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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  My 350Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Petrer - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This car is a pleasure to drive. Tremendous acceleration. Small turning radius. Excellent road holding capacity. A real drivers car.

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  Nissan Altima S - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By urishj - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This has been a great car to drive. Peppy, but with good fuel efficiency. Comfortably transports two adults, two children, and a mid-size dog. Much nicer to drive and significantly roomier than the Buick Skylark it replaced.

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  Shouldve bought one sooner - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By hartotis - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Even though Ive only had the car for two weeks I am extremely impressed. Ive driven Jettas for the last fourteen years and had good luck with them but the Altima is a far better value. Very nice engine, large interior, might be nicest looking car in its class. Good sales experience with Brasso Nissan in Calgary as well.

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  Transmission oil cooler - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By gowen1 - March 22 - 8:23 pm

  I recently bought a 2005 Pathfinder at a mileage of 110k. After reading scary stories about radiator coolant mixing with trans oil, I decided to take a preemptive measure as suggested, i.e. disconnect coolant line from the radiator and add an external transmission cooler. I took my vehicle to Volksdoctor. David, the owner, is very nice man. When he was trying to find a spot for external cooler installation, he found there is a small cooler in the front of the radiator. Then he checked VIN online and found this vehicle has a separate trans cooler. I was so happy about it. Thus, check your vehicle before you add one, you might have it separated already.

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  The Worst Vehicle I Have Owned - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dman316 - March 22 - 8:17 pm

  I bought a 2014 Pathfinder SL in Nov. 2013. I have owned a dozen Nissans, all high quality and reliable. How Nissan could turn out a vehicle with so many complaints about the CVT Transmission is very disappointing. I feel betrayed and will NEVER buy Nissan again. They remind me of Detroit quality control in the 1980s. I will sell it asap. I have had it in the shop 5 times in 3 months for acceleration problems, shakiness, poor power range. I could go on, but why. I have read the complaints of others and know I am not alone. So if anyone reads this with Nissan, I hope you are satisfied at how much of your customer base is revolting against the product that endangers our families.

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  Great car for the price! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By CharlieLuvsBrookeAAF - March 22 - 4:03 pm

  Sure you can go out and spend 30 or 40k on a Benz, BMW, or a Lexus,,,but why? It is a fact the Nissans last just as long and are actually really nice cars. I would suggest this car to anyone. I am a family man with a small child and there is no other name other than Nissan that I would trust to put my child in. In 2004 We had a serious fuel pump problem which we should have gotten fixed. I decided I would hold off since it was going to cost 500 dollars to fix. I was riding down the road and the car just shut off. (This was in my 1997 Nissan altima ) Come to find out the mechanic said we would have all died in any other car. Nissan added a protective device that makes the car shut dow

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  Transmission failed in 9500miles - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By arazak - March 22 - 3:45 pm

  My car nissan altima 2.4s 2014 model transmission failed and its was in nissan garage for two weeks but repair not yet completed. I feel bad for my wrong choice, i supposed to buy toyota.

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  AWESOME CAR - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Love It - March 22 - 3:26 pm

  I bought my 2 door Nissan Altima 3.5 loaded and have not regretted my decision. I would not recommend this vehicle for anyone with toddlers with rear facing car seat (booster seats are fine). I love the keyless strart and entry. When the battery goes dead (which has only happened once and that was just recently it was only $8 to replace the battery. Not bad for the convenience. My previous vehicle was a BMW X3 the Nissan is by far a better car.

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  95 Nissan Maxima - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By abready@erols.com - March 22 - 1:20 pm

  Great car with an interesting story. Previous owner would leave car at subway, and ride subway to work (reason for low miles at 62,000). That is, until 9/11 - he never came back to get it. Anyway, I am now the owner of a beautiful GXE that is in great shape, looks sharp, and is fun to drive! The angel riding with me is a big plus...

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  Nissan Titan Best Built Truck in America - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By John Lechuga - March 22 - 12:40 pm

  Despite the seatbelt recall, everything else on the Truck is superb. Original brakes lasted over 80K. Will surpass 100 miles by Dec 2009. Now that it is broken in, I cant wait for the next 200,000 miles. This truck is my quad. The vehicle is in excellent condition. Love my truck.