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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  ok car, not great - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Geoff - October 18 - 8:06 pm

  Fun car to drive and own. Lots of power when you need it. A very comfortable cruiser. Quality is something to be desired. Maxima has 190 kms. Have had to replace maf, o2 sensors, struts, rotors, and tranny under warrantee. Tranny is now clunking again from 1st to 2nd. Why does nissan build rotors on a new car that are to the min thickness ? My toyota with 190 kms Ive only had to replace a block heater and tires, thats it.

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  Very good car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By calshamus - October 17 - 10:00 am

  This is a very reliable car. I have 150K miles and I have only had to replace the alternator ($40). There are no rattles or squeks. A very good purchase.

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  Great Car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By roboto - October 17 - 10:00 am

  This is a good little car.

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  THE BEST - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By wildanimal3 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought it 6 weeks ago i have 1400 miles on it. i wont change it 4 any other car. everything is best except 1 major thing, the ride is not harsh in bumps!

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  03 Maxima GXE - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By cd9403max - October 17 - 4:26 am

  This is my second max, first one still have 94 with 264,000 km and engine/trans tops. Only have 62,000 km on 03 and now first major repair, brakes all around. Got this as last Japanese made one and was afraid of quality control with 04 on. I may be wrong with the 04s on. This car takes off like a scared cat-make sure you are hanging on tight. I like the 94 more as it seems more roomer inside and with self adjusting shocks, real nice. However, very poor head lights-moved up to stronger ones to help. 03 lights, what an improvement over the 94.

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  NissanMan - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By nissanman - October 17 - 3:40 am

  Great Car! Fun to drive engine too powerful for front wheel drive. Needs to have Nav option

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  Very Nice Car - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By beetle662 - October 17 - 2:00 am

  Have had this car over a year now, it has been wonderful. Only problem was a sensor for the air conditioner last summer, but that was covered by warranty. Standard maintenance is a bit pricey using Nissans guidelines (which I suggest that you do), but that comes with any vehicle. Opted for the 5 speed manual, which is comfortable and provides more pop to the I4 engine. Plenty of "giddyupandgo"! Abundance of interior room (the main reason we bought this car instead of the Sonata, Taurus, et al). Some of the interior features are cheap... the fuel fill release on the floor looks like an after thought. Some minor squeeks which are unexplained.

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  I miss my Ford Edge - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Stacy Peterson - October 16 - 9:10 pm

  Had the Murano four weeks. Handles great. Missing a couple interior displays like direction. Need to scroll through screen to locate it. Edge has a lot more little conveniences that I miss.

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  Good Job Nissan! - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By ggtg34 - October 15 - 12:42 pm

  This car is definitely a huge improvement over the 2012 Sentra and I really like the look of the exterior and interior. I have been getting about 23 MPG in city driving and 30+ in highway driving. I took it on a trip to Pennsylvania and averaged 39 MPG for the entire trip! I know others have complained about the lack of power in this car, I agree that this is no race car and more power would make it more fun to drive. But overall the powertrain serves its purpose very well and I have never had any problems merging onto highways or anything like that. Its meant to be a commuting car and the compact size, good fuel economy and backup camera make it a perfect car for city driving.

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  My 2009 has been great - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By rock2014 - October 14 - 8:43 pm

  I bought this car new - actually right off the truck - in 2009. I drive 100 miles round trip to work each day, and now have about 155,000 miles. The car has needed nothing but routine maintenance - because I baby it, were still on the original brakes. My wife and two daughters preferred traveling in this instead of our Ford Taurus - more roomy, especially in the back. Bottom line - especially if youre looking for what Edmunds calls a reliable "appliance" car, Ive never had anything better than this.