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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  Completely Satisfied - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By maxowner - May 3 - 10:00 am

  I do a fair amount of driving in relation to my work, so I wanted a car more powerful and roomier (I am 63") than my Mazda 626. Completely satisfied with that choice. Lots of leg and head room, even with a sunroof, which is a power sunroof. Plenty of get- up-and-go, accelerating quickly and smoothly, and handles very well, even on curving mountain roads. Interior is leather with faux wood trim. A bonus is a built in dash 6 CD changer, with a great Bose sound system. I am convinced that a comparable Toyota Avalon or Acura or Honda,etc. would have cost 3- 4000 dollars more. Mileage so far appears to be 22-24 in town, and 26-28 on the highway (using regular unleaded gas).

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  Wow! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By colebob - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This was my last choice of car to check on my list of Honda, Passat, Toyota, Mazda, even BMW. I took a test drive & bought it! Incredible power in the engine! Drove a Suburban 7 yrs & was scared of a small car & no power. I got this car black & loaded with all the bells. Have 480 miles on it & people stop me all the time to say how cool the car looks. Im very happy & would recommend to anyone.

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  Great, Nice, Power - BUT..... - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Bo Jensen - May 3 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful body design, great power, turn circle is to way to large, cheap plastic interior, turns to easy (light steering) when you are up in speed.

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  My first Nissan and the last one - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By jhon4 - May 3 - 9:52 am

  I bought it brand new with 66 miles on it . at 40k miles the engine was already shaking like a 10 years old car at 80k miles have change the shocks 3 times have to do aligment 3 times per year and it still doesnt feel good driving it . the engine and the transmition are fine but to many troubles with suspention .very disapointed ...

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  Tire Sensors are a pain! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By F Fields - May 3 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for almost a yr now. I like in the Chicago land area. I travel 30 miles one way to work. The car was very reliable over the winter. I dont like the way the car handles in windy conditions or at speeds over 60 MPH. The only major problem I have had is the darn tire sensors which is now on every time I get into the car. My tires deflated every time the temperature changed so I had to purchase an air compressor to save time and money on having someone come put air in my tires. I was really tempted to get all new tires but there was nothing wrong with the tires on the car. So now the light never goes off. The sensors are expensive to replace (Quotes $125-$180)Hate the sensors!

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  Brake Problems - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By debys007 - May 2 - 10:40 pm

  My husband and I bought our Altima 2003. We dont drive a lot comparatively speaking these days. I love the car but there is a real problem with the rotors warping. We have had to have the rotors resurfaced and new brake pads twice now. The first time was at 27,000 and again 10 months later and its only been driven another 8076 miles. So less than 36,000 total on this vehicle we have had to resurface rotors and install new brake pads twice. Both of us are in our young 50s and have had many cars in our lives. Weve never had a problem with brakes, so I say this is a car flaw!! Oh by the way, neither of us ride the brakes either.

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  2008 Sentra 2.0 Pros N Cons - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By ronjr69 - May 2 - 11:04 am

  Pros, Nice color (Onyx Blue) good paint finish, decent stereo, decent mpg (31-34 mpg @ 70 mph), quiet ride, roomy, good AC, adjustable cupholder, reliable (so far) Cons, No ABS standard, no cruise control, hard seats, aux. in should be in center console, drivers seat should be centered behind steering wheel, steering wheel should be a softer material, cant read LCD displays with polarized sunglasses on, oversteer, cant fit my foot between brake pedal and center console to reach gas pedal (have to push tippy-to and is uncomfortable on long drives), lots of body sway when windy or near trucks at speed, bland performance, handling, car is seriously under engineered, cant believe no ABS

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  Cool looking hybrid - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Ken - May 2 - 10:33 am

  I was looking for a midsize hybrid, so I choose the Altima over the Toyota Camry, due to the sporty body style. But the ride is just awesome. If you are looking for a mid size sedan with good gas milage, handling and acceleration, this is it. Not to mention, I got 600 miles on the first tank of fue l(75% hwy). But keep in mind, the gas tank holds 17 gallons. My previous car was a Corolla, so I was not used to buying 17 gallons at every fill up. In closing, if you want a cool looking car and do your little part in saving the planet and be less dependant on foreign oil, consider buying the Nissan Altima Hybrid.

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  My pathfinder is the best - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Bob - May 1 - 9:53 pm

  This is one of the best SUVs you will find.... it is as tough as a hummer and as luxurious as a range rover. it is an all in one package. if you decide to purchase a pathfinder you arent making a bad decision.. it is as important as buying a house... it is as fun to drive as it is to tow... and rides like you are riding on clouds... you could be going 120 and feel like you are going 35.... be careful about the speeding tickets... this is a wonderful vehicle not just for you but fot the whole family....

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  Having Problems!!! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Candace - May 1 - 10:36 am

  I purchased new 11/2007, after 2 months, started hearing a roaring noise in the front tires, took it to the dealership, told it was a problem with the tire, no offer to replace. Noise increasingly became louder and louder. I took back, at that point they found 2 bad wheel bearings, they replaced bearings. Ive had several problems with the car and Nissan isnt very cooperative. This is the last Nissan Ill ever buy - back to Toyota again!