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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  Annoying and Reliable - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Jessica H. - January 29 - 5:58 pm

  The best things about this car are how reliable it is and the decent gas mileage. I use the CD player a lot for audio books, and it is also easy to park because it is small. But thats where the good stuff ends for me. The plastic steering wheel is very slippery. For me, a steering wheel cover is a must. Every day I wish the car had power locks and windows. I hate that to open the hatchback I have to manually unlock the driver door. I hate the extremely poor lighting inside the cab. I have to use a flashlight to see anything inside the car at night (except for the panels that light up only when the headlights are on). All four of the hubcaps fell off during driving. Road noise is extremely loud on the highway. I feel every little bump in the road. I didnt realize how much that bothered me until one day I started swerving around manhole covers in the street to stop from jarring myself. The A/C freezes my fingers on the steering wheel, but thats as far as it goes towards cooling the cab. Im on my second key, and its starting to feel mushy because of all the wear it gets from unlocking the door so many times a day. The Versa keys are the expensive $80 keys. The brakes, although good, make squeaky noises when backing up (like, out of the driveway). The car also makes squealing noises when making tight turns (like, in a parking lot). Ive been driving it to-and-from work and around-town for five years now, and all the little annoyances have finally gotten me to start looking for a new car.

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  MPG not as Advertised - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By mpgreview - January 29 - 5:16 pm

  The major issue is that we are getting 23 to 25 MPG in the City and no better than 30 to 32 on the Highway. This falls far short of the rated 27/38 that is heavily promoted by Nissan. I did a lot of research on this before buying to make sure there weren’t any issues with stated MPG. I don’t believe anyone is getting over 27 in the city unless they are doing a lot of coasting. Nissan has looked at the vehicle 3 times and as of the last visit said they also got 23 MPG but found no mechanical issues with the vehicle. The dealer recommended that I contact Nissan Consumer Affairs. They said that temperature and using the A/C will reduce MPG. Car should be rated for 25/30 at best.

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  Sentra - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Tstones - January 29 - 4:03 pm

  Roomy Interior, nice ride, great daily driver.

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  Needs improvement. - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By cleo - January 29 - 4:36 am

  The 2007 Nissan Sentra falls short in comfort and price when compared to its rivals like the toyota corolla, hyundai elantra, mazda3, and honda civic. Options like side door moldings, fog lights, and lighted console mirror, keyless entry are extras when most of these features are standard on other vehicles. The engine is noisy and the steering offers no flexibility in making wide turns. For a smoother ride and more accessories the smarter choice is the 2.0S or 2.0SL.

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  Excellent - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Miranda - January 29 - 1:56 am

  The Nissan Altima is a reliable vehicle and is envied by many who see it. This vehicle is a great investment for road trips or for toting around a lot of people. I always feel a little stylish in my Altima.

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  Transmission issue - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Tarak - January 28 - 11:54 am

  I have seen lots of problems with my Nissan Altima and having another problem with Transmission now. It really sucks, dont buy Nissan ever.

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  Am I the only one with this problem? - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Anthony - January 28 - 10:16 am

  The car was great for the first 30,000 miles. Yes the engine is noisy but bearable. Before the 30k I was getting around 410 miles per tank of gas. Then I noticed I was only getting 270 miles to the tank! I have been riding with this terrible fuel economy for 10,000 miles now. I filed a complaint with Nissan Corp. right after I noticed this downfall and they still havent helped me. Unfortunately the warranty ended when it hit 36,000 miles so they say nothing can be done about it now even though I filed it before the warranty was up. The car has been a nightmare ever since this happened and now recently the gas light stays on even when I fill up the tank.

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  Best Minivan For the Money - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Larry Amoso - January 28 - 10:00 am

  Therere two things Im against in a vehicle: Front wheel drive and Minivan. But yet weve had this Quest since 01/2004 and my wife loves it. She likes it better than the Mercedes ML430 weve had for the last three years. Me, I have nothing against this front-wheel drive minivan.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Billy T - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I dont think the CVT is power sapping, just the opposite. Gets great MPG for a car of its size, speed and power.

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  Good SUV Startup vehicle - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Hunter228 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I just got my X-Terra, I drove it to the Grand Canyon. While it could only do 60MPH going uphill, on the flat road it handled very well, for a 4 cyl. It was comfortable to ridee in it. Roomy for all my gear, fuel consuption was very good when speeds were kept to at least 75MPH. Doing 80 - 90MPH and your fuel consuption will still not be too bad. While more power would be great, all and all the X-Terra (4cyl)is not a bad investment for what you get.