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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  2006 Nissan Xterra - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By nonissan2 - March 22 - 8:00 am

  33,000 miles, vehicle in distress Purchased - NEW The Nissan Xterra looks like a very nice SUV from the outside. But if you own one, you know that this vehicle has alot of problems that have not been fixed. Most common, are the front drive shaft U joints that go. NTBS has issued warnings as for front wheel bearings which include the front U joints. No recall issued by Nissan, not under any warranty Tension arm blew at 7000 miles, started blew at 22000 miles, now front u joints at 33,000 miles. Very nice vehicle if you like to restore cars Dont buy this vehicle years 2005 to 2009

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  great handling, fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Pete from Houston - March 22 - 5:03 am

  Had it for 3 years and have driven it hard. Two sets of tires and one set of brakes in 83K miles. You cant ask for more. Would have liked to have gotten better MPG (avg of 24 combined), but hey its a performance car. Nissan did their homework on the handling, and the engine is very responsive.

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  Get one, quick! - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Miller5 - March 22 - 4:43 am

  Heres a decent car. All youve read about this car is true. You get styling, performance, great gas mileage, reliability, and good resale all in one 4-door package. Ive owned a V-6 Camry and I think this car is slightly better. Plenty of head room for me (63") even with a sunroof. Go for the SE, as you get firmer suspension, better looks and a 5-speed option. If you can find a 99 SE-L, youll get spiffy options like a 5th lap belt, 120 extra watts of Bose (like it needed it...), and neato titanium-colored badges as well as cheesy "SE-L" emblems tacked onto various parts of the car. Keep it in good shape, sell it in a few years, and you should get most of your money out of it.

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  A HOT car...as in on fire.... - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By rhaines - March 22 - 4:13 am

  #1 - 2 days ago this car spontaneously combusted. It appears something went wrong in the electrical. #2 Previously replaced drive shaft sensor and fuel pump in the 1.5 years I owned it. #3 wife backed into car @ less than 5 mph....caused $1,500 + damage. Easily falls apart. No get up and go. Left my family sitting watching it burn up. Wish I never bought this car. Also no heat / AC for the rear. My son nearly froze / over heated because there is no air vent in the back. The front air vents do not produce enough air to supply the back seats with the proper temperature. He had to ride with blankets in the winter with the heat on.

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  4 doors for two labs. - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By main-ah - March 22 - 12:53 am

  This truck was a purchase for our growing family. A LARGE male lab now has a LARGE little sister. The back doors were to be used by the dogs for easy in and out. They do not get in or out using the back doors. They use the same doors as the people do. The center console has held up very well with dogs walking on it almost every day. They enjoy the extra room compared with the extra cab Toyota we had.

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  Worst car ever - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By soccermom - March 21 - 8:40 pm

  Everything about the 04 Nissan quest has been a disaster. The brakes go bad quickly, the windshield wiper just stopped working one day, the interior features (ceiling lights) just fall off when the doors are closed, the seats are coming apart, esp the back seats with the skirts, the tailgate door handle fell off, the compression stick in the tailgate door fell off, the radio never gets good reception... and on and on. I dont have enough characters remaining to list all the problems!!

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  My Dream Car - 1996 Nissan 300ZX
  By Kathy S - March 21 - 5:13 pm

  I bought my car, never test driven by others, with 3 miles on it. She now has 218K and runs like shes still new. All the power, all the beauty, all orginial parts including engine & transmission! Im finally ready to sell her, and find it so hard as I know Ill never own another car like this (hardwood floors winning out). The power makes this car fast, furious and fun. The handling is beyond perfect, and head turning quota off the charts. As a female owner, I loved being in the league with the mostly male owners of this car and everywhere I go am constantly asked if I will sell it. Sadly, my answer will now be yes. Hardly any expenses aside from normal upkeep. A dream to own!

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  The Rogue is wonderful! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By NewRogue2008 - March 21 - 11:23 am

  After test driving numerous cars and smaller SUVs, I kept coming back to the Rogue. It offers great features (not offered on other cars in its class), numerous safety features, and comfortable seats (unlike the Honda CR-V which I also had considered - the EX-L hurt my back like crazy after a 15 minute test drive). The Rogue has great fuel economy (for an AWD SUV), looks sleek, and drives so smooth! Its visibility compares to every other smaller SUV that I have ever driven. So, as a former sedan driver, visibility in my new Rogue seems just fine to me. I love it!

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  ambivalent - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ambivalent - March 21 - 10:00 am

  the car is fun to drive and handles great. mine had a host of problems almost immediately after the warranty expired , no speedometer/odometer, transmission failure at 90,000 miles, new brakes (not pads) three times already as well as shocks. this car has primarily been used for highway driving. probably wont buy another Nissan pathfinder at least. oh, and it cant tow anything.

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  2006 Nissan Titan Rating - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Randolph Gordy - March 21 - 1:56 am

  Has plenty of pickup and can outmuscle most cars and trucks on the road and is very agile for such a large pickup. Body design is a plus. An eye-catcher. Most people think the Titan was made in Japan. But they are suprised when informed that the Titan was designed in California, built in Mississippi, and the motor was made in Tennesee. How American can a truck get? Wonder if some of the American made trucks can say the same thing?