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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  Awesome - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By 25 year old X owner - December 22 - 1:40 pm

  Very well built and well thought out veh. All the little things like tie downs, roof storage are, dual glove box, door cup holder, are great to have. This veh would not be a very good for people who would have to use the back seat b/c of fender/wheel clearance area. Other than that this veh is awesome. Strong motor, good steering, nice stereo (even the standard one), in trunk floor storage, etc. All of the seats will fold flat including the front passenger seat. There are steps on the rear bumper which allow access to the roof of the vehicle if needed. Engine feels strong and I havent had a single problem with this veh since the day i bought it new

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  Rear End Alignment - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By BBG1 - December 21 - 6:20 pm

  I love the car. Never a days trouble with it... Except I was confused has to why I kept wearing through rear tires every 10-12k miles. Turns out the rear alignment is out and not adjustable. The dealer would not give me straight answer about fixing it under warranty unless I paid for a diagnostic check up for a hundred bucks. So I had a local garage install adjustable shims and do an alignment all for a $125 in one afternoon. No dealer hassle.

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  This thing guzzles gas!!!!! - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dullchime - December 21 - 11:48 am

  This my wifes car so I just started driving it. Weve had it since 33,000miles and now were at 115,000 and weve replaced brakes, struts, fuel filler hose, tires, and oil has been changed every 5000. NOW its in need of a new knock sensor and even before this, it seemed like it drinks gas. I have a Chevy Tahoe and it does better. Im going to replace the air filter and spark plugs and see if that helps at all...All in all not a bad little SUV. Great in the snow too.

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  Great Car, Needs improvements. - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By aam_flipp - December 20 - 2:40 am

  I recently just traded this car in for a 2010 Lexus RX 350. This is a good car to start off with if you ever want to try out a Nissan. I enjoyed this car. In the snow, its nimble and fun to drive around with, but driving up a snowy mountain pass with a full car didnt provide much of a driving experience. The horsepower was pathetic, and getting up to highway speeds is a large task for the Rogue. The one thing I heavily dislike is the CVT transmission. They told me that the CVT holds gears for more power, but I felt that no matter where my foot was pressed on the accelerator panel, it would not go any fast.Overall though, this was a good car and I definitely wouldnt mind having one again.

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  The Black Widow - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By jefsal - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Cons: We are having nothing but MAJOR problems with the car. STAY AWAY. 1)We are in the process of having the ENGINE REPLACED. It has 14K miles on it. The engine is burning oil and requires more work than NISSAN thinks it is worth. 2) There is a major problem with many of these cars in the suspension causing the alignment to go off prematurely ruining the tires. NISSAN is quietly panicking over this 3) Had a stabilizer problem. Now fixed

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  great car - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By the technician - December 19 - 10:00 am

  A very good car.50,000 miles and no problems.A little slow off the line with automatic trans but over 60mph it flies.36 mpg highway,no complaints there.cant think of another car in this class I would rather have.I am a mechanic and have seen a lot more problems with Honda and Toyota.I am pleased.

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  Great car for the price - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By ChaosKid420 - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive wanted this car since it first came out in 2002. Personally, I like the older body style a little better but the interior on the 2004+ is a lot nicer and is just more pleasing to the eye. Premium stereo isnt very premium. VERY quick car. LSD keeps it in line. 6- spd is quite fun. Stock tires lack grip in snow. Handles corners like a dream, minus the slight stiffness over some bumps. Beats most cars in its class.

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  Rust Bucket - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Sonja Richardson - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Xterra 4 months ago. 1st time I washed it I noticed rust all over. I took it to 2 Nissan Dealers. 1 would not do anything, the other is willing to give it a acid bath. What a joke. It will be a complete rust bucket with in a year.

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  The wait was worth it - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By astraumins - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I ordered my Altima specifically to get the 3.5SE in black with the 5spd manual. It is probably the most fun car I have ever driven. Every time I get in I just smile. The imprvmnts over the 04 model is worth forgoing the 04 finance option and getting the 05. If you are thinking of getting a Maxima, definitely look at an Altima too. I have driven both the 04 Maxima, 04 and 05 Altima and can tell you a fully loaded Altima beats a basic Maxima any day, especially since it is 27K for a loaded Altima w/out Nav and 28K for a basic Maxima. Plus the Alti beats the Max in the 0-60. OR just wait till the 05 Altima SE-R comes out in September. nissanclub.com

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  Not the Best Family Vehicle - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Wetfly - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Shoulda done more homework: We were taken by the performance, responsiveness, and sporty look of the Pathfinder, but quickly came to realize that the back seat and cargo areas are skimpy, and the ride is...well...jumpy? The V6 is fun, but combine that with some mediocre rubber and no Traction Control, and pulling out into a wet intersection during heavy traffic can get dicey...