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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  poor gas mileage in Fl - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By bad fuel system - May 19 - 10:26 am

  I have had nothing but fuel system issues with my two maximas. I purchased the first one in 1995 and after 70,000 miles the engine would shut down in the middle of the road. I purchased a 1999 and after 90,000 miles I am having major fuel problems. I have to put a bottle of fuel system cleaner in every fill up just to stop the rough idling...

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  Reliable Car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Gilrich - May 18 - 4:13 pm

  I like my 2001 Nissan Sentra 2.0, because its easy to maintain and repair. So far it has odometer reading of 160,000 and its still running and sound the same as I bought it 7 years ago. For seven years, I already changed 2 rear hub assembly, fan resistor and 4 tires. I recommend this car, its very reliable if you maintain it regularly. I run average of 120kms everyday and it never gave me headache even a single day.

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  A No-Frills,True Off-Roading Vehicle - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By JosephF - May 18 - 10:00 am

  This is a fully capable, no-frills off- roading truck. The 4WD transmission is amazing; This truck can handle almost any off-roading obstacle you throw at it. The low-end torque really comes in handy when traversing perilous trails (I was able to haul my friends Wrangler out of a good one and a half feet of mud without straining my truck at all). The lack of power in the 4th and 5th gears is to be expected. This is a real truck, not a Ferrari; so dont expect to be winning races with it anytime soon. I would recommend this vehicle to those who want a fully capable off-roader to get them to where they need to go.

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  Not worth the money - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Melissa Peterson - May 17 - 8:16 pm

  Ive only had my Quest for less than 1 month and I do not love it. For the money, you get a lot and not having to remove the rear seats are a big plus but the driver seat doesnt provide enough support and I slide around when turning. The lumbar support is extremely uncomfortable. There are lots of rattles in the car which Nissan tried to fix but couldnt. I love the looks and the drive but thats about it.

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  Pretty much what we wanted. - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By NiallMac - May 17 - 4:13 am

  We went looking for a small, reliable car with a/c with a strong preference for a hatchback. We focused on the usual suspects - Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion whatever, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. Then we saw the Versa at a Hertz sales lot, liked it, researched it and could buy it for $3,000 under KBB. Negatives are rear visibility and stability in cross winds. A big positive is roominess whether carrying four people or two people and two bicycles - they fit in all the way without having to take off a wheel. When we bought we would have preferred a Matrix if the money was close to the same. That would have been a mistake.

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  Very dependable - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By redness - May 16 - 9:10 pm

  Bought mine new and have had no problems at all. It has 106,000 miles on it now. Besides regular maintenance no one problem at all! Good truck very reliable.

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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff - May 15 - 10:56 pm

  The power and luxury combination of the Titan is unparallaled. The other major brands can not compete. The motor is solid. The frame is rigid, still handles great and is quiet in the cab. I like the sprayed in bed liner and the utility tie down tracks and the tailgate damper. The power outlet in the bed is also a great idea. The downfalls to this truck are the undersized brakes. It tends to warp rotors in about 20000 miles. I am also less than impressed with the tires and rims. The alloy rims have been a constant problem as of late due to the fact that the air is slowly leaking out around the bead of the tire. They should offer steel rims.

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  Upholstery a nightmare - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Rose - May 15 - 7:26 am

  Only complaint about this car is its interior upholstery. Everything sticks to it, therefore it is constantly covered with fibers from clothing and whatever else is flying in the air. Vacuuming helps, but have to work really hard to remove particles from upholstery. Even the upholstery itself seems to fluff up when its vacuumed. The seats are very soft and comfortable but impossible to keep clean. Other than this complaint, this car is very nice.

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  A small car with large space like magic - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Lynn Chen - May 14 - 4:43 am

  I have owned Nissan Versa for 2 years. Although it has some small disadvantages, its advantages are more than disadvantages. In my experience, my tire pressure light has come on several times even though my car is well maintained, and there is loud engine noise when I gas it to go uphill. However, those incidents have never cut down my pleasure on driving this car. Versa is totally fit for me because it looks young, and it has a lot of advantages. I would say Versa is cheaper, larger and more comfortable than other entry-level hatchbacks and sedans.

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  2005 Nissan - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By M. Lopez - May 13 - 10:00 am

  Overall, the vehicle is ok. Theres plenty of leg and trunk space and rides smoothly but abit noisy. Since the vehicle has recently been purchased and rest remains to be seen.