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:

• 

  dont believe what you hear.. - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By mike tucker - November 5 - 10:59 pm

  all I have read in virtually every review from "experts " is that there are better choices available. really? name one!. My 2014 grey 370z roadster is an absolute superstar. It is stunning to look at. I am shocked when i go a single day without compliments or admiring glances. The power is awesome. The engine sound is brutal, in a good way. The handling and braking are true sportscar. It is absolutely reliable and the oil changes are the same price as a sentra. And I paid $38,900 for my base roadster. Now in a two seat sportscar, what car on this planet does what the Z does ??.A corvette roadster for $55,000?. A boxster for $ 60,000?..And dont make me laugh By even mentioning a miata or an FRS. And by the way, a mustang is NOT a Z competitor!, that competes with camaros and challengers, and phony auto journalists should know that. The Z is unique in the price range, and it is an excellent true sportscar!

• 

  Great Car for Money - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bazence - November 5 - 6:56 am

  The Versa is the first car I have owned and I must say its really good. The car is surprisingly spacious for a small car, and looks like a much bigger car, even from the outside. The trunk space is HUGE. I dont see any problems with handling, as the car is REALLY GOOD at turns and has a very nice turning radius, so its very easy to park as well. The acceleration on it is not amazing, but as soon as you reach speed, the car has no problem. For the money I paid its a great car. Absolutely worth it.

• 

  Titan Rocks! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By RandmanPGH - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Previous Tundra owner here and thought about going with the Tundra Double cab. The Tundra DC didnt even come close in performance/room and options or price. I needed a front bench seat which isnt even an option on the Tundra double cab. So pretty much strike 3 right there. Dont get me wrong....I loved the Tundra while I had it, but there is no comparison to the Titan now. Nissan has definitely hit a home run with the Titan!

• 

  BLOWN TRANSMISSION on Test Drive - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By doctorleevil - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Test Drives, what are they for? Seeing what your future puppy can do. I was driving the new Titan as anyone would on a test drive when the rear end chirped and the tranny downshifted extremely roughly. This was followed by a floaty rpm range with no forward movement. After trying to go around the block i realized we were stuck in 3rd (no it wasnt the manual gear lock on the shifter). After a few mintes the check engine light was glowing.

• 

  FOR SALE - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By MikeyC - November 4 - 10:00 am

  The dealership I bought this car from had horrible selling tactics, so I had a sour taste to start. I havent went back there since. The car itself is ok, it is seriously lacking power and refinement. I havent had any mechanical problems, mostly because I baby my cars. For the money though, it has a lot of luxury features. I would keep it if it had a V6, but she is on her way out when new 350Z is on dealer lots.

• 

  Is it just looks? - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Alejo - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Altima 2002 is a good car and fun to drive but has a couple of problems: My brakes dont work properly and there is air in them but dealership says that is "the nature of the beast". Only showed up after 10,000 miles. The interior seats and consoles have been adjusted couple of times becasue they were not well put together. It is fun to drive and nice looking but PLEASE watch for the problem in your brakes!!!

• 

  Nissan Sentra 2006 - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By destiny9099 - November 1 - 7:51 pm

  I bought my Sentra 1.8 about a year ago, bought at 58k miles and now at 70k, starting to notice hard start up and a drop in gas mileage. On ave I was getting 30mi to a gallon and now about 25-28mi to a gallon. Now going on the hunt to figure out if the fuel pump that everyone seems to be having issue with is the problem or something else. Going to start cheap and work my way to pump. Mechanic friend thinking it could be fuel filter or air/fuel sensor. So going to check those first then do pump. Hope this will be the end to my problems for awhile. The only other problem is with my six cd changer likes to skip and not play cds even ones that are new. but that is least my worries.

• 

  Owner - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By SteveVermont - October 31 - 11:10 pm

  I like the way it ride, quite and smooth. The shifting is like riding a electric car with smooth shifting. Have driven over the mountains roads without any problems.

• 

  more power - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By joelmart - October 31 - 10:00 am

  After one year and 12k miles, nothings gone wrong. Pros: I love the rugged look of the outside, the big tires, the material of the cloth interior, the stadium type seating on the back. Cons: It needs more power (I guess they knew that, look at the 2005 X), intermitent rear wipers, the plastic console looks cheap and the roof rack, although very nice looking and sturdy, could use some more rings to hook up straps. Overall, Im very happy with the truck. Look forward to the 05.

• 

  AC Broke within 2 months! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By TomC_NY - October 31 - 10:00 am

  My family loved this vehicle when we first purchased it, but recently the AC broke and weve been inpatiently waiting for them to order a replacement part for it. We hear that its happened to several 2004 SE models, so look out! Its been extremely inconvenient in the hot weather and Nissan is not very responsive in repairing it. Otherwise, I agree with everyone else here that it is a nice mini-van.