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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  Andrespr27 - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By andrespr27 - March 12 - 10:00 am

  this car has good handleling and strong engine but it interior quality is not the greatest.

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  Super car for the money - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By thg - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I have compared this veh with the Lincoln LS and the car a every bit as quiet and smooth for about $10,000 less money. Also the car has more features.

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  Nice SUV - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By James B. - March 12 - 12:20 am

  SUV has very nice features and more than enough power. We bought it on a Saturday, drove it during that weekend and noticed the hard downshifting when letting off the gas pedal at approx 40 MPH. Took it back to dealer Monday and service person rode with us. He said that there was a sensor that needed to be replaced. This did not fix our problems. The service dept said there is no fix at this time. They still do not have a solution.

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  Its a Sentra... but. hey, I like it. - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By finally.anewcar - March 11 - 3:53 pm

  This is my first "brand new" purchase.. and all around Im pretty happy with my choice. Everyone has said how suprised they were to see luxury features like bluetooth and keyless entry in a car priced less than 20k. Driving is smooth. Everything else works as its supposed to. The gas mileage is pretty good but Ive seen better. To compare it to a Toyota Yaris, you get better mileage with a Yaris but more features and quality with the Nissan at the same price.

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  01 Xterra V6 4x4 - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Mitch - March 11 - 11:36 am

  I have driven my Xterra cross country 3 times now and have taken numerous road trips. It is a great vehicle from every standpoint. The gas mileage is ok but is improved with small aftermarket parts. I off road often and have a Rancho lift kit and run LT 285s on the Xterra. Once in 4lo, the Xterra is unstoppable. Even when it was stock, it was very dependable off road. I like how the seats give you a commanding view of the road and are very comfortable. The 3.3L V6 is underpowered but matched with the 5 speed manual tranny, it does well enough. The Supercharged version that came out a few years later would be the way to go. It puts out 210 hp I believe. Either way, the Xterra is a great suv.

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  Fun to drive - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By rayy - March 10 - 7:36 pm

  Great car, but with the standard seats its not comfortable on long trips--no lumbar support, and the head rest pushes your head forward in an awkward position. But I think that is typical of most cars nowadays. The tires typical of Nissan OEM tires only lasted about 36K miles. Great acceleration esp. considering mpg which is 27-28 on the highway. The main beef I had when buying this car was that you are forced into buying a $10K "technology package" if you want the nice stereo with Sirius radio. The standard stereo does have an mp3 jack which I use for my Sirius plug-in. Electronic key is great & prevents locking your keys in the trunk.

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  Not Great, But Definitely Good - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By NissanFan - March 10 - 4:53 am

  We purchased this van with 45k mi on it and have added another 60k w/o a major problem. I change the oil every 5k, and thats about it for service. Brake, shock, and tire wear have all been minimal. It starts and runs well in all weather, with one exception of a moderate lag at idle speed when the A/C compressor turns on. MPG is fair, usually 20-22. Seats are firm and comfortable. Driving position/feel is more carlike than other minivans. A little rust is beginning to show at the bottom of the sliding door panels, but the rest of the paint is good. One annoyance is that the latch on the passenger side sliding door window will not stay screwed in, but I would still buy this van again.

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  Quest Comforts - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By kim - March 9 - 7:30 am

  I am not happy with the seats in the front. On very long trips the drivers seat tends to be a bit uncomfortable. I have the leather seats, dont know if that makes any difference.

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  Alternator Problems - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By LFOS - March 8 - 7:36 pm

  Actually a great car, EXCEPT it just quit in the middle of a parkway, battery light came on and car stopped. Towed to dealer, cant find anything,replaced battery. Two days later car quits again, this time a referburshed alternator put on, (note 8K miles on a 2009), also replaced wiring harness for alternator with after market, not listed on repair order because they purchased seperately, to wait for a new one from Nissan would take 3 days, THEY didnt want to wait, not me! Now Im driving a car with 8K and a used alternator and who knows wiring harness, Still no answer on why the alternator went out and the harness burned!!I should have my head examined!!

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  2009 Rogue SL - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By brantw - March 7 - 1:44 pm

  Bought this car for my daughter 6 months ago. It was a one owner with 95,000 miles and a good service history. Have been very pleased with the car. No CVT issues that others have mentioned but it does seem to be an issue on some cars. Better value that the RAV 4 and CRV I looked at. The Rogue interior is considerably more classy and it is quieter inside. All routine maintenance was done before I bought the car (brakes, belts, fluids) so I didnt expect to have any issues and havent. I drove the car for a few weeks and averaged 27 mpg on back roads with a few stop lights and signs. Pretty good for an AWD SUV and 10 mpg better than my Mazda CX-9.