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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  Jekyl and Hyde Handling - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Bronnie - July 2 - 10:26 am

  When my wife and I looked at the 07 Sentra we thought that we had found the perfect car for her 92 mile round trip commute and occasional long trip. The car has mid-size room and comfort, a great powertrain with the cvt and looks good. I also have had very good experiences with Nissans in the past. We liked the cars handling when we test drove it in good weather so we bought the car. However, we soon discovered that this is the absolute worst handling car I have ever driven in snow, ice and even rain. Very unstable. After several attempts to find a solution at two dealers and a few panicked phone calls from my wife on snowy days we traded the Sentra in on an 09 Camry with stability control.

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  Aggressive Styling, Tons of Torque - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Get a real truck - July 2 - 5:36 am

  This truck gets a lot of comments and looks when on the road. Really enjoy driving and hearing the exhaust note. Yes the ride is a little choppy but it is a 1/2 ton TRUCK, get over it. Go buy a sissy SUV if you want a quiet smooth drive. Only disappointments are the gas mileage and brakes which I have observed this stated in other reviews. I am on my third set of rotors and do not pull anything over 3500lbs. Of course GAS MIlEAGE is a major concern, only recourse is to keep the accelerator pedal off the floor! Recommend this truck against all others due to price and option packages. Just make sure to light up the tires once, way to much fun!

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  Good bang for the buck - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Fraser - July 1 - 10:00 am

  Looked long and hard right across the board from accura to volvo there was good and bad for all for me the Max was it, large inside I got the four seat car and it came with alot more than the is300 . the motor has been out for years and has good power the 5 speed auto is smooth and works well (did not drive the 6 speed) I keep my cars for years did not want to be driving a 6 speed when Im 65 . Have not been able to get the 35 mpg clamed but the car will get 31mpg all day at 110>120 kph and I have recived 900km out of a tank of gas out of a 75 ltr tank with left over. Over all very happy with the car can not go wrong with this one.

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  Love My Nissan! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By greenpuppy - July 1 - 9:57 am

  I was really dead set on a completely different sedan - but the lease cost was astronomical (and the other cars MSRP was actually lower than the Altima), so I started looking elsewhere. Hated almost every other car I test drove (Accord, Sonata, Camry) - but LOVED the Altima! I got the 2.5 SV with no navigation, and its just amazing. Its so quiet, even at highway speed, I often find myself drifting up to the 70mph range without even noticing because it drives so smoothly. The bluetooth features and ipod connectivity are great (even displays album artwork) and I really like having the two screens (one in instrument panel, one in radio). MPG has been great too!

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  Sporty and Comfortable, Bad Visibility - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By seasidemom - July 1 - 2:58 am

  Rear visibility and rear side visibility out the little rear corner windows is just awful. The head rests are so big it is hard to see looking back. The moonroof/sunroof cover does not retract fully to provide full view of opening. The CVT engine is definitely noisy even when you are just accelerating around town. Very bothersome. I am used to not hearing such a noisy engine. Once you have accelerated and are at cruising speed it is fine, but getting there is loud. I will say that driving the Roque is fun, and comfortable and sporty and zippy. I really do like driving it on the highway, around winding roads and everywhere. If not for the noise and esp. the visibility, it would be great.

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  Welcome to the 21st Century! - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By stellarrat - June 28 - 8:24 am

  Ive had my 2011 Leaf for a month now. Its my only car. So far Ive spent a grand total of $8.10 in electricity to drive 729 miles. In my previous car I was spending $180 a month in gasoline and probably another $50 in maintenance (if you averaged it out per month.) In the NW, off-peak power is $.044 / kwh. So, as you can see its saving me about $220 / month. Ive taken this car to every family event, errand and work daily. Not a single problem with range or anything else. I dont even need the 240v charger. The car is just great all around. Good room, good ride, excellent electronics, and decent handling. Acceleration is very good around town.

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  Hard steering and stiff ride upon deacce - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Sureng - June 28 - 4:06 am

  If i reduce my speed to 20mph with a brake and if i allow the car to stop itself i feel a stiff ride at 15mph even without applying the brakes and that gets alright after few seconds. The dealer is saying this is how all the Nissan Sentra runs due to CVT transmission. But i heard the CVT gives problem only during acceleration. Secondly i find the steering is hard....

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  R1 - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Janasnake77 - June 25 - 10:25 am

  I love my Rogue! True that blind spot is a hazard, but other than that, I am very satisfied​. Great family vehicle. Fun to drive!

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  BOUGHT A LEMON - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By JILL - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY TRUCK IN APRIL 2002. HAD IT ONLY 6MTHS. WITH 14,000 MILES ON IT . MY HUSBAND WAS CHANGING MY OIL & FOUND IT HAD 2 LEAKS THE POWER STEERING WAS LEAKING & THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING TOOK IT TOO THE DEALERSHIP. NISSAN WOULDNT PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN IT . THEY HAD IT FOR 40 DAYS REPLACING THE SEALS & THEY COULD OF JUST PUT A NEW ONE IN , I DID THE LEMON LAW ON THEM. I LOVED THE TRUCK OTHERWISE & ALWAYS GOT COMPLIMENTS ON IT . TOWING CAPACITY GOOD & GREAT IN THE SNOW. POOR GAS MILEAGE THOUGH. IVE ALWAYS HEARD GOOD ABOUT NISSAN THATS WHY I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK BUT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS MADE ME THINK DIFFERENT OF NISSAN

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  Keep Out The Noise - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Tour1 - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I have a 2003 Altima. I like it except for 1 thing...Cabin Noise. If you are not playing the radio, you can hear everything...The street you are riding on, when you stop you can actually hear engine noise. Spend a little money and insulate the noise from the engine compartment and the rest of the car so you cant hear the road noise....Or turn up the radio