST A PLEASED CUSTOMER COMFORTABLE AND EFFICIENT. GREAT STYLING. THE ONLY THING SHE LACKS IS A LITTLE BIT O JAM WHEN I STOMP DOWN ON THE GAS. ONCE UP TO SPEED THOUGH THIS BABY ROCKETS JUST FINE. DAMN THE MAP LIGHTS THOUGH!NISSANS RUN FOREVER TOO!

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  Problem with Rear Main Seal/leaking oil - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By janeen - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Nissan Quest 2004 for one month. On its one month anniversary, we noticed oil in the driveway. It was leaking oil...minimal but still for a $27,000 car you expect more than that. Took it back to Quirk and they gave me a rental. If I knew it was going to take a week to fix, I would not have settled for the Kia Rio I was given. Picked up my Nissan tonight and hope that is the end of any problems.

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  350 Z Base Coupe Owners - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Charles M. Anoff - August 30 - 11:10 pm

  6-spd standard transmission. Handling excellent. Performance very good. Comfortable to drive. Replaced exhaust with twin Borla. Replaced speakers with after-market. Excellent sound. City driving can be somewhat punishing with standard suspension. Highway driving is a dream!

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  I love my Nissan Truck... - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Rosemary Tavis - August 30 - 9:00 pm

  I love my truck... It is fun to drive and it sure does have power... The seats could be more comfortable though. I wanted leather and 4wd but could not afford the payment. Any way I look forward to driving my truck every day. It lools so cool too.

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  Better than the others - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By szutavern - August 30 - 2:20 pm

  My wife just wrecked our 2002 maxima. Bought it used with less than 30K on it. Radio was a piece but the car ran and drove flawlessly for over 7 years and 155k miles. The dammed low-profile tires you have to run on these is the worst feature. All I did was change the oil regularly. It was in the shop for struts and then again for a steering rack. Total additional cost over regular stuff was like $2,000. Almost made the mistake today buying a an 2001 accord w. 73K on it till I read about all the problems with trannys and abs light garbage on those era of Hondas. I am looking for another nissan

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  Looks good but major build quality issus - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By J - August 27 - 4:16 pm

  Test drove the Highlander and Pilot and Murano, and we fell in love with the Murano. It was the best deal for all the features we wanted. It handled well and we loved the look - a prototype for other crossover SUVs to follow/copy. Unfortunately, car has had some major issues. Front control arms/transverse links went bad- $1000, the driver visor has been replaced and went bad again (design defect)- $350, front motor mount - $500, AC stinks- blows smelly socks air due to poor condensation drainage design, oil cooler seal, premium fuel.

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  OKAY car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By m.grisham - August 27 - 3:53 pm

  The exterior design is eye catching. The car also offers plenty of room for passengers and for luggage in the trunk. It is fun to drive. However, if you are looking for a more luxurious and smoothe ride, then you may want to consider other cars. The car is smooth on well-paved roads but on bumpy roads you will feel all bumps. Overall, I expected more out of this car because Nissan has a good reputation. I am a little disappointed with all the rattles the car has while still under factory warranty. Also, tires are a problem. Have replaced and the car still shakes when driving 78 mph or more. When first purchasing the Altima, thought after 1 yr. maybe moving to a Maxima but now wont buy.