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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  Sharp car, but mileage stinks - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By danny zee - July 18 - 6:13 pm

  Fell in love with the car at first sight. Liked the features in the SL and was sold on the CVT tranny. Have 770 miles on the car. Just returned from a trip -27.6 on the road (on cruise) 22 around town - VERY disappointed. Had Maxima before and got better mileage. Also own a 03 Accord (4 cyl) and get 32.8 on cruise doing 75 mph. Maybe with break-in the mileage will improve a bit, but not that much. Nice car, but they should be more truthful about the mileage.

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  Cant wait for the new model - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By TITIAN LOVER - July 18 - 1:16 am

  Great truck, lots of power, best space for a crew cab. No other crew cab truck came close to the interior space the titian has. I had a few problems with the truck, but all new vehicles have a few bugs when they first come out. The dealership has replaced all my rotors and brake pads, my center rear seat belt, differential cover because the 2004 models have the steal covers not the aluminum, (the aluminum one is on the 2005 and present models, slotted, so better for heat, and comes with synthetic differential oil) and my rear tweeters. Overall great truck

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  Not bad for the money - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Fla Mada - July 17 - 5:03 pm

  I now have 55,000 miles on my 04. Overall I have been happy with it. There is absolutely no other sport ute that has the space, power and value for the money today. I usually change my vehicles every 2 years but I will admit I am spoiled with the attributes this vehicle has and I simply cannot see paying over $50k for trucks with fewer features. It does rattle a bit, my seat squeaks at turns, have had 3 brake jobs but you know we also had an 06 ML500 @ $60,000 and it had just as many problems. We got rid of the ML and believe it or not kept the Armada.

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  nissan 2000 - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jt - July 16 - 10:43 pm

  Ours is a plain Jane XE. Bought it new - now has 144,000 miles. Timing chain and waterpump@105k new struts@130k. Some brake work - forgot just what. Transmission serviced, oil changed each 3000 mi til 99k. Now using Mobil one 15,000 mile oil -changed each 10k - doesnt seem to burn any. Id drive it across country tomorrow.

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  Nissan Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Faye - July 16 - 8:30 pm

  The seats are very comfortable, We have the SL with key less entry which is great. Back Seats recline and there is a lot of leg room in the back. We have had several mechanical issues which never seem to be under warrenty. Really good pickup when starting

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  Good car and excellent gas mileage! - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By hightechjunkie - July 16 - 6:36 pm

  I recently bought the 2012 Nissan Versa SV with the CVT transmission and let me tell you the CVT takes a while to get used to. There are NO actual gears in a CVT transmission only pulleys and a belt. It seems to hesiate when you step on the gas from a dead stop and thats because its looking for the right belt/pulley ratio. Its only momentary but you will notice the difference between the CVT trans and a regular 4 or 5 speed trans. Not a bad thing, just something to get used to. it also seems to "downshift" a tad when you let of the gas...again the CVT trying to optimize engine transmission synchronization. Overall I am very happy with the Versa but would like to see minor improvements.

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  Best car I ever owned - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By nogyoff - July 15 - 7:08 pm

  I finally traded this one in after 13 years, 135K, and minimal maintenance. The only non wear-and-tear type of repair I had to do was a replacement catalytic converter, which was about $500. It was a decent, ridiculously cheap, comfortable, extremely reliable car to drive and Ill miss her.

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  Utility and off road - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By mkrash84 - July 15 - 1:20 pm

  On road: avg 20.5 city/up to 24 hwy mpg. Great utility vehicle, have carried large fridge, washer/dryer, many other home remodeling items. Long road trips are nice with wife and 2 large dogs. Great engine performance, able to sleep in back diagonally (Im 62"). 4x4: have done gnarly 4x4: ground clearance decent, articulation decent, tracks well, departure angle fair, in 4 Low, throttle not sensitive enough, 2Low should be geared lower, shocks OK, rear bottoms out easily (suspension design issue), stock tires fair. Not on par with Jeep off road, but a very good starting point, will have to modify for serious 4x4. Had to replace clutch at 17k, but under warranty. No other problems.

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  Tough - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Krista Lucas - July 14 - 8:16 am

  Ive been hit hard twice (both times my vehicle was stopped) and the other vehicles had much damage and only very little surface scratches to mine.

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  Good Value All Around - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By Bob - July 14 - 5:46 am

  Tried Expedition, Sequoia, Yukon. This is the best bang for the buck. I tow a 5000 pound boat and this has plenty of power. Ride and handling on par for the class. Fold down third row is great. Interior design is attractive and user friendly. Less trucky than Expedition but not Yukon and Sequoia. Blew all others away on features for the price. I expect Nissan reliability over the long haul. Mileage stinks but there is no free lunch when you want space and towing capability. While no full size SUV is fun to drive, it is easy to do lots of miles on the highway without tiring. Its no sports sedan but I already have one of those. Overall, comfortable, roomy, powerful, and capable.