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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  reliable car - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By kab - May 24 - 10:00 am

  We leased the 99 Altima,and as for our family,the car has been very dependable.We have had no problems with this car.I dont know about a used one,but this one was brand new,and an excellent car.

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  Nissan Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By paul farek - May 23 - 4:00 am

  A very good first effort for nissan in the full size truck segment. Great drivetrain with excellent highway power and responsiveness. A homerun if gas mileage was better.

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  Great car thus far - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By lexmaxima - May 22 - 10:57 pm

  I bought my used 2002 SE in 11/10. It had 60K on it when I bought it. It now has 70K on it and has been a great car thus far. It has 255 HP which is really good for a 4 door sedan. The auto dimming rearview mirror is nice as well as the homelink system. I am 6 3 and the legroom as well as headroom is quite adequate. The basckseat however is a bit cramped for taller passengers. The body side molding and the rear spoiler are nice touches I believe. The xenon headlamps that were upgraded for this model year are great, as well as the fog lights. This car really has great acceleration. the gas mileage is fair in the high teens around town. great car thus far.

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  2004 pathfinder - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By AC - May 22 - 6:30 pm

  I like my pathfinder other than the gas mileage and the 6 disc radio gives me trouble in cold weather. Its a very comfortable ride with lots of room. Goes excellent in the snow.

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  200K miles on my 00 X - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By calabash_72 - May 22 - 9:44 am

  Well, I bought my 2000 Nissan Xterra in 2003, shortly after my baby girl was born and I needed 4 doors instead of my extend cab suicide doors on my Silverado. I am going on 12 years owning and 200,000 miles. The cons-bad gas mileage, avg 12-14mpg, cold air intake gave me +1mpg. Really underpowered. Only thing is @ 145k my timing belt broke, supposed to change @ 125k anyway. Distributor went out @ 195k. Other than that, just normal maint wear and tear. I cannot really complain on cost of repairs since there have been so few.

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  Best In Class SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rszkodzi - May 21 - 10:00 am

  This has to be the best Large Class SUV on the road today. I drove all SUVs in this class, except the Range Rover (Price), and Hummer (Not Enough Luxuries), and this beat them all. The drive is like my old Explorer Limited. Very car like feel, no boat like lean in turns. The on board computers do a phenominal job of traction control and the Auto setting for the selectable 4WD makes you feel like your glued to the road. The best selling point for me was the fold down seats. Perfectly Flat.

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  A Satisfied Customer - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By genius163 - May 21 - 10:00 am

  In general, I am very pleased with the performance of my 02 Altima. I have already put almost 80k miles on it, mostly due to commuting in Los Angeles traffic. I have had only one repair that wasnt due to maintenance. One year ago, after a long road trip in the middle of the summer, the oxygen sensor needed replacing. I dont know if the trip had anything to do with it.

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  Great Buy - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By MLJ - May 21 - 10:00 am

  The Murano is a good vehicle. Cool design, great handling, good gas mileage & smooth V6. Its nice to have a vehicle that you dont see on the road every day.

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  Not too shabby.... - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By foxymophandle - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Handles beautifully, so comfortable. As someone said above, back to the dealership within a day of buying, and again within a week. The lights staying on on the dash are a problem with the offroad package: a clip bent by the front passenger side tire made the cable go into the rim and get worn through by the tire causing the ABS, VDC and slip light to stay on - which means there was actually no ABS in the front. The dealership was able to fix this, along with a rattle in the front dash.

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  Darn Good Car - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Elisa - May 18 - 6:03 pm

  I bought mine about 5 - 6 months ago, drives good, I dont get 30 mpg though like the other comments left, I get about 20 mpg and 25 on highway, either way its a cute compact car, dont like the trunk lights too much but the front is nice looking, could be a little bigger inside, overall no problems.