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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  Nice car - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By vincevw329 - September 17 - 3:42 am

  My wife just picked this out and has been driving it a month now. I drive it on the weekends and we just took a small road trip. I drive a 1yr old VW on a daily basis. The experience with the dealer was very nice. The salesperson was knowledgeable and helpful and seemed genuinely looking out for our best interest. The service department was also very professional, we had to have a cup holder lid fixed. As other reviewers point out, the car has plenty of power, drives easy but has significant understeer. Its clear that most people recognize the car as an entry level luxury/sport sedan and thats the perception and how Nissan markets the car. Our Maxima is fully loaded in grey.

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  My Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Everett Blakely - September 16 - 7:06 pm

  I got the cheap Titan, but it is by far fancier than other makes, for a basic. The looks are great and the room is just as great. The only thing that I wish was better was the gas mpg, but I have to remember, it is a titan. Thank goodness cruise control is standard equipment, because this truck really hauls.

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  Best bang for buck that runs forever! - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Snowie - September 16 - 10:16 am

  I got this car as a graduate student in 2000 already with 100000 miles on. 7 years later and now at 253000 miles, it still runs like the first day I got it! Ive only started to use premium maintenance parts on it 6 months ago (synthetic oil, good filters, good spark plugs which I doubt played any part in the reliability). It is still giving me up to 36 mpg hwy!! It has no rust - tiny spots on the front due to stone chips easily fixed with a tiny scraper and a touchup paint pen. Engine uses timing chain, superb reliability. Major maintenance in the 7 years was a starter, a clutch, a muffler, CV joint (shaft). Usual parts: batteries, brakes, fluids and oil, filters and struts.

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  Could be better - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Teresa - September 15 - 6:16 pm

  The sunglass holder to the left of the steering column is wasted space. Its hard to get open and closed and sometimes comes out. Ive had problems with the right front door window rattling. I had to take it back to the dealer 3 times to get it fixed.

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  CUBE N IT.. Memoirs from a CUBEAHOLIC... - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By CUBISM - September 14 - 12:03 pm

  Absolutely the most amazing Retro"Mini Van" this 50 yr old has ever driven with special thks to Cash4clunkers..Added all the toys to my Black SL..Gnormous,SL Preferred,Int Designer Packages,Rear cargo, 16"Alloys-Grey..Head turner at every corner,very comfortable to sit in and drive,handles corners with ease,tons of space, eager to leave them at the green light.Currently we have 3 trucks incl Element EX and Grand Caravan.Considered and researched Kia Soul,ScionXb Prirus,Element SC...One drive in the CUBE and I was sold..All the bells and whistles disco lights,shag rug Incredible stereo with all controls on steering wheel,feels like Im driving an Infinity/Lexus.. A must have for any AARPr!

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  okay - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By CharlieGates - September 13 - 10:23 am

  This car is really fun to drive, but the day after I bought this car i washed it, and both the front bumper, and the rear bumper are already loose. Im afraid if i try and dry the bumpers they might fall off. The back seat is VERY small. The driver and front passanger have to have their seats all the way forward to make the rear passanger even fit. I dont like the dash because after about a year or two in the arizona heat the entire plastic interior is going to start cracking and falling off. Also if you put your foot into it, the engine seems like it doesnt know what to do.

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  Great Driving Car - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By AlmostaCowboy - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I drive over 30k miles a year and love this car. Drove from Cal to Tenn and got 28+mpg@70+mph. Best stereo in the industry. GLE is much smoother than my wifes 99 GXE with same tires. GREAT car for the money.

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  Yukon/Tahoe Fighter!? - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By murphy1213 - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Nissan could have done a better job of marketing this vehichle. All of the Armadas competition has some sort of financing incentive, it is hard to justify spending the amount of money on this vehicle when you could get a yukon with zero percent financing and similar equipment. The main reasons I bought the Armada over the Yukon; First reason was the safety features that it has over the yukon. The roll over protection is a big deal that none of the competition offers. Second; fold flat third row seating, there is way too much wasted space in the yukon and it is near impossible to get into the third row. Finally engine and transmission.

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  Fun to Drive but some bad luck - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Scottyb - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Murano since September, and it is very fun to drive. It is plenty powerful and it seems to me that it has a nice ride. I have had some issues with the windows creaking and clicking over rough roads and when I turn corners. The dealer has worked on this problem 3 times to no avail. I hope this gets fixed or I will have to ask for another one. This started only two weeks after I bought it. The other issue is not the dealers fault. The hood had bad paint. It was a lighter shade of silver on the front right of the hood. They are repainting it as I write this review. Very good otherwise.

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  Nice 4X, but some minor problems - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Kevin1452 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought this following up on previous use of a Jeep Cherokee and Suzuki Sidekick. Its a different vehicle altogether, with much more car-comfort ride and good 4WD capabilities. Had several minor problems which in some cases the dealer took care of under warranty (brakes, tires, alternator, battery), and others such as throttle control (they claim this was a maintenance problem - I think it is poor design), interior items falling off (seat lever, third brake light, storage privacy screen). Overall its been a good car (now 48,000 miles. Biggest recurrent headache is brakes which I have had replaced and again recently resurfaced.