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:

• 

  Love my Pathfinder - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By toner - October 28 - 2:00 am

  So far this vehicle has been a pleasure to own. Only the routine maintenance has been performed so far and Ive put 20,000 miles on it. The engine provides plenty of power on tap for any situation, and the car like handling characteristics sometimes makes me forget Im driving an SUV. My only complaint is that this truck is THIRSTY! My fuel mileage is terrible at about 12 MPG average, and that is compunded by the fact that premium fuel is recommended.

• 

  sooooooooo nice - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By soontoretire - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Took delivery of my polished pewter charcoal int. + all options except the entertainmente system on 2/28.Have logged a bit over 600 miles so far, combo of hiway and city, with an average MPG of 22.1 system calculated and manual.In that Im eligible to get on the social security wagon,its likely that my body has logged more miles than most who have an interest in the Murano design.However, this vehicle is by far the most comfortable and satisfying vehicle Ive driven in my lifetime.

• 

  Before you buy, read this! Trust me! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Chopper John - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Before you buy the Murano, test drive it and do this test! I guarantee you probably will think twice about buying the Murano. Go with the salesman and before starting out, roll down the back two windows, all the way down, leaving the front windows and the sunroof CLOSED. Drive past 35mph and LISTEN!!!! What youll experience is the worse case of in-cabin turbulence meaning your eardrums feel like theyre going to explode.

• 

  This is "The Truck" - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Joehova - October 27 - 2:40 pm

  This truck has been nothing but stellar! From daily driving to some serious off roading, the 05 Frontier has done nothing but amaze me. When I first heard about the truck I almost overlooked the truck, only because Im not a fan of the older styling but when I saw it on the lot, I ate my own words. The new body style stands out in a crowd, especially with the NISMO package. Of course, the body style isnt the whole package. The new VQ40DE engine is a real power house and doesnt require premium fuel. This engine performs, hands down. Interior is comfortable and looks geat. Not too much cab noise other than the tires (What do you expect with A/Ts?). Any other tricks for the competition nissan?

• 

  City boy truck - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By jimbo - October 27 - 1:03 pm

  Titan is my first full size pickup. chose it over cookie cutter Ford F150, F250 and GMC/Chevy. i liked all those truck appearances but too common. Fell in love with the Titan FFV 2wd LE crew cab. its sneaky big. Interior is huge with lots of hip and leg room. Has more rear/front leg room than wifes Suburban. Locking Leer bed tonneau makes for a huge weather proof trunk! Heated seats are large and comfy. Rock/Fosgate stereo is awesome. a/c is great. Truck rides great, i even put a 2 inch leveling kit on front to level the look. just a great vehicle for everyday city use. it will never get in the mud or go hunting, but can carry 20 sets of golf clubs i bet.

• 

  Great Solid Vehicle - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Shawn - October 27 - 5:50 am

  I bought my pathfinder with just over 200k miles and so far, overall, I have really enjoyed this vehicle. After I bought it I did the normal upgrades: new belts, water pump, brakes, and wires/plugs which I did myself. The cost of the repairs were not outrageous (use an independent mechanic, not nissan) and the engine runs very strong. It now has just over 210K miles. I have a manual trans. as this gives me the power I want when I want it. I put Michelin M/S all terrain tires on and I can go anywhere in 4wheel drive. It drives great in snow and up into the mountains as well as the highway. It is a comfortable ride and drives well.

• 

  Exceptional! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By cubist in SC - October 27 - 5:40 am

  I bought the cube out of necessity. I have bad arthritis in feet and knees and needed something to get in and out of easily. When I test drove it, I liked the feel and handling better than Murano, Rogue , Vue or Compass. I had to take stuff to a son in college, NO PROBLEM ! I put a 3 ft.x2 ft. fridge, three cases of bottled water, and a 19" Old style TV in the back of this puppy and still had room for more and a passenger. I have had the car for a year now and I am still as in love with it now as I was 15,000 Miles ago. For you fuddy duddies, dont turn away because of the appearance, this is one great car!

• 

  Not reliable - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Brendon - October 25 - 4:03 pm

  I got this car used, in mid 2015 (so nearly 15 years old) but with less than 120,000 miles on it. I liked this car, for the most part. Its loud (and not because of a large engine) and its no luxury vehicle, but it is fine. However, there are small things: the stereo is not very good (especially if you have to turn it up for reasons I will get in to), the arm rest compartment broke, parts of the interior rattle and vibrate at highway speed, the headlights are not great, and the tires wore out relatively quickly. Now on to the big things, the A/C went out and it was a multi-thousand dollar job (apparently the labor is complicated because of how the car is built), I did not get this fixed. As a result, I was driving with the windows down all summer, even on the highway, so if I wanted to listen to music I had to turn the stereo up high, and noticed diminished sound quality. The drivers window control does not always work. The sun roof broke, also a multi-thousand dollar job I did not bother with. Just recently, the ECM broke (so I couldnt even start the car), the neutral switch also broke, and my car is still currently in the shop because it is now idling too high, and the mechanics cannot figure out why. I also had to fix brakes, and brake calipers, suspension replacements, and a few other things. Having had this car for about 12 months, its been in the shop for nearly 10% of that, and has cost me a lot in repairs. I would not expect to have these problems until the 200k mark at least.

• 

  45K+ miles and loving it... - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By ricor25 - October 25 - 11:43 am

  2009 Maxima SV, (45,211 Miles) and by far the best car I have owned. I have had it for 16 months now. Handling is great and amazing great looks, love the body lines and hood. I have driven this car twice from the San Francisco to Washington D.C. and have enjoyed every minute driving it across the country without any problems. I have the technology package and love all the features that are available on it. stereo & interior comforts are excellent.

• 

  Altima - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By J - October 24 - 7:06 pm

  I purchased my Altima in 2001. . . It is a very reliable car and does not require very much to maintain the car other than oil changes and fluids. The Altima has more horsepower than the 2000 honda civic, 2000 toyota coralla or 2000 hyundai elantra. The other brands command a premium price with options standard on the Altima and for less with the exception of the newer models of the hyundai elantra being the better cost and warranty.