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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  A mans best friend - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By guilbos - January 23 - 6:03 pm

  Pros: Had it fo a year. No repairs. Good fuel economy. Reliable, good performance, no bad surprise. A car you can count on. Cons: Front seats lack back support, 5-speed manual gearshift could be more precise.

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  Honda/Toyota fan gets converted by SpecV - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By deadlytedly - January 23 - 6:56 am

  I have been a Honda and Toyota owner for all of my life, and enjoy a sporty little sedan. The base Sentra was not that. After testing out what I could get at my price point (both foreign and domestic), I felt I had made a decent decision, but really had *no* clue until she broke in. At 2000 miles, the engine opened up in a great way. The chirp as the intake gulps in fresh air welcomes a heavy pull of acceleration. The exhaust note deepened as well. Smooth pull across the curve meets an angry red line. The suspension the sportiest I have driven in a sedan. Power is put down easily and evenly. Wholly impressed, and am looking at the Altima Coupe for my next purchase. Strong A rating

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  wheres the fuel economy? - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By LINDA - January 23 - 2:26 am

  I like almost everything about this car. Would have liked to have automatic door locks and headlights. gas mileage has been disappointing. Keeps dropping with every tank, Last tank under 26 mpg. Bluetooth doesnt work well.

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  Perfect College kid car - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By Brian - January 22 - 1:06 pm

  I have only had it for a week, and already I am in love with it. I am a kind of guy who likes big SUVs, and the xterra is perfect. I am in college and for a college kid to own a 2007 Nissan xterra is just too cool. I am use to driving an 11 year old Ford Explorer, the xterra drives like a dream compared to that. The xterra is big enough to fit all my stuff in it, and to fit 4 people and all their stuff comfortable, but not too big where it feels like I am driving a tank. Its safety rating is awesome, all xterra models 2005 or later have good or excellent ratings in all categories. Its surprisingly easy to drive, the stirring is awesome, and it breaks very well for a suv.

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  Verdict still out - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By verdict still out - January 21 - 6:20 pm

  4000 miles. Truck runs great. Noises coming from rear bed or axle when turning left. Gas mileage is less than competition. Smooth and quiet ride. Verdict is still out!

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  Nissan disappointing FAST - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By tmac4718 - January 21 - 6:53 am

  I now have 14,000 miles on my maxima SV premium edition and I have to say I wont buy another nissan product. I have had a bad rattle in the car since day one, headliner above the back seat(they made it little better recently). Front hood rubber seal keeps popping out of its space. A creaking dash/windshield area?The car went into a lockup mode last week and had to be towed to the dealer and the whole computer system rebooted. Now I have two more rattles in upper dash and climate control area. I have only owned 2 nissans, altima before which I loved, now maxima. Thats a bad satisfaction ratio. Owned plenty of toyotas and honda products with no rattles or issues above 100k miles.

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  Good So Far - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Surfcaster - January 20 - 1:03 pm

  Ive had this vehicle for over three years now. Love the power, handling, 20mpg with standard trans, great off road. Many have had premature clutch wear so I would not buy another stick. Most of the parts for this vehicle including engine is not Japan. Wish honda made old school suv, but for now xterra seems to give best bang for buck. 4runner much more expensive, and most of their parts are also not Japan.

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  Overall, an excellent car. - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By three_pedals - January 20 - 1:56 am

  This car is the first Ive owned and is great. It performs and handles well. It is a fairly unique car in the marketplace--it doesnt exhibit the luxury of a Lexus ES or Acura Legend of the same era, but is cheaper and offers equal, if not superior, performance. Its an ideal enthusiast car on a budget. Ive had to replace the left control arm bushing and both of my rear power windows are inoperable (one is the arm assembly, one is the motor). Other than these minor problems (in addition to brakes and clutch replacement) the car has been very reliable, requiring only routine maintainance. The performance of the VQ engine is very smooth and rewarding, but carries a penalty in gas milage.

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  Reliable and fun to drive but noisy - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By jojo791 - January 19 - 7:23 am

  I drove the SE model for almost 5 years. Much better built than my 1999 Camry. Good power and handling. The car was reliable but far from perfect. First it was one of the noisiest cars from the wind I have ever driven, wind leaked in from everywhere. Second was the 1 wheel drive. The front right tire drove the whole car. Third was the steering radius, the longest of any car made.premium unleaded is not necessary., no pinging with regular and the same gas mileage.

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  2004 Maxma - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Car Buff - January 18 - 5:16 am

  I have driven Cadillacs and Jags for the past fifteen years. I got tired of the high maintenance costs and decided to try a Japanese profuct. I settled on the Maxima. By far it is the best automobile I have ever owned. Not a single warrantee issue, where after three mnths I would have been to the Cadillac dealer several times to fix annoying rattles or mechanical problems.