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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  Few Rough Edges - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By JimL - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Armada for 3 months and have driven it 3400 miles. Love the design, engine transmission. Real comfortable. My friends rave about the roominess of 2nd row seats. Great dealer experience.

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  Luve our new Juke - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By robbie30 - December 18 - 7:37 pm

  Dont think the Juke is for everyone but for us it was the right car. Just my wife and I now so did not need a lot of room and wanted a fun car. Not a week goes by that someone does not approach us and ask about the car. I think it handles great and lot of options. For the price dont think you can beat it.

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  Great truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Romiesmith - December 18 - 6:16 am

  My family and I love our Titan no problems

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  UPDATE ON TRANSMISSION.... - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By josh37 - December 17 - 11:12 am

  I have two other reviews on this car. I bought it used with around 60,000 miles on it. Drove perfect until around 119,000. Like ever other 2004-2006 maxima, the transmission started jerking, kicking, and slipping. I really like this car. I had the car put in the shop when it had 127,000 miles on it, to have the transmission rebuilt. They had it for about 2 weeks (shop was really busy). I picked it up and he said that he did not replace the transmission (took it to a private transmission speciallest, not nissan dealer) he put a Shifter Kit in it and flushed the transmission fluid and not the car has 132,000 miles on it and drives smooth, on occasions it will slip but hardly noticable.

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  Great looking vehicle but lots of cabin noise - 2016 Nissan Juke
  By NoPigtails - December 15 - 5:09 pm

  I test drove a couple of Jukes and really liked them. However they seemed to have a lot of road noise. This was the only reason I did not buy one. I would also like for the "pigtail" on top to go away. I think the "pigtails" on the top of vehicles looks dorky.

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  Great small car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Jake - December 14 - 9:30 pm

  I just bought the 2006 Special Edition model for my daughter who is 19. I drove it home and that was the last Ive seen of it. The car is great to drive, the gas mileage is awesome and the SE package makes a big difference in looks. We compared it to several other cars and while a few others were just as good, no others could not even get close to the price.

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  Transmission Problem - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By jesus - December 14 - 4:03 am

  I see there are a few bad reviews for transmission problems. Unfortunately I have the same problem with my Maxima. At about 60k it started having problems with tranny slipping. I believe Nissan should own up to their faulty transmission. I have lost faith in Nissan now. Good luck Nissan cause youll need it.

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  Nissan Has Nailed It! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By racuda - December 13 - 10:36 am

  This is my third Nissan truck in 12 years. It is light years ahead of the other two, like the difference between a Pinto and a Porche. The raw power is the first thing I noticed. Its a good thing I got the limited slip differential - it is necessary to keep the wheels from spinning at full throttle. Of course, this comes at a cost - Im only getting 18.5 MPG on the highway. The reason I picked Nissan over Toyota is because I wanted power leather seats (heated), and a sunroof. Also the Nissan uses regular gas compared to the premium that Toyota recommends. I recommend getting the rubber all-weather floor mats. They are much easier to maintain that the carpeted ones.

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  Like my Sentra - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By mchown - December 13 - 10:00 am

  This has been a reliable vehicle. I havent decided whether I will keep it when the lease is up or not. Have had 3 recalls, and the only other maintenance besides normal checkups, is getting front brakes replaced after 3 years. The tires are crummy, they definitely wont last another year, even with changing them over every Canadian winter! The fuel mileage is excellent, and its a safe and reliable touring car.

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  so far, SOOO good - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By newguy - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought this truck a little more than a month ago and I love it. It is a pleasure to own and drive. I hope that its long term reliability. Was torn between this and F-150, and found that the mechanical refinement of this vehicle outweighs the interior refinement of the Ford. So far, SOOO good.