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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  Approaching 210,000 miles! - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jeff - June 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 2000 and have had it ever since. I came close to trading it in several times...Thank God I didnt. Till this day, it runs great, sounds great and looks great. Very minimal scratches, mostly because I dont mind hiking it across the parking lot to get to the store. Other then your basic wear & tear and routine maintenance, Ive had zero problems. Without question, the best vehicle Ive ever owned. The most expensive service I had was an oil leak from a seal that needed to be replaced between the engine and transmission (not sure what its called). That bill came in around $550 mostly because of the labor. Ill keep this car till it dies, its a keeper!

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  The Need for More Room - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By CarNut - June 2 - 10:00 am

  I cant believe we just purchased a minivan. That was our thought over a year ago once we found out the twins were on their way. With a total of 3 kids, a large dog, and places to be we needed a larger vehicle. We looked at SUVs, crossovers, and we kept coming back to the minivan. For the cost and versatility, it won us over. The Nissan does everything well. Great power off the line, good gas mileage for hauling all of us avg about 20. On highway trips avg 25-26 mpg. The DVD screen is a hit with our 3 yr old and the wife and I love the rear power door. You get a lot for your money on the "S" version versus other makes and models. We picked up a used one for a great deal.

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  Excellent Value - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By dethbest - June 1 - 6:00 pm

  I have put about 18,000 miles on this car. I have had more fun driving this car than any I have ever owned. Much more fun to drive than the Honda Accord EX-V6 that I owned previously. Tremendous acceleration - with awesome power and responsiveness. I always feel like I have plenty of power and can pass on the highway with ease. Very comfortable and loads of extras for the money. This car is as good if not better than the BMW 5 series at 1/3 less cost. CVT is excellent - smooth as ice.

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  Worth It! - 2007 Nissan Armada
  By John S. - May 29 - 2:10 am

  Ive owned 2 Jeeps, 4 Blazers, a Bravo,5 loaded Tahoes. This SUV is miles above these in performance (Tahoes close). Tahoe interior is more comfortable & pleasing. Rides like a sports car if one knows how to drive it. Staggering power readily avail. when needed. Handling amazing for such a large unit. Wonderfully controllable in all driving situations. Not ideal for average soccer moms but terrific for serious drivers w/ fun, work, and quality travel in mind. I own a Jag and a Mercedes sports car. When behind wheel of Armada I dont feel loss of control or power as one might expect after driving true sports cars. The difference in cornering is obvious but not uncomfortably or dangerously so.

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  03 2.5S - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By hadanaltima - May 29 - 2:00 am

  I like the styling. Interior layout is pretty good, but you will notice that Nissan just doesnt use very high quality materials on the interior. Ride and handling is pretty darn good in this car. The 2.5L has plenty of power, but the automatic transmission was not all that great, but ok. Fuel mileage is good, 28-30mpg on the highway. Overall, this is a pretty good choice considering I got mine for a little over 18K. I ended up trading for a Toyota 4Runner. I would recommend the Altima, but would also encourage considering spending a little more on a Honda or Toyota as I believe those cars are of superior quality and have better residual values.

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  good stuff! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By jmoo - May 29 - 2:00 am

  love this car with all the extras...only big downfall is that is sucks down as much gas.

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  Six years and going strong - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By mike v - May 28 - 7:36 pm

  I have been a Nissan fan for many years. My 03 Maxima is my fifth Nissan. I have a 92 max with 175,000 mi on it that I use as my daily driver. I have the titanium ed with gray leather.The car has 37,000 mi on it, and is garage kept. The car is not perfect but overall I like it very much. Although this car dates back to the 2000 model year, I still get compliments all the time. There are some things that do bother me and should be considered. The rear suspension is of the solid beam scissor link variety. This is old school tech and Nissan should be ashamed. To be fair the set up works reasonably well but cant compare with the multi link suspensions that most cars have today.

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  My 2005 Pearl-Xima - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By vkmaxima - May 28 - 1:04 pm

  Well my last review was in November 2010, and I must say my car is doing great. Even though it is 6 years old, I still get plenty of compliments. The ride quality, performance, and basic usability in this car has been awesome. I get about 24.7 MPG, on premium fuel, in mixed driving. City is about 19-23 MPG, and 30-33 MPG on the highway. As for the transmission, now that Ive realized, I should have checked the transmission oil often than rely on the manufactures recommendation. Its been over a year since the rebuilt, and she is still shifting smoothly. I do the oil change myself, and ONLY use Nissans K-Matic Oil. Do it yourself, its MUCH cheaper than having the dealer do it for you.

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  A lot of car for the money... - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By perdajz - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased a 2002 SE. I did some homework and simply could not elsewhere find this much car for the money.

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  Suburban Workhorse - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By J. Locke - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Recently moved from NYC to suburbs. Found myself borrowing/renting trucks or tying oversized items to car roof too often. Purchased Frontier compact pickup with quad cab, 5 sp manual and long (74") bed. Has quickly become my full-time weekend car. Enough interior room for all (3 fit in back seat easily), plenty of hauling capacity, 4WD for the beach. Acceleration is a little slow on the parkway (compared to my cars), gas mileage is reasonable. Biggest problem is a lack of center consol parking brake handle in the hills. This small truck handles nicely both on and off road. Reasonably quiet. Even my wife enjoys driving it.