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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  Great little car - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Amber - June 16 - 9:33 pm

  I just got this car but its way better then what I traded in for it. It is very comfortable. I love the hood of the car. The only complaint I have is that the tail end of the car doesnt really have any shape. So Im gonna put a spoiler on it. The gas mileage is good and over all Im very happy with my selection.

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  Good to drive,poor equiped. - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Jose Lopez - June 15 - 10:00 pm

  Excellent driven experience,like other Nissan that I have had,Altima & X Terra.Incredible power for a 4 cilynder engine.

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  More room in a car - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By hunterbaby - June 14 - 6:40 pm

  We bought our Pathfinder only 9 months ago and traded it in for a regular car!! There isnt that much room in the Pathfinder for two adults and two kids with car seats. Never had a problem with it. When the kids get bigger - might consider buying another. They would have to do something about the gas mileage though!!

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  FUEL EFFICIENCY EXCELLENT - GREEN CAR!!! - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Metalblade - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Main reason I bought it is for fuel efficiency, you can almost inhale exhaust without feeling disgusted! My model is rated SULEV and partially PZEV!! (close to Zero-emmisions) This baby makes 40 miles/gallon when all heavy stuff is removed ( I removed spare tire, one seat, jack, useless metal objects, one sun visor, etc. as its covered by 24-mos roadside assistance (in case of tire problem) and I stay in the city where repair is avai;able on any corner. Now if you keep spare tier loaded, etc. still makes 36 mpg if you drive intelligently (i.e. dont accelrate in front of red light, dont idle, dont do stupid things many people doing) - use brains and you get near-hybrid fuel efficiency

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  New 05 PathFinder Fun To Drive - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Pgh Kid - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Just bought 05 Pathfinder SE 4x4 - paid $1,900 under $30,200 MSRP - had to negotiate quite a bit - Dealer tried to add $695 Dealer Mark-up which I flatly refused - Very powerful engine with great low end torque - can light up the back tire - handles very nice, smooth ride, classy interior compared to others - 3rd seat is tight - nice body lines - bought Granite color -

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  I love the car, but....... - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Steve B. - June 13 - 2:16 am

  Solid vehicle. Love the design and the way it drives. Very comfortable seats and all controls are reachable, but a little confusing at first. If you are going to drive this car hard then get the SE with the lower profile, larger tires and stiffer suspension. The only thing that troubles me is the gas mileage. I had a 99 SE and got 28 mpg and drove that car very hard. The rear wheel wells have a felt material as protection I was told was for sound deadening. This material catches all dirt, leaves and gravel in it and if very hard to clean. Bad choice for that material when the front wells have hard plastic.

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  Happy after three years - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Bambam - June 12 - 7:46 pm

  I have had my 2001 Nissan Sentra SE for 50,000 miles and only the brakes have cost me a fortune to fix. It starts in cold winters and never has let me down. It has excellent reliability, is fun to drive and is a good car to get around in with enough options. My only complaint are the Firestone tires... I went through the original pair way to quickly and had to replace them 30,000 miles in.

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  Transmission shifting - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By buyingdummy - June 11 - 4:10 pm

  Bought the Pathfinder. It shifts on time, but is rough between 37 and 42 mph. Not everytime. Ive had the SUV for about 2 weeks and like it otherwise. Dont consider this problem enough to reconsider.

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  Love my Armada - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By 92TripleBlack - June 11 - 1:40 am

  Only problem was fixed under warranty. Nissan redesigned brake rotors and replaced mine free. Very fast, reliable, all the bugs have been worked out. After owning it for 2 years, its still my favorite car to drive. I also own a vette convertible and G35. It is more quiet than the G35 and better for long road trips. I drove it to VT and drove in 6" of snow without problems. Great truck that I recommend to everyone. Get an 06 leftover if you can. The "improvements" for 07 arent worth the extra money.

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  Bring it Back - 1998 Nissan Sentra
  By edwphx1 - June 10 - 10:13 pm

  you need to bring this one back it has great gas milage great car to get around in. I have 84,0000 miles on my vehicle and the only things I have had done to it is changing the tires and a 1 brake job. Not too shabby.