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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  Great value for the money - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By Steven McMacken - June 24 - 10:25 pm

  I have been very happy with the performance of my Nissan Sentra. There have been no major repair issues, other than replacing the battery and the condition of the car is excellent with only some minor cosmetic nicks.

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  Great Little Truck - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By volfan32 - June 24 - 3:50 pm

  Ive had a Ranger, Dakota, and an S10, and this truck has been better than them all. A little underpowered and a gas hog, but the front is comfortable and the four doors are great. Bed extender for the short bed is a must. Great looks, well built, engine has plenty of aftermarket parts available. I will own another Frontier after my experience with this one.

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  Excellent Used Car Value - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By David - June 24 - 6:03 am

  Ive had my eye on an 05 or 06 for a while and finally bought one. I owned a 00 before this, was looking for same reliability, quality, and engagement. The 05 doesnt disappoint. Has all that plus more gadgets, more power, more room, and more style. There are a few lower quality bits, such as the storage nook doors on the dashboard, steering wheel and radio switches. The center console levers are flimsy and the upper storage area is really cheap. However, places you touch most are soft and quality-feeling. Im satisfied with my Altima. Im averaging 25-30 MPG per tankful (its a big tank at 20 GALs). It falls short of perfection in the details, but it doesnt keep me from liking it.

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  Awesome car, but dont expect Nissan to have parts - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By jaypep - June 23 - 11:34 pm

  The car is amazing. While the interior is lacking in some specifics (back seats arent faux suede like the front seats, interior lighting is almost non-existent, storage lacking for front seats) the exterior aesthetics are awesome. LED DRLs, though they turn off when the headlamps are turned on, skirting to make it look lower, 18" alloy rims specific to the Nismo and a reimagined spoiler. The drive is amazing in a 6 speed MT and the car handles wonderfully on mountain roads. The only real downside is that Nissan cosmetic parts are backordered for upwards of 5 months on these puppies, and Nissan doesnt seem to assist their customers when its brought to their attention.

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  Sloppy culture, poor build quality - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By russ2013 - June 23 - 8:19 pm

  The experience buying this Altima is truly unique - I normally dont test drive much, only trusted my research. Served me well til this time. First new car (28 mile) had a seat belt light malfunction at delivery. Car back to dealer and seat occupancy sensor had to be replaced. Dealer agreed to swap another new car (29 mile). 3 days, front panel showed system error, car had to be towed back to dealer, took 1 week to repair. Nissan needs to improve QC!!!

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  So far so good - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dglo - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Initially bought the vehicle because the wife wanted third row seats, and I currently own 2 Nissan trucks, a 1990 4x4 hard-body with 270,000 miles and only replaced the head gasket, and a 2001 s/c frontier 4x4 with 140,000 and have only had to replace the timing chain which is maintenance anyway, so I have been more than pleased with the reliability of Nissan trucks and was very comfortable in the purchase of the pathy, it currently has about 90; 000 mile on it and has run like a top, I have driven it all over the western United States on many occasions and never had a problem. Today the check engine light says that the tps sensor is malfunctioning, researching the web I found about the trans woes

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  Do not buy one with a sunroof - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By wolfman - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Murano two months ago. It drives well. The salesman took me around the block at around 40-45 miles per hour. After the purchase i drove it home using the highway. The wind noise is absolutely intolerable. i took it back to my dealership and the service rep says its common in all Muranos with a sunroof and Nissan does not consider it a defect. Well please excuse me for so being annoyed for paying over 30K for a car and expecting excellence. The Nissan USA rep basically overwhelmed me with her kindness and all but told me to fly a Kite. Shame on you Nissan for selling me a substandard car. I will never buy Nissan and will pass the same advice to my close friends and relatives.

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  Rides sporty & hauls great - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By ZLOVER - June 22 - 5:30 am

  LE with sunroof, automatic. Every option except limited slip,which with all the low end torque will squeal off the line too easily.My other car is a 350Z roadster. Bought with 50k and now at 85.000 miles. Using synthetic oil. Zero repairs and same tires.Will need brakes soon.Hit from behind while stopped by a Honda suv at 30 mph. Honda destroyed. Need a bumper and tailgate.

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  Loved My Maxima - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By AE - June 21 - 6:33 pm

  Bought my Max brand new and added the spoiler. It had the sporty feel I wanted and the practicality of a 4Dr sedan. In 4 years never had to do a thing expect routine maint and a new set of tires. Loved the 18" upgraded rims. And if you resit the temptation to drive it at the real speeds this sweetheart will go I got 28-30 mpg on the hwy. Not so go in city. Must use the cruise control on this car or you will find yourself in some trouble in no time.

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  Brakes - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By fishman - June 21 - 10:20 am

  Great performance , nice styling , but the brakes are terrible....i have 1800 miles on my Armada and now I have to have dealer cut rotors because of real bad wheel shimmy when braking. Nissan has a kit to fix problem ,but wont do it until the rotors cant be cut anymore. i figure evory 1800 -2000 miles they have to cut rotors...fix it the first time with the kit and get done with it....otherwise the vehicle is fine..lot of truck for too small of brake set-up..