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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  80,000 nightmare - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By hi2008 - June 21 - 8:43 pm

  Bought this car last year. It only had 62,000 miles and all service records were produced. Thought we had lucked up, HOWEVER - brakes squeaked constantly - dealer tried to fix, but squeaking continued. A month in, the cd player broke. Went to open the rear gate and the trim that covers the latch came off in my hand! It is funny to count the ones we see around town with that piece missing. While on vacation, the check engine light came on at around 78,000 miles. Got back, called Nissan and was told that the converter was covered up to 80,000 miles, BUT since I had taken the car to my local garage instead of a Nissan dealer, they would not honor warranty. Just a 2010 VW - no more Nissans!

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  First Pathy....but not last - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Buzzo in NY - June 21 - 3:20 am

  I researched mid-sized SUVs for about six months before deciding to buy my Pathfinder. My comparisons were "whittled" down to the T4R, Acura MDX and NPF. Considering the MDX was about 10K more than I wanted to spend....then there were two. What ultimately made my decision easy was the financing Nissan offered and to date have not been disappointed. I only have about 7K miles on it and have not yet experienced any of the transmission "clunking" stated by other reviewers. One thing Im keeping an eye/ear on is the amount of engine vibration that exists between 4K and 5K RPM. It seems to smooth out closer to the redline. Extremely happy so far however...

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  Interior needs help - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Richard - June 20 - 4:10 pm

  Titan is a very well made vechicle. I had problems with thr brakes and I had to replace the tires at 24000 miles. nissan repaired the brakes for free but I had to pay to replace the tires. I enjoy diving this truck and the space it has inside of the crew cab is unbelieveable. The only thing I do not like is there is no place to hang my clothes in the back without blocking my kids view and it also make it unsafe when the kids are in the rear. I hope Nissan will fix this problem so they can compete with Ford.

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  aint no mountain high enough........... - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By TIMMAAAAAYYYYYY - June 20 - 3:56 am

  Great looking exterior. Fit and finish are excellent. Rides like a truck, but that is expected. Gas mileage is sub par, but the fun to drive factor outweighs the gas mileage by far. I bought it for my wife for Christmas, and she loves to get up in the mountains and take her new truck off road over pretty substantial terrain (sand, medium boulders, dry river beds) It keeps on going as long as you can keep gas in it.

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  Just picked it up - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By bogey3737 - June 18 - 4:30 am

  Picked up our brand new Murano last night and are thrilled. Originally wanted an SL, but got a great deal on a loaded AWD LE: $42k MSRP, 38k Inoice - paid $35k. My wife is VERY happy! A little concerned about replacement tires with the 20" wheels...looks like the only place to get the exact tire is at the dealer. Anyone had luck with finding a close match?

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  Front left seal at Pumpkin leakage - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Brian Miller - June 17 - 9:23 pm

  I brought my truck to the dealership after noticed a shiny area around mt front diff when I put my hand up to touch it it moved around like a joy stick. I bough it to the dealer and they popped the seal back in and filled it back up with diff fluid. They refused to cover it under warranty because I have a PRG leveling kit, I know other who have had the same problem lift kit or not and got it covered. I spent $95. Very disappointing.

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  fast and fun - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By Randon - June 16 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and very quick for what it is. It is a very reliable vehicle. No problem passing when needed as it is very responsive and quick.

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  damn good truck - 2012 Nissan Frontier
  By fourthgentexan - June 15 - 12:12 pm

  Ive owned trucks for thirty years. As a professional salesman requiring a truck I drove Fords, Chevys and even the pitiful Dodge. I prefer Toyotas, but for value you cant beat the frontier. It was 5k cheaper than the comparably equipped Toyota Tacoma. The tires that come on the Frontier are crap. They lasted about 22k, and were outright scary on wet pavement. After putting Michelin ATX tires on the truck I feel its among the best vehicles Ive had. Through the recent Ice storm in North Texas I never slid or had a problem getting where I wanted to go.

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  Its ok but keep looking..... - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By tmw1207 - June 13 - 11:46 pm

  I leased a 2013 Altima after returning a 2010 Camry...the noisy engine is driving me nuts! It doesnt last the entire time but upon acceration it is noisy and shaky like an old car. I didnt notice as much during the test drive but I really hate this car... I hate it. I now wish I bought out my lease with the quiet, reliable Camry. The acceration on the car is good and the value is good- the design is great, its a nice machine to look at. The lighting is poor. The driver seat is comfortable after you manuever every which way to make it so... Passenger seat cant be adjusted as much and is horrible. If you can handle the noise go for it...its not SO BAD but its a deal breaker for me.

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  Great Value - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Guy Emmons - June 12 - 5:53 pm

  My overall experience in owning this Altima was very good. The maintenance was at a minimum; only taking care of the essentials in the usual required schedule. The only thing that was ever an issue was the transmission not downshifting when there was sustained driving; it would hang there in 3rd gear. The dealer was able to get Nissan to install a new transmission and extend the warranty for another 12 months or 100,00 miles. The idea of Nissan making it right goes a long way with me and I have told many people about my experience in owning this Altima.