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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  rattles aready ? - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Josh - January 18 - 12:06 am

  I traded my 08 pathfinder in for a brand new xterra off road. I was hoping to get away from the rattles and thought it would be good to go for a off road vehicle that I thought would hold up. I have only had my xterra for a month and it is rattling bad in door panels and the dash. I hope my warranty will cover this? Not too impressed for a new vehicle to rattle like this. I had a 2000 pathfinder that rattles less. Hope they can fix it but if not it will be my last Nissan purchase for sure.

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  Cube alignment - 2010 Nissan Cube
  By tippyriver - January 17 - 5:11 pm

  A four wheel alignment can cost over $1000 if the rear is out of spec. Nissan Cube has a non adjustable rear axle and Nissan will Not warrant replacement if out of spec. Shims are Not approved. Rotating tires hides the factory problem and shortens tire life.

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  NISSAN NISMO ROCKS THE ROAD - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By 19DEVILDOG70S - January 17 - 11:13 am

  If you plan to drive your Nissan Nismo off road as it is intended as it is a 4x4 and Nismo is the off road version of the Frontier then before you go off road make sure you go to a 4x4 shop and have thick plastic cut out and put in the area by the back wheel well that sticks out!they have clear plastic there already for that purpose but it is not thick enough nor is it big enough! My Nismo has the rear locker and in 2 years I have never been stuck with the truck yet and this last winter just about wore my 3"x30tow rope out by pulling everone else out from the record snow that we received! bought new tires and went with the General Grabber AT2 which will get you way more traction!

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  average car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Rad - January 16 - 2:00 am

  It seems to be an average car. Good and reliable for commuting but definitely lacks any personality. Have not had any problems for last 30K that I drove it but it is not a car that I would look forward to get into and drive everyday. Yet, I am sure that it is better then any other American alternative in this price range.

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  Disappointed! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By optimistic2 - January 15 - 8:45 pm

  Less than four months into my first new car and Im finally fed up. Its time for me to move on. I have been to my local Nissan dealer on four occasions addressing my concerns of interior rattles. I noticed a rattling sound coming from the steering column at low speeds on smooth pavement and I expressed concerns over a potential loose transverse bolt. I was informed my vehicle wasnt affected and to not be concerned. The rattle persisted and I was turned away twice more with no answer. So I recorded the sound and was told they didnt hear the sound when they drove it. They did manage to replace my squeaky rattling sun visor with a squeaky rattly visor. It feels like a $25,000 joke!

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  Dang good buy. - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ikyrydr - January 15 - 2:43 pm

  I bought the car for my wife at some used car place in Jan 04. I was forced to replace the starter and belts in Nov 07, and a pulley in Dec 07. Other than that all work was routine maintenance or by choice. I have taken the car on (3) 2,000 mile round trips to CO without a problem. I have also taken the car on some pretty serious four wheeling trips for a stock car and it also did extremely well. The 4 wheel dive does great on the roads too, I drove over Vail & Eisenhower pass in a blizzard at 55 mph with ease!

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  Nissan xterra performance - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By J Hart - January 14 - 7:06 pm

  I love my xterra...it has a great ride, lots of fun to drive and the 4wd is great in the snow! It doesnt have the greatest pickup but overall highly recommend!

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  Happy Customer - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Happy Customer - January 13 - 5:00 pm

  I have owned this car for 2 years. It is absolutely a good buy. It has 14k miles as of this writing. There has not been any problem whatsoever. The paint job is very good. It is just as glossy as when it was new. I averaged 25-26 miles in mixed driving. The reasons I chose Altima over Accord or Camry are simple. 1: More power, 2: Styling. Nissan makes relible cars too. I have no complaints at all for a 20K car that meets all my expectations .

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  Good Car - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Camay - January 12 - 1:23 pm

  Excellent car for student, wish it didnt have so many little rattles in the door panels. Overall pretty good.

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  Comfortable Fun Reliable - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By JvGinPDX - January 12 - 7:56 am

  I purchased the car about a year ago from a dealer. The car had 100k miles on it, I have driven it 13k miles. My previous car was a Porsche 924, I liked the sporty handling of the 924. I wanted a larger car, I am 63" tall, not many cars are comfortable for a tall person. I test drove a 94 Toyota Camry, it was a quality car, but boring to drive. My Maxima SE handling performance reminded me somewhat of the Porsche. The four wheel disk brakes saved the day when I noticed a car stalled right in front of me on the freeway. I the brakes stopped straight and true when I slammed on the brakes. (I have ABS) The Max more power than I expected. I have just done basic maintenance on the car.