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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  Guess I expected more - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By dopplerdavetn - July 16 - 3:25 am

  Bought this car March 2012 with 83,000 miles. It drives well, the fuel economy is nowhere near the reported numbers. So far, have had a problem with the fuel pump & gas gauge, have had to replace rocker arms on the front twice (extended warranty), replace a front engine mount (warranty) & have had to fix the power steering (dealer said its a common problem in that year Murano models). Also had to have wheel bearings replaced & replace the air blower (no air conditioning/heat at all). Very disappointed considering Id driven Toyotas for over 15 years & had been told many good things about the Murano in this general model year.

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  Not the most powerful but very reliable - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Lucky23 - July 15 - 10:00 am

  Positives: pretty good handling for compact truck, intuitive controls, extremely reliable Negatives: Power!!! (however it does have decent low end torque)

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  My Spec V - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By smokexx - July 15 - 10:00 am

  This is one hell of a car..I have had it about 8-9 months and I still love driving it. This car isnt the best on fuel but the ride is worth the extra money. Naturally apirated making it one of the fastest cars out there without a turbo and only being 4 cylinder. pop a turbo in this car and u have a beast on your hands and most cars will be kneeling hands down.

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  Best mix of hatchback and CUV - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By elgac - July 15 - 5:12 am

  Ive had my Juke for 7 months and just over 8000 miles now. I absolutely love how the car drives, Im averaging 27mpg, and I havent had any problems with it. It is small (like Honda Fit small), but I knew that the first time I got in, and a roof rack has solved all my space needs. Ive upgraded to 225/60R17 tires which gave it around 1" of lift, bringing the ground clearance to 8". It cant handle rocks like an Xterra, Jeep, or other body on frame SUV, but dirt and sand are no problem at all. I just wish the aftermarket would get behind the Juke, because Im betting a tune will do wonders for both power and efficiency... and it needs undercarriage protection.

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  Good but not great - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By shakalaka - July 15 - 4:23 am

  Purchased this car in 2006 with only 300 miles on it, since then I have driven to hell and back. It now has 127369 miles on the engine, and the car still running strong. I already replaced the belts, spark plugs and the stock tires, but that would qualify as normal wear replacement. The one issue and biggest problem I have with this car is the fuel pump, at 80,000 miles it gave out and I found out many sentra customers have the same issue. Why will Nissan not do a recall on this unit, to me it seems like nissan does not care for its customers. They want this to come out of our own pocket even though it is a manufacturer problem, nothing the customer has done has caused this faulty fuel kit.

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  Huge Dissapointment - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By sd33 - July 13 - 5:30 am

  We purchased it brand new in 05. We had few complaints for 5 years. In January 2011 it started blowing smoke from the exhaust. The van had 30k miles on it and there were no "warning" lights coming on. Despite proper maintenance, the oil was low and sludgy. To condense a very long and frustrating story; we took it to the dealer multiple times trying to find the problem. $400 later we were told the engine was basically fried and they couldnt explain it. We tried to get assistance from Nissan as the van had low mileage. Our mechanic told Nissan it was not a maintenance issue, they refused to assist because I was missing a couple receipts to prove it was properly maintained.

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  Its good but....it could be better - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By ROLLER - July 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive had no problems thus far with this vehicle. My only problem and maybe Im being picky is the gas mileage and the speed limiter. The truck shuts down when you hit about 100mph. And yes I do have a heavy foot.

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  Fun and Functional - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By JPS49 - July 12 - 2:00 am

  I have driven the 2000 Altima SE for 34000 miles in the three years I have leased it. It has been fun to drive every day. The five speed, excellent cornering and very responsive engine make it a great car to lease/own. I have changed the oil and put two brake pads on in that time. Im sorry that my lease is up. If Nissan would sell it back to me for a decent price, I would buy it.

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  Decent outside, poor inside, high price - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By David Kaiser - July 12 - 2:00 am

  In person the Murano is a beauty. Inside is a different story. The seats are good but not great. The instrument thing on top of the steering wheel looks cheap and feels cheaper. The center dash looks like a glued on after thought. The plastics are OK but dull. There is huge "ledge" under the windshield. Think minivan inside. The V6 is powerful, the CVT strange but it really works. Power is very good from a stop or when passing. The suspension is decent, a little stiffer over bumps, but better than most SUVs. Steering is somewhat tight, but still feels strange. Brakes are good.

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  2nd Xterra - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Xterra#2 4me - July 11 - 9:20 pm

  This is my second Xterra purchase. I bought a 2000 when they first came out. The changes and improvements are generous. The horse power increase is terrific. The A/C is improved and cargo area is easier to work with. I have had my new one since Feb 2008 and love it. The only change I did was buy an automatic, I have to deal with stop and go traffic in my commute.