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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  loved this car intill..................... - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By 0altima3 - May 27 - 9:21 am

  bought this car used in 2005 with 21000 miles on it was evrything i wanted loved my car praised it was black on black with leather 6 years later still turnning heads flawless inside and out took the best care of the car nothing but synthetic oil changes every 3000 miles nothing but premiume 91 76 gas and last week discovered no oil in my engine with only 82000 miles had read up on it about a year ago and called nissan and they said it has to do with how you maintence your car so i thought would not happen to mine but i was wrong no one took better care of a car then i did nissan needs to do something will never buy another nissan and will tell anyone who will listen getting rid of my baby

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  Not bad at all.... - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By armadian - May 24 - 10:00 am

  So far, the Nissan Armada has been about what I expected after doing my SUV homework. Its definitely "different" and not easily comparible with other SUVs.

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  3.5 SE Baby! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By jspirate - May 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive. I did have a clutch problem though. It was squeaking right at engagement, but not every time. It took 3 trips to dealer before they heard/felt it. Its fixed now (warrenty) and I really like the car. Had a 2001 Acura CL Type S before this that I liked more, but I needed 4 doors. Altima is lighter and more responseive, but not as luxerious.

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  Sleek Appearance & Fully loaded model, overall good - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By danabrownva - May 24 - 4:01 am

  Had it for 2 months. Very stylish & expensive looking (Black w/beige interior). Overall good. Having issues with leather seats (wrinkling). Leather doesnt seem tight. Bluetooth crashing regularly, and auto on headlights not working consistently. Front seats seem a little narrow. Safety concern is the seatbelt warning. Only (3) low volume chimes. Then all quiet, with only a tiny, tiny red indicator light on dash. If youre backing up & cross traffic alert goes off wont hear the 3 chimes. Needs a big warning sign on driver display. This could be resolved with a simple software patch. Other than the above pretty happy. Has very expensive look and feel. Love the tech package/sunroof.

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  2000 Quest a good vehicle - 2000 Nissan Quest
  By beamingup - May 23 - 9:13 am

  For a van, this is an economical and reliable model (much better than the Ford Windstar I owned previously). No major repairs required, just tires, oil changes, transmission fluid change. It has recently become noisier (air leaks, rattles, body integrity issues - NOT the engine - it is fine). Seats are not as comfortable as other vans - could use a little more support and/or padding, as well a little more leg room for rear passangers.

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  Took the plunge from FORD - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By Rickter - May 22 - 2:33 pm

  Set out to buy a Ford Ranger 4X4. Ford would not deal but Nissan made me a great deal. The Truck is awesome. Very Strong for a mid size. I need a tight turn radius. No wheel hop with this truck. Full size is way too big. They cant fit between many trees when 4 wheelin The wheels truly unlock and truly lock when you need it. Very nice ride. Interior is nothing to write about but nice enough. Love the 6 speed. Gas mileage average. I wanted the maneuverability in a mid with good pulling power for my HD trailer. Very nice tires and wheels stock on the Pro4X. Bed Tie down system is awesome. Test drive it, you will see.

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  I really like but its noisy! - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Torn Between - May 22 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased the Sentra XE model and fell in love with the look of the car. What I found out after a day of driving around town at speeds of 70- 80mph, was the whistling that the car makes. Also, the brakes make an unusual chirpping noise when letting off of brake. I like the car but between the whistling and chirpping, I wonder if I would want to tolerate it for a few years.

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  Value & Performance - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By nigel - May 22 - 10:00 am

  A great value car which I bought to replace my aging 1992 honda civic. I was going to buy another honda but only got attitude from dealers. Found much better treatment at nissan and a great product. I think this is the best looking car in its class. The se model offers more power, handling and brakes. Alot of others here have comments about the poor paint quality - to date I have had no trouble.

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  Convert from a Tacoma-30k miles and going strong - 2012 Nissan Frontier
  By lasvegas777 - May 22 - 12:06 am

  I have the leather pro-4x model with every option available. The off road system with locker is fantastic. Thing is very nimble off road. The cargo system is the best from a factory that I have seen. It is very quite going down the highway. Is the right size living in the city and playing off road. I have taken my son and a friends kids all in car seats and have plenty of room in the back seat. Brakes and the motor feel very solid and have never let me down. On highway at 75-80 expect around 18-19. Around town Las Vegas is 15 mpg. Towing the max 6k weight will take you down to 7-9 mpg going though mtns. No warrenty issues and just oil changes to date.

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  Great power - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By mike - May 19 - 11:43 pm

  Overall have been very happy with the truck. Great pickup power, strong handling. A couple of minor complaints with fit and finish but any issues Nissan has fixed under warranty. Only downside is the gas mileage. averaging 13.5 to 14 mpg.