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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  So far so goog little truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By dcdoc97 - June 9 - 11:16 pm

  Bought this truck used in May 2006. Inside is comfortable. Outside is nice. have taken couple of trips of 300+ mile and it was a comfortable ride. cab is quite in highway speed. turning radius could be better. horrible gas milage (15 city, 17 highway)!! I pulled a boat and a trailer with a combined weight of about 4200 lb from LA to Las Vegas. the truck had no problems except going up hill (it could only go 50 mph up hill!!)

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  2007 Nissan Maxima - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Larry Bornemeier - June 9 - 7:50 pm

  Excellent vehicle, a pleasure to drive especially with the new CVT transmission. Holds the road very well and more than adequate power.

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  Great Truck for a Buck - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By johng - June 9 - 6:33 pm

  I purchased my Nissan X-Terra SE in 2005 brand new. I wanted BASIC reliable transportation and 4wheel drive. Live in the northeast. I have just under 40000 miles Ive replaced the brakes all around once along with routine maintenance. The truck always starts always gets me where I have to go. Wish the gas mileage was better but I knew what I was getting when I made the purchase. The engine has loads of power and handle like a stable truck. This is not meant to be a fancy ride. Its a basic good honest truck, thats it.

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  Safety of 2005 altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By V.Luce - June 9 - 1:30 am

  Leased vehicle 8/2004 after receiving offer from Nissan on early termination of lease on 2001 Pathfinder. Loved that SUV. Was impressed with Altimas overall design and engine performance. Neglected to check oversall body frame. Late August 2004 while slowly backing out of a parking space hit a low brick planter(too low to see in rear view mirror. Cost replacement molded bumper $542.00.Used a magnet to check the body and found the hood and trunk were molded not metal. Concerned safety driving this car whose body is not 100% metal.

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  Something Different - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By preevyet - June 8 - 11:56 am

  We like the van except for the inferior original tires (Goodyear LS-2). At 25K, needed to be replaced, unacceptable for a family touring vehicle. Why Nissan puts these crappy tires on baffles me. Have had some minor problems, purse holder broke on passenger seat ($13), passenger side seat belt constantly locks up, and auto air system doesnt always work right. Lots of room, comfortable ride hoping to be even better with decent tires. Have taken it on 3 long trips, comfortable for long trips (did 13+ hours just recently). Cant beat the features, looks different than any other minivan out there. The SE was worth the upgrade for the airbags and stereo, would recommend w/out stock goodyears.

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  Great car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Mike - June 6 - 11:30 am

  I bought my Altima two years ago and it has always delivered an excellent driving experience. You wouldnt think that a big four-cylinder car would be fun to drive, but the Altimas peppy performance and good handling make it a good time to drive. Its size and trunk space add versatility. Its also a great looking car, very aggressive and sporty looking with the 16 alloy wheels. It is also very reliable, I have never had any major problems with the car. The only downside is that the fuel economy leaves a LOT to be desired (see my comments below).

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  05 Titan heads-up - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By David - June 6 - 10:03 am

  I have owned my Titan for 11 months now and have been pleased with the performance of the vehicle other than the following: During the first tank of gas the fuel sensor went bad and had to be replaced. A few months later one of the electric motors on the drivers power seat quit working and had to be replaced. During both of these visits to the dealer, the service department was terrible. I never received any calls to update me on the status of my vehicle even though they had to keep the vehicle for several days. I later found out that they had broken other parts while trying to fix the original problems and had to order additional parts.

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  Fun ride - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By blt6 - June 5 - 8:16 pm

  No real surprises with my juke. The mileage is around 27 overall with 50% city driving. Peppy, agile and easy to maneuver parking lots. Seat is very comfortable snd supportive. Managed to fit an office chair in the hatch, but is tight back there.

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  Wish I had spent more time test driving - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Vivian JonesSmith - June 4 - 3:28 am

  I bought this vehicle used about a month ago - it is a 2011 Silver addition with 4WD - I use it daily for to/from work and have just taken my first long distance (5 hours) trip in it. My major issue is with interior space. I wanted an optional 3rd row, which this vehicle has, but if you want to bring groceries home - you cannot have the third row up. The second row is not much use except for storage, you could fit two small people, or children comfortably, but two full grown adults would have a hard time after 30 minutes. Especially if there is a full grown person in the front seat with the front seat back - it only gives about 8 inches of leg room to the second row. So basically I have a two person vehicle with 4 doors. There are very few storage compartments - so I have added a container to the back cargo area to hold the basic items I keep in a vehicle. The driver side seat does not have lumbar support (that I have found) there are multiple adjustments, but nothing that helps the lower back - the head rest juts forward more than is comfortable for my neck, so I find that if I am in the vehicle more than an hour, I am constantly adjusting the seat trying to find a comfortable position that supports my back and allows my neck to be at a comfortable angle. The radio controls are crazy - the radio is incorporated into the dash (so you have no option of ever replacing it) and you have to reach all the way across the middle of the vehicle to the passenger side to change the station - but the volume control is too near the driver - the heat/AC controls are between the volume knob and the station selection knob and I still find myself adjusting the temperature instead of the volume. There are controls on the steering wheel, but with the weird issues I am having with the radio and display, I cannot change the channel from the steering wheel if it is on XM. By the way - XM is not a visible option on the radio controls - you have to push the radio button twice and then you can access XM. I have had electrical issues with the radio - it gets stuck on a station and no matter what station I have it on when I turn off the vehicle - it turns on to the stuck station, with no volume - then it changed to another station it is stuck on. I cannot reprogram my stations - once the vehicle is turned off - they all reset to what was there before. I can change the station once the vehicle is on, but I have to adjust the radio every single time I get in. The display flashes bright then dim for no reason - I ll be driving down the road and the display flashes. There is no navigation and the display is hard to use. The temperature is very difficult to regulate - it goes from hot to cold to hot - and on the long trip I had to constantly adjust the temperature to keep the inside from being either too cold or too stuffy. If you try to use vent without AC - it blows hot like it is coming directly from the engine, so you still have to adjust the temperature to regulate the inside conditions. With all that said, I wanted a vehicle that could go off road for bike races and possibly pull a camper - in those two areas, the Pathfinder is great - awesome ground clearance and the tow package is for 6,000 lbs (though I have been advised to not tow to the max since the vehicle is older) Gas mileage is what I was expecting from reading other reviews - not the best but not the worst - I am averaging 16.5 MPG - on the tank it recommends supreme, but I cannot see a difference in MPG - though my son does say it will help with overall engine performance if the correct octane in used. If you are single and want a vehicle for off road and fun - the Pathfinder is great - if you want to take friends with you, your limit is one comfortably, you could take four, but the two in the back will not be happy after a while. I had the vehicle looked at by my garage and they said they had never seen of vehicle of this age in such good shape (mechanically) - not one single leak of any kind. So I hope the Pathfinder will make up in longevity for what it lacks in usable space and display use. Though I am already considering putting it up for sale.

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  Looks great but some problems - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By speedy52 - June 2 - 5:21 pm

  Had a 2010 altima that avg 31 mpg. Purchased new 2013 altima avg 33 mpg. Passenger seat vibrates when empty, also seatbelt hitting against seat. Brought in for sevice dealer said seatbelt causing noise and there is no fix yet. Driving home from service the red brake light goes on. Too busy to bring in light has come on two times since. Wish I waited until 2014 altima model to come out. Have 8k on car now but wondering about nissan built quality.