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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  Great truck for anything! - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Beezie - January 21 - 5:26 am

  I bought the SE in 2002 with 22,000 miles and now it has 132,000 miles. No major problems at all! Regular oil changes and new tires and shocks, it rides like its brand new. Its very agile around sharp turns and very capable on washed out roads. A K&N air filter gives it more power. Regular easy maintenance keeps it running and running. Its very reliable, everything is working correctly. Lack of power but the 3.3L V6 is very easy to maintain, very reliable. I love this truck.

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  Initial Gas Mileage, Etc. - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ohlode - January 21 - 5:16 am

  The only thing that I was hesitant about prior to purchase was the poor mileage reports for the Pathfinder, both V6 and V8. My 2008 Pathfinder S 4x4, 4.0L V6 automatic after the first 3 tanks averaged 18.2 mpg in the city. This is what the in-dash computer was telling me but I didnt believe it until I crunched the numbers after each fillup. Much better than I expected. This is in-town driving with maybe 10 to 20% expressway. Im fairly light-footed and you can tell a difference if you put your foot into it but Im not nursing it either. This is a superb SUV for the money.

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  Excellent SUV - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By TBA - January 20 - 4:16 pm

  Bought new in 2000, before wife and kid. Most reliable ever, currently 180k miles. Need only routine maintenace. No fancy bells and whisles, just a simple SUV that can take on almost anything. However, with another kid on the way, I may finally have to part with it.

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  Xterra Offroad 05 - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Ciscom - January 20 - 7:30 am

  I have owned a Nissan and was very happy with the quality and reliability of Nissans products. I went from a Nissan pickup to the Xterra and am very satisfied with this SUV. Fuel mileage is better than I expected (6 cyl.) Performance, quality, looks/styling are all good. One suggestion to Nissan, cutback on the amount of interior plastic, otherwise the Xterra is an excellant SUV.

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  A Note on Safety - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Jamie - January 19 - 10:06 pm

  Best vehicle my wife and I ever bought. Extremely versatile for trips, vacations, camping, light towing but still practical enough for everyday use. I even hauled lumber on the roof- rack with no probelms. UNFORTUNATELY my wife was rear-ended in our last week! She left the highway sideways, went airborne and flipped three times...completely crushing the front and rear, but the seating areas both front and back were not harmed and she walked away without...well, one tiny scuff on her leg from the steering wheel. It kept her safe and we are now looking for a replacement. We love the X-terra

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  never again will i buy nissan - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By dukebdevil08 - January 19 - 6:51 am

  had this car for two years and from the beginning I had to replace the ecu withing three months.had to replace the 02 sensor twice.had to replace the fuel pump and the transmission control module..spent more time having repairs done on the car than I had driving it..these cars have had major recalls on them and mine had three which were for the airbag,the butterfly bolts on the cat back and the ecu..now I own a mazda and I love it..sorry Nissan but never again will I ever buy one of your vehicles..

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  Beast! - 2011 Nissan GT-R
  By kenny i - January 19 - 4:53 am

  Had my gtr about month now and love it. I had many cars coming from an Audi rs4, e55, m3, Corvette, and I have to tell you this car blows them out the door in looks and build quality. The handling and the power that is on tap in every gear is amazing. Only downside is it drives hard but I guess what can you expect from a super car that handles the way it does. Do not buy this car if you dont like attention. Gas stations, lights, everywhere people ask how I like the car and what a sweet car it is. I bought the White. I live in New Jersey where the roads are terrible, ton of pot holes so I need to b careful. If you are blessed to live in Florida or Cali. You will enjoy this car with the great road.

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  Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By AJ - January 19 - 3:56 am

  Me and my wife just love this suv. We test drove so many other suvs but this one was our favorite one. Our kids just love the dvd player.

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  NEVER BUY A NEW ALTIMA. - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Debra Yeoman - January 19 - 3:52 am

  So disappointed. Saved to buy this car for my 16 year old daughters birthday. Shes now in tears because 6 months later its a piece of crap that wont run. The CVT transmission shutters and shakes and it dies at low speeds or when put into park. Of course it just went off warranty. Ive talked to others thats replaced them 2-3 times. Please Nissan , come on and admit your car is defective. How many people have to did first??????

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  you know the story, bad transmission!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Manuel Espinoza - January 19 - 3:44 am

  I bought my car in June 2013 and went on trip immediately after. It did really good and I was impressed, I also owned a 1999 Altima (manual trans) and it went 370K miles on the original engine and transmission. This 2013 had to have the transmission replaced at 34K miles and the new transmission at 45K behaves pretty much the same as the previous transmission. Whether the problem is the alternator or the transmission, Nissan should stand behind their product and correct the issues at n o expense to the customer. A Nissan mechanic told me that since Renault bought Nissan the quality has been diminishing on their products and it shows not sign of getting better. I am in the process of getting rid of my Altima and getting an Accord with manual transmission. I will never buy Nissan again, not because of the transmission, but for their lack of care in solving a known issue to them.