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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  An excellent trooper - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By qwerty01 - September 19 - 9:19 am

  Purchased my Altima with 75K miles, it now has 191K miles. Nothing really major that I can complain about, its taken my abuse very well. My CONS would be: Cam Shaft sensor failed around 150K miles. Both rear calipers seized around 100K miles. #4 cylinder ignition coil failed around 175K miles. BOSE CD changer is completely unreliable. Pop out gasoline door is horrendous, I need to use a prybar to get it open. Around 150K miles the car started having intermittent difficulties with engine starts...takes 10-15 seconds to start. Mechanic doesnt have a good solution to the problem. Door actuators seize when its cold out.

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  disturbing horn/alarm - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By george6464 - September 17 - 2:28 pm

  the altima 2009 is okay but one major pain: the remote key set. the horn button is awkwardly place that whenever the keys are in my pocket, the pad will often touch pocket contents or plain body and sound the alarm when I dont need it. I have to hold it all the time. can the next key pad be modified to ensure the alarm part is lower than other keys and cannot accidentally be triggered.

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  Nissan Security Flawed - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By MaximaT - September 15 - 10:56 am

  I am a big Nissan Enthusiast and was very excited to get my 2009 Maxima. Overall it has been a great car, however, these week I was targeted by car thieves because they knew that the car had a security flaw. They were able to roll down both front windows unlock the doors and get in without setting off the alarm. When the police arrived they informed my that Maxima, Altima and G35 have had this issue since 2004! Why Nissan has not addressed this in the new Maxima model is beyond me. The estimate fix the damaged caused to the door skin and lock is over $1000 and I would still be vulnerable to future break ins. I am very disappointed in this development and Nissans lack of accountability.

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  Good with a few flaws - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By rr - September 14 - 2:10 am

  This was a fine SUV for the price. The ride was good for a truck based SUV with plenty of power. However, with the power comes pretty meager gas mileage. On my daily commute, mainly highway driving, I barely averaged 17.5 mpg. The second row seating has relatively little leg room and is very tight with a rear facing child car seat. The car seat is literally touching the front seat unless the front seat is pulled way almost to the dash. The third row is useless for adults. It would be great if you could skip the third row and take the extra leg room. Overall, the Pathfinder is a great vehicle with great utility. Performs very well in the snow.

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  Rogueish quality review - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By J.P.M. - September 13 - 5:22 pm

  This car is packed with new concepts in safety , performance, and hospitality details. They are hard to get used to, and with some lifestyles, maybe not required. If you like "simple", consider lesser equipped vehicles and save money.

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  Rogueish quality review - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By J.P.M. - September 13 - 4:47 pm

  This car is packed with new concepts in safety , performance, and hospitality details. They are hard to get used to, and with some lifestyles, maybe not required. If you like "simple", consider lesser equipped vehicles and save money.

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  96 Maxima still runs great - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By munsoor - September 13 - 10:00 am

  Never had any major problem, except with the O2 Sensor, which I later found was being recalled, so I got that replaced for free. I find this vehicle fun to drive. It is low maintenance and reliable, which is the way I like my cars. After 130k miles, it feels like I may have to replace the shocks. The audio knob doesnt respond sometimes. But engine is trouble-free.

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  2004 LE Armada Loaded - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By bsmooth32 - September 13 - 10:00 am

  A serious SUV to travel in. Have had it only for a weekend but so far I am very happy. NO problems with it so far.

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  New to the Nissan product........... - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By lizandmark - September 13 - 10:00 am

  We just bought this vehicle, but so far we are quite pleased. We had also looked at the Tundra, but for the $, the Titan was a better buy. So far, so good.

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  Buy it if you can the right PRICE - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By rasyoyo - September 13 - 10:00 am

  I found this vehichle to be outstanding in the off the line department, car really gives you some white knuckle driving while its doing it thing to get you out on the expressway and down the expressway. On tight backroads it a little soft in the turns and needs serious attention from the driver to accomplish fast left to right turning while braking. My wipers dont clean so well, driving in the rain is a pain, but that could be my fault for not asking for new ones after purchase. Car draws alot of attention even while sitting. Interior needs an extreme upgrade on materials used, the finish looks cheap but can be corrected with aftermarket parts.