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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  Reliable - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By 99-Vette - May 7 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Maxima that Ive owned. This one has everything except leather. I bought it used with 27k miles and now have about 70k miles on it. If you are looking for reliability, look no further. The only complaint that I really have is the poor quality of brakes and rotors. The handeling could be improved a little too. It doesnt drive as smooth as I would have thought.

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  Like it lots, despite a few problems - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By researchqueen - May 6 - 4:03 pm

  Have had my Altima Hybrid for 10 months and really enjoy driving it. Its got great pick-up, feels like it was made to suit me physically, and looks great. The fuel economy is sub-par -- averaging 30mpg mostly in city driving, which means Im paying a lot for a hybrid that isnt performing as expected. I initially had to have the 12v battery replaced, then the headliner. Now theres an issue with the engine control module and the NAV system (which I dont find particularly intuitive). Despite all this, really enjoy driving it and despite the smaller cargo capacity, it can hold pretty much whatever I need it to and seats three kids well in the back. Still a great combo of practicality and fun

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  SLEEK DESIGN - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By mmamman3 - May 5 - 1:40 pm

  After returning from a trip, we rented this vehicle to get from the airport to our home and truly fell in love with it. Four months later, we purchased a 2012 Nissan Quest minivan. So far, we have been very impressed with our purchase. It has much more pep than our previous minivan (Dodge Grand Caravan) and is a quieter ride. The basic features seem adequate and are quite liked by the children, as they now have temperature control in the rear. Standard middle row captains chairs are an added bonus so that the kids dont get in each others space as often:) However, I think the most impressive is the exterior design--very sleek and modern. Its a turn your head and look kind of minivan.

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  Started out amazing, but... - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By fronteeer - May 4 - 3:53 pm

  Ive written a few favorable reviews about this truck, but its had a few major problems and Im afraid it might become a liability soon, since the b2b warrantys gone and the power train is close. Nissan replaced the entire HVAC unit because it only worked on hot and cold, and they couldnt fix it. I recently had a belt and tensioner changed to get rid of a loud squeak when idling cold. The fuel gauge went nuts and I had to have everything changed from the gauge back. Now theres a loud clunk coming from the drive train when I accelerate while turning, in both 4x2 and 4x4. Sometimes the steering wheel pulls so hard to one side after turning, I have to basically stop and let it go.

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  Good Workhorse - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By rtreviewing - May 4 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car when it was 6 years old with 107K miles. I kept it for 5 years, putting another almost 70K miles on it. Besides regular maintenance, I did have to replace a few parts. All the maintenance and repairs averaged out to less than $1,000 per year. Not exceptional, but pretty good.

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  Poor man BMW wannabe, that was never RWD - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By MaxRX7 - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Good bang for buck. no comparsion to toyota and honduh.

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  what a blast! - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MD mudpup - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought a superblack se 4wd w/options: s94, l92, f95 & go5. Paid $210 over CR wholesale price, $1200 under invoice. Took the $1k cash back. Test-drove the envoy, trailblazer, 4 runner, montero... Envoy – nice if you like driving a couch, trailblazer – piece of @#*!. the rest were nice. If you want performance buy a pathfinder. Torque – you got it! Pounces off the line. DOHC v-6 can definitely get it out of its own way. Engine braking – great. Rides nice (it’s a suv, its going to lean a little bit in a turn, buy a porsche if you want handling). im 65" 280 and i fit nice. do yourself a favor and test drive them all and make your choice. i did and picked the pathfinder - what a blast!

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  2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4x4 Auto - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jgoveia - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent all-around performer with a very potent engine. First-class reliability. It could use improvement in fuel efficiency.

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  Great bang for the buck - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By magagne - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Dont know why there are not more Sentra SE on the road..its fast, handles like a dream, and is just fun to drive!

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  The Good, Bad and Ugly - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By JonR - May 4 - 2:00 am

  My 2nd Nissan Pickup-last was a 98- great-this one not quite as good. This one had good ride, dependability, great mileage. Owned 6 years, 42,000 miles- same tires mileage between 25 and 28 normal, and on trip to Yellowstone, 32+ amazing! Range 290- 330 miles cause gas gauge design always made truck look like it was running out! Full was 9 Oclock, 1/2 was 7 pm and empty was 6 PM. Very bad on confidence. Overall, truck performed ok but emission controls choked what could have been more horsepower. Problems were, Steering wheel squeaked from new, Oxy sensor failed, Parking brake cable fell off mount, Horn quit in snowy winter, rattle in headliner. All in all a good truck but some small issues