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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  The Altimate Driving Machine - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Altima3.5SE - February 1 - 7:20 am

  I have had my car for almost a week and i love driving it! It is a super sleek and sexy car with a transmission/engine/chassis design that no other car can match in its class! Very easy to drive and stable when the need for aggressive driving is needed. Very roomy and a nice sounding base sound system. This has to be the best bang for your buck in the mid size class category and it is better built than Camry and Accord.

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  It looks like a high performance car. - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By rambosky - February 1 - 5:10 am

  I was taken by the sporty looks of the coupe. I thought it looked better than the 350Z. I got the premium package which included leather seats, sun roof, alloy wheels and Bose sound system. It handles better than other sports cars Ive driven which cost $10K more. The shiftless CVT is awesome. Cant wait til I drive it again.

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  Superb Vehicle: Best on the market for the price. - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Rosalind Arthur - February 1 - 5:06 am

  You will get your moneys worth. It has the best value of any car on the market in terms of price, features, reliability, comfort, etc. I vote it #1 in all categories.

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  "Very Disappointed" - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By LISA - February 1 - 3:03 am

  I buy my Rouge in July 2008 in my 4 months used the car CheckEngine on. The dealer say me nothing happen only need be careful to gas plugin correctly and the checkengine is off. But that not happen. My second request to check the car dealer found a problem is the gas censor had fabric damage. The dearler repair but in 1 year have the car appear more problems at this time is the temperature very high, airconditioner dont working and shaky all car.

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  tons of fun - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By 2005 nissan 350z - February 1 - 2:33 am

  I love the bright yellow color. Acceleration great. I like all the stainless steel accents. It is fun to drive. I enjoy the Navigation system. Bose sound system great!!! I wish it had a better console for drinks. It has 1 flimsy plastic holder. Overall I love the car!! The cost of insurance is high, but worth it. I am happy with my purchase.

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  Love It So Far - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By North Alabama - February 1 - 1:36 am

  I have only had this vehicle for a week, but thus far I am quite pleased. I had driven 3 different vans over the last 10 years and was quite nervous about transferring to a smaller vehicle, but so far so good. I enjoy the get up and go this vehicle has. I know that if I need to get out of the way of something, I have the power to do so. I have always enjoyed driving pickup trucks and the Pathfinder has the same sort of feel. I live in a small community and there are not many Pathfinders around, but the response it has gotten regarding its look has been astounding. My previous vehicles have all been white and my Pathfinder is Storm Gray, which has proven to be a refreshing change.

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  Burned by the CVT - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By wiulax - February 1 - 12:24 am

  I been very happy with my 2008 Rogue over the 1st 126,000 miles. I liked it so much that I decided to hold on to it beyond the 120,000 warranty on the CVT. That decision is now going to cost me 4,000 for a new CVT since the transmission failed to the point where I had have it towed to the dealership. Of course Nissan has not offered to pay 1 penny of the replacement cost. When it comes to the CVT failure, I think it not a matter of if, but when it will fail. Hopefully the replacement CVT is better than the original

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  fun RIDE, out of snow - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By mike - January 31 - 7:06 pm

  I love it; just don’t try to drive it with even a dusting of snow on the ground. It’s a great bachelor’s car.

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  Great value and reliability - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By iowaboy - January 31 - 2:26 pm

  Bought privately when it had 7,000 miles due to sellers expecting twins. No major repairs in 104,000 miles of ownership - now has 111,000 miles. I now drive 47 miles one-way to work all highway and average 33 mpg using non-ethanol 87 octane fuel. Plan on driving until 250,000. No rust anywhere. I believe the great reliability is due to the 6th and final year of this body/design style. All kinks worked out.

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  CVT , CVT, CVT, NISSAN WRONG DECISSION! - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By eric - January 31 - 3:28 am

  my first big issue of this car is the interior space, its so small, nissan squeezed this car unbelievably, cant understand why really, every position in this car is so small, driver position is definitely the worst position in this car, such a huge console why?, what was the purpose of this? if you are trying to put stuff like that u have to make more room in this car, unacceptable! second issue, this car should paired with regular automatic transmission like infiniti does, but not CVT, its a big mistake, its killing all the power of this beautiful engine, such a disaster with that CVT! the gas mileage actually stay way behind what nissan is saying, with 300hp engine should never be paired with CVT!