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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  Most Uncomfortable - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By ls - August 30 - 1:26 pm

  Warning... drive this for a day or two before buying. I traded in a Ford Edge on fully loaded LE, and this was the biggest mistake I have ever made. No matter what position the power seats were in, it was just not comfortable for me. Hurt my upper-back so bad thought I was going to need traction. Ford Edge is a much nicer crossover all around. I am only 60" tall and 200 lbs, so I dont think it should be a size issue. Everything else about this car is very nice but if you skimp on the seat the other is just fluff. I have already traded it and chalking this one up to a very expensive learning experience! Try before you buy!!!

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  beware of paper thin clear coat - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Denise - August 29 - 10:33 pm

  this auto has the least amount of clear coat I have ever seen. I wash my auto about every 3 weeks between washings hardwood sap landed on my hood, now I have damage that is awful. It ruined the paint that quickly. Also when removing my cover for my morning drive my arm swung to the right and my fingernail broke part of the front grill, my fingernail! The plastic covers at the threshold pop off. My veh is 1 year old and I am freaking out. The clear coat is my biggest heartache with the car and the price. I will never again buy a manufactures so called "bread and butter" auto. I had a jeep and a grand am that after 6 years never showed the first sign of clear coat peeling.

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  Beware of heater - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By BEWARE OF HEATER - August 27 - 3:23 am

  When you put the heater on the foot only position the heat comes out mainly from the windshield defrost and not the feet. If you put the heat on the foot/defrost position it performs the exact same function. My problem is Im 4"10 and the defrost blows right in my face which is gagging me. My husband is 6" 1 and it dries out his contacts. I have contacted 3 dealers and the manufacturer who say that is the way the car is made. My point is why have two buttons if they both perform the exact same function. No one can give me an answer to that so Im stuck with this horrible heater blowing in my face. Also the face vents tilt but do not close so you have air hitting you from there too!!

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  Nice Standard Car - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Kris - August 22 - 12:48 pm

  I have a 2.5 S the sound sucks, you have to upgrade to a 3.5 SV if you want Bose speakers, no remote start, no sunroof. Its perfect if you just want a standard car that looks nice from the outside.

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  Not so hot - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Ralph Cole - August 17 - 6:00 am

  This was my 3rd Max and by far the worst. We have had the car in for replacement of the factory installed sky view (service recall issued), the rear window replaced (rattle), dash panel glass (keeps fogging),and resewed the leather seat to name a few problems. The 265 horses are hard to handle because the car is front wheel drive. Hey other than that, the car is great! HA HA

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  Strike 2 w/ 28,000 miles - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Brian - August 12 - 7:53 pm

  I have this car for 2.5 yrs, w/ 28k mi, 5 weeks ago the the serpentine belt went and last week a pulley seized and the belt went again. I am giving the car another shot because its still relatively new and nissan has a good rep, but these parts shouldnt be needing replacement 28k into the life of the car. I have had 2 civics one w/ 187k and 156k when they died, they didnt have problems like this. I would spend the extra cash and get a civic.

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  Average value for money and problems with family package - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By ck_123 - August 10 - 6:43 am

  I have the SV with Premium and family Package. The car is okay. The Premium Package features are good - the around view camera makes parking so easy. The other features are also very good- infotainment system is also very user friendly, lots of space in the car and the back seats go down completely in case one needs to carry more stuff, the powered lift gate is very convenient and so on. I also have a couple of problems: the major one is adjustment of third row seat The strap mechanism can cause back pain and injuries if you have to use frequently. I have provided this feedback to both the dealer and Nissan but so far do not have any solution.

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  Hurts so good . . . - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By Richard911 - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Nice rig. I had a 1994, same setup, 4cyl 5spd. Very dependable. Had a problem with the seats on long commutes. The seats would cut off circulation to my legs. I wound up retro-fitting some 280Z seats. I thought they had this solved in the newer rigs. No way! This is not the car for a 6 tall man.

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  Not confident with reliability/would never buy Nissan again. - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By mred72 - August 9 - 12:17 pm

  The GOOD: Interior/Exterior design and fit and finish. Ride quality excellent for highway which is what I mostly do. Stock SL sound system is ample. Voice activated Bluetooth is great! LED accents make the car look better. Thats about where it ends. The BAD: CVT transmissions are just terrible in general, but Nissan JATCOs are probably the worst built out there. I wonder if mine will last. Terrible wiper design. Driver side wiper too long so its trying to clean off too large an area that leaves a smeared mess on the passenger side. Driver wiper also is half hidden/half protrudes. Continued below...

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  Initial overall value attractive, then a disappointment - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By panthers98 - August 8 - 10:05 am

  I bought my 2012 re-designed Versa sedan in November of 2011. Initial overall value appeared excellent, but shortcomings are becoming evident, hopefully they have engineered-out these problems. This was the first vehicle I have owned with an automatic transmission, let alone the CVT, so I opted for an extended warranty. Thank God I did since it had to be replaced at 80K miles. Have replaced every exterior bulb at least once. Tire pressure sensor light goes on and rear right tire goes flat about every 2 weeks unexplained. Plastic dashboard attracts lint like I have a cat sitting up there. CVT/engine combination sounds like it is going to blow up when strong acceleration is needed.