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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  OMG Hard to Believe - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By BrittanyaOCampo - January 13 - 2:40 am

  I first feel in love with this car when I was shopping for a Cadillac Cts, so then I was walking and something beautiful caught my eyes.It was the all new nissan maxima, it had everything I wanted. Most things the cts didnt even have optional. I love Nissan for this.

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  Great cheap to own car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Josh - January 13 - 1:47 am

  My parents bought this car brand new in 2001. It was given to me in 2013 with 95k. Its needed minimal repairs besides regular maintenance. My parents replaced a faulty coil pack and egr valve that was covered under warranty. Ive replaced the clutch and struts with about 125k. Car still has plenty of get up and go at 145k. Paint has peeled off but everything still works. I love this car. I will drive it until the wheels fall off

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  Great SUV - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By BD Bass - January 12 - 6:10 pm

  Ive had my Pathfinder for 6 months, put 19,000 mi on it to date, and loved it. Ive pulled a 3500 lb boat several times, and while that drops mileage to about 12 (75-80 mph) it has enough motor to keep you in the left lane. When not towing, it will out accelerate most "Pretty" cars. Handles better than most vehicles Ive owned, and is the quietest by far. Bose stereo rocks. I love this vehicle, cant wait to put some performance rubber and engine enhancements on it.

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  Well worth the money! - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Ernie - January 12 - 11:46 am

  I have owned my Nissan Altima for just over 10 years. In that time, I have managed to accumulate over 200,000 miles on my vehicle with very little major repairs. I changed the oil, rotated and changed tires, and got regular tune ups done, but that is about it. The car still runs great. It was money well spent.

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  Poor electric car, dont buy any Nissan product. - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Gats - January 12 - 5:52 am

  I was excited for my first electric car when I bought it last year. They say 110+ miles in sticker but dont expect more than 90 miles. If you drive highways/winter it would significantly low. The worst part for this car is the customer service and dealership. My from tire worn out in less than 10k, checked wheel alignment and its perfectly aligned but they wont even cover under any warranty, very poor quality stuff. I will certainly recommend buying electric car bit stay away from Nissan.

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  Blew me away! - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By Steve Bukosky - January 12 - 5:20 am

  We were looking at all the brands but Dodge. Subaru Impreza was at the top of the list but when we tried the Sentra with its traction control, back-up camera, sun roof and other features of the SL, we were blown away when we looked at the sticker price. The handling was great, engine and CVT combination very adequate. Whats not to like? My first Nissan, but my son has a Murano and had an Infinity G35. It got me interested in a brand I otherwise would not have considered. Definitely check out Nissan if you are looking for a new car.

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  My 09 maxima - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Fritz - January 12 - 4:06 am

  I have a white one, black interior, fully loaded SV Sport (corners like its on rails). The exhaust note. What you expect is NOT what you get. You get more. The 09 Maxima is a 4DSC. No doubt. The Maxima’s transmission takes some getting used to. Once hooked you begin to wonder why all cars are not build this way.

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  Nice SUV, but watch out for BIG problems - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ckayakdude - January 12 - 1:20 am

  Bought new, have 67K miles now. No probs til now: the oft-mentioned radiator/transmission issue. $6K to fix. I want to sell the car, but wife effing-ADORES it (I do too, actually ... really nice vehicle ... accelerates like a banshee) so well probably get it fixed if we cant find anything she likes better. Worried about the oft-mentioned tensioner and fuel-sending unit problems since we havent had those yet. This is a really fun SUV to drive, its very comfortable, gets lousy gas mileage in the city (weve gotten 21 on the hwy before, though), but a 5-yr-old car shouldnt be having a $6,000 problem. If it has another, out it goes and Ill never buy another Nissan.

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  Awesome Ride! - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Allen - January 11 - 7:36 pm

  Traded In my 2000 Nissan Frontier for this one. Considered it a great upgrade. Got a few more features on my new Frontier my other didnt have. I love the fact it has 3 12 volt outlets. I need them all. Lots more room to stretch and love all the extra cargo space. The interior look could have used a little revamping but all in all a great ride!

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  Great - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Damien - January 11 - 3:23 pm

  I bought my 2005 Titan in january and love driving it. No other truck can match up to it superior capablities and options. For and 18 y/o a $35,000 truck was a little high. My dealership gave me the worst buying experience but i really wanted the truck. The truck has a few minor discrpences but oveall the best bang for your buck. No other trucks are even made with navigation. Ford or Chevy trucks do not even make them even in their Denalis or escalades. Any chevy or ford truck you put up next to the titan will be more expensive and only be the base model but Nissan listened to the consumers and made the luxury truck affordable. If anyone has figured out how the make the nav play DVDs email-