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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  My Frontier...its great!!! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Terry - July 13 - 12:50 am

  The interior was the main selling point over any other truck in this class. I still feel like Im in a sedan, and the Rockford Sound System...simply rocks!!!!

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  My pathfinder - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Juelmarie - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I really like the car - my advise to anyone who buys it is - use the internet pricing. Dont let the dealer get ya. I dont like the door size to the back seats. Inside its okay in the back - front seat is very comfortable. Resale seems to be more than fair.

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  Rock Solid and Reliable, but Boring - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By bills01se - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I recently sold my 98 Altima SE after driving it for 65,000 miles. I am happy to report ZERO mechanical problems. The only maintenance I paid for was front brakes and 4 tires at 50,000 miles. The car was economical, peppy, and most important, reliable. I would highly recommend it for a student or 1st time car buyer. The value is there. The only problems were wind noise, and some minor build quality issues in the cabin. Yes, it is rather boring, but thats exactly what some people need.

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  Hwycruiser - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Rock4life - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a small truck with enough power to pull my boat and have get up and go like a car. The 6-disc cd indash is nice but lacks on wattage. The hwys around here are a little rough so the ride can be bumpy. The tires are an odd ball size and firestone is the only one that makes that size on the Supercharged model. I can say that this truck loves the hwy speed. The worst thing about this truck is the gas mileage, IT SUCKS! I drive about 26 miles each way to work, mostly hwy and I average 14mpg. I am considering going back to a full size truck, if I am going to drive a vehicle with 18mpg or less it might as well be a full size with a V8...

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  CVT - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Amanda - July 12 - 8:10 am

  We bought this car brand new in 2005, I loved it. The drive was amazing and smooth, I just loved every feature of the car. We have had no issues with the car and it has been very well maintained. I took it in to have the brakes replaced, which didnt need to be done until 65,000 miles. After I picked up the car I noticed it was making this fluttering sound so I took it to the dealer and the dream car became a nightmare. They told me it had internal failure to the transmission and they recommend replacement. $4500.00!! There were metal shavings in my fluid and besides the noise I wouldnt have noticed because it still drove fine. Please be cautious with this tranny it is costly to replace!

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  Nissan Versa 2007 - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Marc Weissman - July 11 - 9:46 am

  Overall very satisfied with handling and comfort of drive, especially in the snow. My wife loves it!

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  Could have been better - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By tabaks - July 8 - 3:56 pm

  The car is a fun, good looking drive I never regretted buying. However, there are few issues I believe Nissan should have addressed better. before that, praises. Car accelerates nicely, almost too sensitive at first. Turns are handled with a heart-stopping precission! It loves the open road, achieveing road/city mileage ratio of 1.5! It feels wind a bit too much, with an uncany feeling "oops, this wind is moving me around, i guess..." Being the first-year car, I noticed these glitches: something is clicking under the dash when accelerating/braking, service had NO CLUE what it is. Doors resonate with music a bit too well. A bit difficult to get in if youre a big driver.

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  2001 Nissan Xterra - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By MissBiker - July 8 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has been extremely dependable! Fun to drive! I have never been stuck in this vehicle... it goes thru anything.

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  2002 car of the year... NOT! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By 1969iggy - July 8 - 2:00 am

  So many things have gone wrong, and the dealership (Armory Nissan in Albany, NY) is not what youd call "customer friendly:...

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  Just OK... - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By A - July 6 - 12:56 am

  Fourth Nissan leased. Two prior Altimas, then a Sentra SE-R, now this Altima. Great inerior room and trunk. very impressive audio system for low model car. Handles pretty nimbly as well. The cloth seats are the lousiest cloth I have ever lived with, didnt seem as bad when purchased, but looks and feels cheap when compared to other vehicles. Been quite reliable. But car not exceptional in any way. Nice basic transportation, and very respectable looks.