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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  3.5 SL; Nav, Tech, LEDs, Mud Guards; no spoiler - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By sonaz - January 22 - 3:33 pm

  Great MPG highway. On a recent trip from D.C. to NJ I got 34.2 round trip. Short, slow(city), and hilly driving is another story. That kind brings MPG way down. The car does have a kind of groan while accelerating or maintaining low-medium speed but I dont find it bothersome. Otherwise its quiet. The CVT is awesome in Ds mode. Very nice acceleration. I have tehe heated seat issue where you get heat either at bottom cushion or the back but not both at same time. Repair attempt failed. Need to go back with it.

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  Transmission Shot - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Norman Dell - January 22 - 10:10 am

  I purchased a 04 max, from the beginning ive had problems. The headliner had to be replaced because the fabric was peeling. The brakes have been awful, had to replace the sun roof, not the oval shaped one. The mileage is currently 71,000 miles and my transmission is completely shot. The car would jerk in the gears, especially when Im reversing then shifting to drive. The dealer says there are metal shavings inside the transmission and it needs to be replaced. This is gonna cost me $4900, parts and labor. I owe 2 more months payment on the car. When I finally own it, I cant drive it. Was gonna buy an Armada, but now I will never buy another Nissan again. Very disappointed.

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  Very Good Car - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Nissan Fan - January 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a very reliable and durable car. I bought mine in March 1995 and now the car has 119K on it. No major problems. Only major maintenance is that Ive replaced the exhaust system (except cat. conv.), timing belt and got it tuned up around 100,000. I dont really have any negatives to say about this car. I hope to get another 100K out of it. For a low end car, it is a lot of fun to drive.

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  Happy with Quest but it has Issues - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By NJQuest - January 21 - 10:46 pm

  My 2004 Quest is a long distance dream but it has issues that Nissan should have corrected. 1) Brakes wear out TOO fast. I have replaced both the Front (15K) and the Rear (20K). 2) The rear seat rattles (fixed) 3) The door where repaired for a recall and had to be repaired again. 4) The fuel economy is around 16.5 MPG City and 20.1 MPG Highway (Long Distance runs NJ to FL). 5) My Radio was problematical after my LoJack was install and had to be replace by the dealer (only took eight months). On the Plus side. 1) Its roomy! 2) The DVD player keeps the kids quiet! 3) Can swallow anthing I want to transport. 4) Fun to drive. Great for those long trips.

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  Front rotar problems - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By TWM - January 21 - 2:46 am

  I love this truck, but I am waiting for a kit to repair the problem with the front end rotars. I have had the car in three times in four months to have the rotars shaved. They are over heating and causing severe front end shaking. This is a problem in design, and Nissan is putting together a kit that they will install in late June. This has ruined the the joy of purchasing an otherwise great truck!

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  Worth a look - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By John Walters - January 20 - 2:05 pm

  Does it ever make you wonder when reading professional car reviews if the writer thinks hes testing a sports car instead of a CUV. You read things like" CVT drone" uninvolved driving characteristics, slow acceleration etc. Ive got a lot of driving experience behind the wheel and I can tell you the Rouge doesnt disappoint. I didnt buy the vehicle to be able to hit 60 in 6 seconds or test its high speed cornering ability. The Rouge just feels good offering a pleasant controlled ride with little to no springboard effect, unlike some I tried while test driving others in this class. The steering weight is ideal adding to its car like feel. The interior is nicely finished and the cloth seats quite comfortable. The Rouge features an unusual adjustable shelf system in the rear that provides an array of choices to fit storage needs or privacy. Although there is a downside as the shelving may be too flimsy to support heavier items. Must admit I had some reservations over a CVT as opposed to the more flexible 6 speed auto/manual transmission I prefer. Happily those concerns were unfounded. Yes under full acceleration youll notice increased engine noise but overall the vehicle interior is pretty quiet. And there is an allowance to use engine compression to slow vehicle speed when appropriate, a commendable option for an AWD equipped vehicle. The main purpose of the CVT is efficiency which pushes the Rouge up in the MPG ratings. There may be better choices if you plan on towing or carrying heavy loads. But the Rouge should satisfy most family needs, it even comes with a 3rd row seat if so desired. While I prefer my luxury vehicle for long trips, the Rouge is more enjoyable to drive on the windy hilly roads that prevail in this area. I feel better knowing my wife now drives a vehicle that can handle all types of weather and road conditions. Not to mention the utility value of todays CUVs.

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  Armada is the Mack-Daddy - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By flymike - January 20 - 10:00 am

  Traded 2001 Sequoia for the 2004 Armada. So far extremely happy with the decision. Armada has engine power galore [Sequoia underpowered at 4.8L V- 8 vs. Armadas 5.6L V-8]. Independent suspension makes for firm and sporty ride as compared to Sequoias softer Cadillac like ride. Guys will like the nice "growl" -real throaty exhaust sound. Interior a little more "trucky" than Sequoia-in look, feel and sound. This was a turn off at first but grew on me as I checked the vehicle out more thoroughly.

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  Gets Me By - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Stevo - January 19 - 1:13 pm

  This car has been overall pretty decent. As far as most FWD cars from that era, it performs pretty well. Steering is a bit light though, making handling not too enjoyable. Stock suspension is complete trash - a lot of body roll and ridiculous ride height, even with SE setup. Exterior design is quite bland, especially the 95-96 models. The 97-99 look much better. Same with the interior, very bland but at least its simply laid out. The cabin seems cramped for some reason, partly because the ceiling isnt as high as most other cars I drive. For a 140k mile car, its been pretty reliable. Hasnt ever left me on the side of the road, but stranded in my own driveway interestingly enough.

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  Great Value / Great Car - SL Version - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By okedoke - January 19 - 8:40 am

  A very comfortable ride. A very good value for the quality / caliber car ( if looking at BMWs, Acura, Lexus, or Infinite, but dont want to drop an extra $10+k, consider this car). This car is an SL. Got the non-nav, non sunroof, non-sat package. Only disappointment was my color combo was manufactured in early Nov 04, and did not come with traction control as standard. Had a couple of snow storms in New England in March, seemed ok with out, but the real test will be next winter. Kind of like the mpg also - if I hot dog, I average about 22 mpg, if I grand dad it, I get about 24.5 mpg (mixed hwgy / local driving).

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  Best reliability of any make - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jamison - January 18 - 9:46 am

  This was my second Pathfinder, I had a 93 prior to this truck. I purchased my second because of the firsts excellent dependability. I put 50,000 miles on the 93 model, and 110,000 on the 95, and the only repairs that I had to make were normal ones, like brakes, tires, belts, etc. i did have the exhaust manifold leak on both, it was repaired once under warranty. This truck is great off road with its limited slip differential, great seats, and is very cheap to own. Aside from the lack of power, and poor fuel economy, it was a great vehicle. I almost bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee instead because I wanted more HP, but didnt dare because of the poor reliability, and I made the right choice.