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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  Not all it is cracked up to be - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Farseer - January 7 - 9:00 am

  OK it looks nice. Here is a run down, ride home from dealership, TPMS came on, would not go off even though tires properly inflated. Returned to dealer, had to schedule appointment & wait & wait. Purchased replacement parts on line, it was faster than waiting in the lobby all day. Still not able to break 24 MPG even though I drive 75% uninterrupted highway miles every day. Estimated 33 MPG is just that, an estimate -"your cars mileage may vary, we cannot guarantee that you will get the stated performance." Also the car lags in the 25-35 mph range when accelerating like you suddenly started towing something behind your car.

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  Great little car - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Cindy in SouthernCa - January 7 - 8:33 am

  I went from my Armada SUV to the Sentra. I still have my Armada and thought I would love getting back into the big SUV after driving the little car but actually love my little Sentra. My son will be sixteen in 8 months and he chose this car over the other small cars and we have no regrets.

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  5TH MAX THE BEST - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By hiredhand1978 - January 7 - 12:46 am

  Worked out flaws from my 2004. Torque steering gone, turning radius much much better. Ride has been smoothed out without lose of handling. The 2nd week I had the car I drove from Ma.to N.C. Every day driving was awesome. Power is all you could want or need, gas mileage for the trip was 27 MPG which translates to 4 MPG more than my 04. Both my 04 & 07 are equipped with the Elite Pkg. the only option I dont have is the Sat. Radio. In my opinion Toyota Camry has nothing over my Maxima. I test drive the Camry before I test the Maxima & I all ways end up with the Max.

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  The right rear door - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Mardi - January 6 - 9:30 pm

  In two months my car has been back 4 times for the same right rear door problem. It intermittently decides to not latch, leaving the door to slide front and back while driving. Very unreliable after 3 years of a good relationship.

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  Well-equipped, good looking sedan - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Mary - January 6 - 5:48 pm

  Nice riding car. We get 40 mpg on the highway. If we go between 55-65 we have even gotten 43mpg. Very comfortable seats, front and back. Our Altima SL is well equipped with moonroof, Bluetooth, back up camera. Our car doesnt have navigation, but has a big app package called Nissan Connect. It also has a huge trunk.

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  Excellent Value & Quality - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Michael - January 6 - 4:10 pm

  This truck is awesome. I love it, great value and quality is excellent. The ride is very soild, great room on the interior, and the Bose radio is best in class.

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  We Liked It So Much ... - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By shiloduffey - January 6 - 7:53 am

  ... we bought another one ten days later. We read about CVT drone, but find it inconsequential. This is by far the smoothest riding and most comfortable small SUV (we drove em all). The engine/transmission provides seamless acceleration and more than adequate power. We have both the SL 2WD Premium and Leather Packages, and still came in at about $22k. Living in TX, we didnt see the need for AWD. The value is outstanding, fit and finish are flawless, and the styling is that of a mini-Murano. I was so impressed with my wifes purchase, I bought one myself. Were still checking mileage, but it appears to be right at EPA estimates. May not be ideal for larger families, but it works for us.

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  2001 nissan sentra CA - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Kenneth Finucane - January 6 - 6:53 am

  MY California car did great until about 44K- when the catalytic converter went out. At 52K the converter went out again, this time my car has been in the shop for over 5 weeks! Nisian said the part had to be made, then on backorder, (there were only a few hundred made of the CA sentra model). The truth is that the CA model with its 3 catalytic design just does not work- the car has run lean from the get go- what this means is that eventually the valves will permaturely fail- they are starting to go already, i pulled the spark plugs before i took to the dealler and could see detonation on the tips- not good.It seems Nissan received some form of insentive to try 3 catalytic system.

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  Very fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Chad - January 6 - 3:16 am

  What a great vehicle! It is extremely comfortable to drive with many customized adjustments to make the driving experience even better. The Bose sound system is top notch. There are so many features (for not a bad price) that I am still finding some of them. The CVT transmission takes some getting used to and can feel a little sluggish on cold mornings. Many auto touch features as well (headlights, cliamte, sunroof). Just a very fun vehicle to drive. Very solid construction, especially with the SEs sports suspension. Highly recommend it!

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  Vehicle - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By Cody - January 5 - 9:23 pm

  When I bought a Nissan Altima I was thrilled. When I looked inside the interior look brand new. Very roomy and comfortable for road trip. Plus it get great gas mileage. Also inside the car there are plenty of storage places. All the electronics worked great. Its a push to start no key is needed which I thought was pretty cool. The outside looked good no dents and had good tires on it. When I test drove it it drove very smoothly. No problems with the vehicle at all. I would recremind getting the vehicle if yu are needing something reliable and great on gas.