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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  Easy Maintenance & Great Mileage! - 1998 Nissan Sentra
  By Lucas - February 25 - 11:03 pm

  We recently bought this car for my wife to drive. It needed a bit of work, but turns out the car is very easy to work on yourself, and the parts generally cost less then most (mainly because of popularity of the car). I really appreciated the diagnostic computer that you can use without any of the special hook up tools to figure out what that pesky check engine light really means. The car does have some weird vibration noises at times, but we got use to them, and the previous owner (friend) has heard them all along. Great Gas millage as well!!! We get close to 38 on the highway, which is better then my friend gets with his brand new Honda Civic

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  So So Sentra - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By electricnow - February 23 - 5:15 pm

  We have about 12,000 miles on it now. After owning two Hyundai`s, I guess I expected more from the Sentra, sinse we paid more for it. No problems so far. Does not get the mpg advertised, we average 30-32 at best. My only complaint would be the CVT transmission, we live where we have a lot of two lane country roads where you may need pass slower traffic offen. I have found it accelerates faster at about 5000 rpm than it does with your foot to the floor. I find this irritating and if this is normal, I would not own another Nissan if this transmission was the only option. Normal driving, It seems to work fine.

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  Nice simple truck - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Tyler - February 23 - 1:20 pm

  We have had the Xterra for 6 months now, and it has been great. It has great power for an SUV, and is pretty roomy inside for my family of 4. I get around 16 mpg in town, and around 20 on the freeway. I am 63" and have plenty of leg room. While it is plenty quiet on the pavement, when you get on a dirt or gravel road, the it resonates and is quite loud. I have the tow package, and have towed a small trailer once, it did great.

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  Gone Rogue! - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Chris - February 23 - 3:56 am

  Shopped around for a long time looking for a vehicle to replace my 2009 Honda Fit which I loved. However, Im a big guy and I was getting tired of a small car. My daughter will get the Fit and I started looking at SUVs. I test drove the Escape, RAV4, CRV , HRV and the new Sportage. I tell you, I like them all but the Rogue, in my opinion, had the nicest interior and I always liked the exterior. The Ford was more sporty and higher tech, the Sportage was real nice too but it didnt even come with a spare tire and the mileage wasnt that good for this class. Can,t go wrong with any Honda product in my opinion but the HRV was a fit on steroids and I liked the Rogue feel better. The Toyota was more expensive for the similar trim level. We have a 2012 Nissan Quest van and its been great. So I opted for the Rogue since I got a good deal. Overall, Im very pleased. The reviews said that it did not have enough power but I find it more than adequate and Ive been averaging 30 mpg! The seats are a little firm but tolerable. The ride is nice and fairly quiet. The Fit had a great sounding stereo but Im pleased with the Rogues. I had a problem with the passenger side front door rattling which the dealer has addressed. I think the Rogue is a excellent value and I would recommend it without reservations.

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  Best value for your buck - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By ray - February 23 - 3:00 am

  After looking at the all new 2006 Kia Sedonna, and some of the other vans we decided to go with the Nissan Quest. I cant se why more people dont choose this van over the competition. We got a incredible deal on it and due to that we were able to go with the Special edition (love the power sliding door). This is the best looking van hands down for me. Doesnt have the same bland look of the others. At first I didnt care for the interior dash design, but after looking at the same dash on the competitors the uniqueness of it grew on me. Some of the car magazines bashed Nissan for poor grade dash materials. I find them of a higher quality that the dodge and kia.

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  More than just affordable, reliable transportation - 2016 Nissan Sentra
  By TR - February 22 - 1:15 pm

  I purchased my car as a family sedan to seat 4, sometimes 5. The best feature is the interior room and trunk space. The next best feature is fuel economy. Dont be afraid to get the 6 speed manual transmission. It is smooth as silk and allows you to baby the engine or squeeze some power out when you need to. I know the CVT autos claim to fame is better acceleration and economy but at what cost?? The CVT likes to rev the engine up pretty high even below 20 mph just to accelerate faster. I keep the rpms lower with the 6 speed. And by the way I get above the 35 mpg rated highway mileage cruising on the interstate. On a 400+ mile trip I averaged over 40 mpg at an average speed of 65 mph (traffic slowed me down some). In any event the Sentra 6 speed manual gives you a lot of bang for your buck in a reasonably roomy family sedan. Dont expect a lot of fancy electronics. Options and controls are basic but uncluttered and easy to operate.

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  My workhorse... - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JasonBourne - February 22 - 12:43 pm

  bought this truck used from the original owner, had 150K miles on it, since purchased now has 187K, and is still going strong!! Havent had one problem with it yet. Trudges along like a trooper!!

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  Lacking Reliability-Quality? - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By jbennetsen - February 21 - 5:33 pm

  The 2004 Maurano in my opinion is one of the best looking vehicles on the road today.Its a real kick to drive because of its responsiveness. The issues that I have with this vehicle are from an overall engineering standpoint. They are... 1.Outside vented air is heated to 80 degrees because duct work was positioned too close to the engine. 2. When more than two adults are in the car, the suspension reacts as if there are no shock absorbers. With 24,000 mi., the idler pully shattered piercing the lower radiator hose. Next, the AWD transfer mechanisim failed breaking the housing and dumping all of its oil. The positive thing about the above two items is they were covered under warranty

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  the sentra that could. - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By joe - February 21 - 8:43 am

  I purchased this sentra se-r spec v thinking it was going to last forever! boy was i wrong, not only have i put a new tranny, but also a new motor,abs wheel sensor, cruise control ecu, and i am on my third catalitic converter! yea i said three! but now after all that i am afraid to open it up on the highway or eneywhere! I thouth spec v ment sport but mybe not! so now i have to baby it cause if i dont the catalitic converter might overheat and the insides might blow out again! posibly causing the motor to blow,like before, by the way did i metion this spec v is mostly built in MEXICO,just read the original window sticker that should explain everything! so buyers beware and good luck!!!!

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  Delivered In Almost Every Aspect - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By I.K - February 19 - 10:20 pm

  I purchased this car with the idea that I would be obtaining a fun to drive and reliable car. It delivered well on performance, the VQ30 engine is very responsive and extremely smooth and the gearing of the 4 spd. auto transmission is pretty well suited to my sometimes spirited driving style. The ride and handling of of the Max is great; it was smooth enough to drive long distances yet firm enough to take you through the corners, despite it being the GLE model designation. The style is simple yet it works - but thats where it stops because as of recently (The past year or so) I have not been able to catch a break when it came to mechanical issues which is the biggest downfall of the 00 Max.