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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  The safe alternative - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Baz - July 1 - 3:06 am

  We bought this car for what it is, an honest reliable car. We are concerned with the quality of the interior finish and poor mileage, we expected better than the 15 MPG, so long term ownership is already an issue after only a few weeks! The quality of the dashboard is horrible as compared to other cars in this price range, Nissan Management should look very serioulsy into this! The car is roomy, drives nice (on smooth roads), handles as expected for an SUV, and great for hauling kids to school, it just feels safe and we bought this instead of the 4 door Jeep Wrangler for this reason.

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  Nissan Sentra - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Macki - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Interior is very small. Back seat is basically non-existent.

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  95% Manufactured in Japan... - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By rippedmass - June 30 - 2:00 am

  My first SUV.Had Legends b4 this, but I need the space since I tow offroad. It was Pathy OR 4runner, Toyota didnt move on price SO got Pathy for $7000 off MSRP. Overall a good SUV, SUV body roll what you would expect. 240HP engine is powerful, its geared and tuned low for towing..fine with me. 3500mi so far..Major reason I was looking at Pathy/4runner: they are still manufactured IN JAPAN. So no problems...like my Legends! The Bridgestone Duellers are Terrible! These are the worst tires I have EVER ridden...Marginally good in the dry and bald-like in rain and snow. Get the tires traded in b4 you leave dealer so you dont slide out of the showroom.

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  2004 Nissan Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By kjkimker - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Quest is a great looking, fun to drive, POWERFUL, minivan. I checked them all out and the Quest has the most bang for the buck.

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  So far so good - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Chucky - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Curb appeal makes this vehicle stand out. I have had a number of people comment on the styling when they first see it. This is a fun car to drive. Great handling and acceleration on the highway. Nice sound system as well. My only real complaint is the gas mileage is 16/20 mpg and not 20/24 as rated. The CVT also slows the acceleration on cold day.

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  great truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By mabinkley - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Excellent truck no complaint from me. never had a problem with it. It has hauled everything i have wanted to haul.

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  Great Car! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Dano - June 28 - 3:16 pm

  Bought it with 50k and it now has almost 150k. No real problems to speak of other than having to have the stereo head rebuilt because the CD player quit. Premium gas is a bummer with prices being so high. Gets a pretty solid 25 mpg with the driving I do.

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  My two cents. - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Vitaliy - June 28 - 8:26 am

  Owned a previous model 98 same problems as with new. At 75,000 replace exhaust. At 78k front wheel bearings and belts. Good in the snow, cramped seats in the back. Overall never left me strangled anywhere but keep in mind check engine light will come on once you hit 75k Evap system leak just like my old one. Nissan just cant get that system right. Gr8 for carrying stuff from home depot (sheet rock, plywood etc...) not the best for long trips as seats are not comfortable especially in the back. I dont know how those people are claiming to average 24 mpg hwy and 20 city the best I manage is 12 mpg city and 17 mpg hwy. Transmission is going at 84k and front suspension needs work again.

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  Good Car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Green Machine - June 27 - 2:46 am

  I bought my Altima as a demo with about 3K miles on it and 4.5 yrs later at 110k miles I havent had any trouble with it. I had to replace the battery and the brakes which are normal maintenance. The car is very dependable. When I wash it it shines up just like new!

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  Sorry to see it go... - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By skyhogg - June 26 - 10:00 am

  but after 10 months, I just cant live with the crappy mileage. I fill the tank (39 bucks) and I get about 275 miles out of it. And now, Nissan says that the 05s are even bigger, with even worse MPG. Im sorry to see the last pure SUV for real people go this direction. If it werent for the gas suck, Id keep it forever. Rides nice, looks great, great offroad, etc. Just decided to go the other way. Honda Element, here I come!