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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  Nice car that needs some improvements - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Chicago_driver - June 20 - 4:23 am

  Sporty sedan with much nicer body design than Accord, Camry or Avalon. 265HP is more than average driver needs. Unfortunately you better keep both hands on the wheel when flooring the gas pedal - terrible torque steer. So used to my V8 T-Bird with RWD I almost crashed the car when accelerating while turning. Acura TL which I also considered for additional $1,500 didn’t have that problem and it had a lot nicer interior design. Too bad TL’s interior is even smaller than Altima’s. Front seats could be more comfortable (no upper back support). Driving 50% city – 50% hwy I only get 20mph not between 20 and 28 as stated on sticker. It costs me $50 to fill up the tank (recomended premium fuel :(

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  Somewhat disappointed - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Rogueguy - June 20 - 2:16 am

  Transmission had to be replaced after only 8,000 miles. Hope it gets put back without any "new" service provided surprises. Some road noise. Ill try undercoating. Good ride and handling. Fuel economy better than advertised. 26 MPG overall. 32 mpg at 55 mph, 28 at 70 mph. I believe that there is enough power to slow engine to 2000 rpm at 70 mph and improve highway milage with CVT. Rear visibility is a problem. Wide angle stick ons on outside mirror helps. Some engine and air conditioning compressor noise.

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  Good design...No support from Nissan - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Morteus - June 20 - 1:03 am

  Love the engineering. Fun to drive. Way too many recalls (6) I brought the car in to the dealer for a fuel system recall and they left the engine cooling fans unplugged. Drove around for a couple of weeks until the engine overheated. Left me stranded and couldnt get an answer from Nissan Roadside assistance. I had to pay for a tow. Called Nissan customer care and they refused to get involved. Told me to go back to the original dealer to have the car looked at. I told them that they are asking the negligent dealership to determine if they caused any damage. Dealer said no damage was caused....6 months later the radiator cracked. Called Nissan customer care again. They couldnt have cared less.

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  Cruiser - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By ookpik_one - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Excellent dependability with a somewhat stiff ride. Good trunk space and passenger room. Good milage with the 5 speed transmission.

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  2012 Juke Recalled - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By todd_r - June 19 - 12:03 am

  The juke is fun, unique shaped. I like the Juke overall. It is speedy when needed, etc. The original sticker and ads say 37mpg in big numbers and words. No matter if is in eco or turbo mode(default setting), the MPG is 25 on the highway(70 degrees outside and no ac on, no rain, all highway no traffic lights), and 20 in the city. Read the fine print on the window stickers of all Nissans. The fine print says 21. The car has 19,000 and requires new tires. Most tires last 40k Well, as far as factory support, I took it in for a factory recall. The timing chain is to be replaced. This requires an oil drain and refill the oil. This an oil change without a new oil filter. No free filter included.

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  Great mid-size 4X4 SUV - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Stocktonpathy - June 18 - 8:46 am

  I bought my 1999 Pathfinder SE used with 89,000 to with replace a 1987 Pathfinder SE 4X4 5 speed with 277,000 miles. This has many more creature comforts than the 87 did. But the 87 was be more trail ready (full frame, skid plates, etc). I too had to replace the struts and shocks. I recently upgraded my tires to a set of All Terrains too. I do need to replace some weather stripping between the doors. The Bose stereo is nice, but the volume knob doesnt work right. I kinda have to pull up some so the contacts work. I also added a Sirius satellite receiver for long trips.

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  Just bought a Spec V - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Edmunds junky - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased in mid-April 2002 from Libertyville IL. The sticker was $18,800 for the Spec V w/ audio fanatic & sunroof packages. Ended up paying $18,000 even, which isnt bad (vibrant blue). The 6 speed manual is great, a lot of power. The ride is a little rough, but that is expected with the performance suspension, but overall is not that bad. The 300 watt audio system is great, enough bass, but also has good clarity as well. Styling is cool, 17" wheels look fantastic, agressive- looking front end, and 4-dr still maintains sporty look while providing more room. Overall Im very happy w/ my purchase.

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  exhaust problem - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Tabitha - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car in August of last year and I have already put 12,000 miles on it. Unfortunately, I have a terrible exhaust problem. From what I have been told by the service dept. at the dealership, it is a design flaw. My car smells like rotten eggs 85% of the time. From what I understand, the engines were built for low sulphur gasonline (primarily sold in CA.) and on other fuels (even high quality) the smell is unavoidable. It is really bothersome.

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  Fun Mobile - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By YeeHaa - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Just got My Xterra last week. Went off-road and had a blast. It is a little piggy when it comes to gas, but I knew that would be the case. It handles quite well, much better than some reviews that Ive read lead me to believe. It also has enough power, even without the super charger. I having that commanding view of the road. This is the best SUV for the money.

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  Almost as good as my hubbys Infinity - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By lexpat - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased my Altima SL on 3/29/02 but have found it to be a wonderful car to drive and look at. The following day, my husband bought a new Infinity I35. Although his car is a bit more luxurious, my Altima shares many of the features of his car. Although my Altima is a 4 cy., it has a good pick up when I need it. Smooth ride is great. It just took one drive and I was sold on the car. The dealership where we purchased the car was top notch. All car buyers should be so lucky to have the professional, caring salesman we had.