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, fun car - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By Valerie - February 21 - 3:00 am

  For a 4 cyl, this has a lot of pick up, which is why I only avg 21 mpg. I like a powerful car and it is fun to drive. Very comfortable car. Smooth ride. All the controls are where you would expect them to be. On a winter day of 13 F, the drivers window was stuck down after going to an ATM. The dealership replaced all 4 window motors for me under a recall. Had to replace the intake manifold gasket at 32K. I would buy another Altima - especially if I got the stick shift. That would be even more fund to drive.

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  Its the alternator folks. - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Beth - February 20 - 4:11 pm

  I bought mine in October used at a Nissan dealer with 11,000 miles. I test drove it and it seemed fine. Looking under the hood the battery had a lot acid deposits and the history report indicated that the battery terminals had been replaced. The dealership said it was a faulty battery and replaced it. After driving the car a month I noticed the rumbling at slow speeds. Took it back to the dealer and they replaced the alternator at no charge to me. Rumbling sound gone and car was performing so much better. Fast forward to June of the next year I start using the AC and I started having a few intermittent incidents where the AC compressor does not come on. I was still learning the car and thought maybe I didnt have the controls set properly. In August it quit altogether. I took it back to the dealer and they replaced the AC compressor, again no charge. At this point the car is out of warranty and the Certified Used Car Warranty does not cover AC components. The original faulty alternator had destroyed the internal workings of the compressor and it failed at 15,800 miles and it had caused the battery issue too. Now with a new alternator and new ac compressor the car is as it should be and I love it. It has the most comfortable front seats with fantastic lumbar support. It handles well, get great gas mileage, is roomy, easy to get in and out of, including the back seat as the roof doesnt slope so much as other models in this range. It has many safety features found only in high end cars. The CVT gives the car a smooth quiet ride. The original factory installed alternator was under powered which caused the battery and AC compressor issues. Hopefully it was replaced in time to not damage the transmission. Nissan knows and the dealerships know its the alternator and a good dealer will replace it and the components it damaged without charge for their customers. My dealer told me that Nissan paid for the replaced parts and labor.

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  Good Value! - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By pagoss - February 20 - 12:10 am

  Bought it new. We now have 11,500 miles. We traded in a 2010 Altima, for the security of AWD. My wife then decided she would rather have the comfort of the Altima, so we just bought a 2012 Altima. I inherited the Rogue, LUCKY me!!! My only negative is the noise of the CVT in the Rogue. No noise with the CVT in the Altima. It is also a bit cramped driving for a 63" 300# guy. Everything works fine, but I am starting to hear a few rattles as mentioned in earlier comments. I will keep my ears open!!! I would get a sun roof if I bought another.

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  Baby Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By L.M. - February 19 - 10:00 am

  It could be better on gas mileage and pickup as far as speed.

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  2012 juk gas mileage - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By lexiw6 - February 18 - 11:01 pm

  Ive had my 2012 nearly a year. One of my main decisions was the gas mileage and the unique look. I love my car, it is fun to drive, however I am extremely disappointed in the mpg i drive mostly in town and get about 22mpg. When driving the hwy she gets about 24-25. I would like to find out how some others get a much better gas mileage.

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  Great car as long as you know what youre getting - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By gmarrese91 - February 18 - 9:51 am

  I have to say I am so surprised by how much I love this car. I wasnt expecting it to be so comfortable, so quiet, and fun to drive. Especially because I was coming from a 2010 GTI. I had enough with the constant problems and decided to take advantage of a great lease deal on a fully loaded 2013 Sentra SR. Really this car is great. Its quiet on the highway, seats are comfortable, GPS is awesome, all in all I actually like it better than the VW. Cant comment on gas mileage though.. I only have 350 miles on it so its not broken in yet. Only averaging 28-30 mpg, but I expect that to increase after I hit 1000-2000 miles on the odometer.

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  Love and Hate - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Al P. - February 16 - 10:53 am

  Purchased the truck in April 2006 and since then have had a love/hate relationship with it. The power, towing and off-road capability are what I admire the most about this 06 Titan. Theres plenty of room in the cab with seats supportive enough not to tire me out on 300+ mile drives. The quality of materials used inside have a cheap look and feel. Great fosgate sound system. Heres what I dislike about the truck. Factory tires wore out after one season, all brake components worn out after 10000 miles, cant replace relay switches singly: have to replace entire integrated power distribution module, alternator burned out at 28000 miles, some stitching coming undone on bucket seat.

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  Nissan king cab 2wd - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By vwtommy - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Much higher up than the comparable 2 wheel drive Toyota. Very solid and fun to drive. The stick shift shifts great. And less expensive that the Toyota. I think it is more truck for the money...Would purchase another and my other car is a 1998 Toyota T100!

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  Mechanically sound, but... - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Bex - February 15 - 11:53 pm

  Car is comfy, roomy, but I too have had some problems. Rotors had to be turned around 7000 mi, tires replaced at about 26000 mi, all the scratches on the plastic bits like a lot of people mentioned. My biggest complaint however, is both the driver and passenger seats had to be replaced by the dealer due to some pretty nasty squeaking noises. Small, but kind of annoying and time consuming.

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  I got the right truck - 2011 Nissan Frontier
  By garrettb - February 15 - 11:21 pm

  Bought it brand new... now 1 year later going on 9k miles. Great truck always gets 19 mpg.. Great engine. 4x4 works great, tows very well. I have only a couple minor complaints... The passenger fold down seat rattles and drives me crazy. The turning radius is Terrible. My Armada U-turned Much better than this Frontier. Other than that I love the truck. It is a keeper for sure. Ive owned a Ford Ranger and a Chevy Colorado. This Nissan is by far the nicest truck of all them.