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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  Power - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By JOE Shmoe - March 6 - 10:00 am

  this car could climb everest it has a powerful v6 and is backed with a killer 4wd system. iwouldnt trade it for anything

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  350Z Needs Twin Turbo - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By wasboater - March 6 - 10:00 am

  Great car, nothing like the older Turbo models though. Interior is nice, with sharp contemporary design. A bit difficult to get in and out of, dont buy one if you have a bad back.

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  WHAT A CAR - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Mikenoc - March 6 - 10:00 am

  when I heard the new release of the maxima I was in aw. I have been a long time nissan lover since my 92 nissan maxima which i traded in for a 2002 altima but when i heard of the maximas new release I was ready to trade in my altima. I waited of course until this year and did just that. My black SL with the 5 speed automatic not the 4 as in the early year productions really blows my mind. This car has power and style. I was in the market for a new car and it was teetering between the maxima and its sister car the Infiniti I35 but I am very glad I went with the Maxima. It is truley a work of art inside and out!

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  Extreme CVT at Value Price - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By 2.5SL - March 6 - 3:10 am

  This is a sporty car with midsize roots and value pricing in its segment. The Altimas CVT and engine mating and an interior that we found best in the class for us make it a home run. Drive the manual shift CVT on a twisty road and you will smile all the way home. The power bands are beautifully executed. CVT does great even in hills. Bravo Nissan engineering!

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  Tough truck - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Mark - March 5 - 8:00 pm

  I have 120k miles on an 04 Off-Road, and there has only been the brake rotor problem, which Nissan took care of, eventually. I routinely tow 8500 lbs. with it and haul about 500 lbs of tools always, and the truck has held up really well. Better than my previous 2 Expeditions on all accounts, especially comfort & handling.

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  How to love your Pathfinder - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pfluvr - March 5 - 3:17 am

  Step 1 - Have your transmission cooling lines disconnected from the radiator! There is an external auxiliary transmission cooler that does the job already. The only problem you may encounter is hard shifting in extreme cold. You can, if you want put another auxiliary cooler on the truck, but unless youre maxing the towing capacity every day you will not need it. The stock cooler is very large. Step 2 - Youve basically now cured the only problem you will ever encounter, except for some little maintenancy things. Enjoy!

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  its a MAXIMA!. - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By riverone - March 4 - 2:56 pm

  This car is amazing,its my 2nd Max,his appearance and performance is incredible,25mpg is superb,my wife is always impressed with the strong and at the same time smooth ride.We love this car.

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  WORST CAR EVER HAD - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By too_swift - March 2 - 3:31 pm

  WHERE DO I START....THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS SINCE A WEEK FROM ME DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 6 MILES ON IT AND IVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS..GAS COVER STUCK, 3RD TRANSMISSION, DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS, LIGHTS NOT WORKING INSIDE OF THE CAR, SHIFTER IN THE CAR CAME APART... MY SISTER HAS THE SAME CAR AND HAS HAD MOST OF THOSE PROBLEMS PLUS REPLACING HER STEERING COLUMN...NISSAN GAVE ME A HARD TIME TO FIX THESE ITEMS(THAT WERE UNDER WARRANTY) THE CAR IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE. IT HAS HAD MORE WEAR-N-TEAR DAMAGE COSTS THEN THE ACTUAL WORTH OF THE CAR. HAVE IT FULLY MAINTAINCED BEFORE BUYING THAT YEAR OF SENTRA. I TRADED IT IN WITH 46,000 MILES ON IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO MUCH $!

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  Best for the $$ - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By FK - March 2 - 8:16 am

  I bought the base model (XE), king cab with 4WD (4WD adds about $3K). Even though its a "base" model, it doesnt look cheap. It has painted bumpers (which I like) instead of chrome, and steel wheels which look OK (unlike the cheap looking steel wheels you get on a Toyota SR5). Windows, mirrors and door locks are manual, but other, but criously enough it has cruise control. I paid $24K, plus tax and a $300 dealer fee, it was right at $25K out the door, they are willing on deal on these, the MSRP was $27.5K. The steering and engine have that tight, "refined" feel you would expect from a Lexus. King cab doors open 160 degrees, and there are "latch" child seat connectors in rear.

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  Altima Hybrid - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By joha - March 2 - 3:26 am

  The Altima Hybrid is a very good car. In my first 600 miles of mixed freeway and local driving, I got 34.1 mpg. This is less than I hoped, but much better than non-hybrid cars of similar size and performance. There are a few problems. The gas engine is rough and the ecu has the engine running too much in local driving. The placement of the big battery creates a small trunk that is tall but short front to back. Long items cannot be carried. I have the base model with strange and limited instruments. The speedometer goes to 160 mph, so only the first half is usable, with hard to read gradations. There is no tachometer and no temp guage.