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 Best Beast - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Phly Physher - December 31 - 10:00 am

  This truck is a beast! Wow, the power and handling put the Big 3 to shame. The 5-speed tranny shifts so smoothly I forget Im in a truck. My only complaints: bucket seats are not very supportive and lack good side bolsters, cheap interior plastic scratches very easily, no tire options yet available for the BFG Rugged Trails. Overall, the best truck value....

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  Great care - fair price - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Sperbsy - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Car is very fun to drive, but not as good on gas as we originally thought. Otherwise, slightly cramped but still comfortable. Ameneties are very good.

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  turning radius - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Tonyd - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I just absolutely love the car. As much as I love it, I hate the turning radius even more. Cant even make a U-turn without backing up. Better radius on mini vans. Dont know what the engineers were thinking. Also, fresh air vent blows hot air. I understand a design flaw about letting in air over the engine. DUH! Glad I have auto climate control.

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  So far so good part II - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By 96flea - December 29 - 10:43 pm

  This is my 2nd review on this car. Its now going on 60k and the rear caliper needed replaced but it was due to the person/dealer never put a shim/retainer back on after doing a brake job. The paint on the front bumper has peeled off, no biggie. The Firestone tires are junk! The in-cabin filter is good but the dealers want $$$ for replacement filter. Go buy a home filter for $20 and cut 3 or 4 out of it and it will filter out x100 more stuff. The sr20de is why i bought the SE. Many have recommened this engine. The Granite color is attractive. Im getting 24mpg city and 30mpg hgwy. Its good in snow. If you want to get a Sentra find an SE! They stopped making them in 2001 so good luck!

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  Nice Truck For The Price - 2017 Nissan Frontier
  By ROBO - December 29 - 8:56 am

  I have only owned my Frontier SV 4x4 for 2 weeks and am happy with my purchase so far . The only problems i have so far is a not centered steering wheel and a minor trim fit problem in the cab . The truck seems well built and a value considering the price compared to mid size Chevy and Toyota trucks which are rated better by writers but also cost a few thousand dollars more . I have the 4.0 V6 and the mileage is less than my previous 2011 Jeep Liberty Sport with a 3.7 V6 . But the Frontier SV is bigger engine wise and weight wise so it is to be expected . A lot of writers criticize the gas mileage of the Frontier compared to similar trucks by Toyota and Chevy . But if you research it . They all have smaller engines compared to the Nissan 4.0 V6 in the Frontier . So the critics of the Frontiers poor gas mileage have made a bad comparison in my opinion . The ride is better than a lot of cars . The off road abilities i have not checked out yet . Ground clearance looks good for off road use . All in all a nice truck at a nice price .

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  My 2007 Maxima SE - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By 07GuamMax - December 29 - 6:43 am

  Owned this car for about 2 years now, and have read a lot of reviews to see if anyone else was experiencing the same problems as i was. There is alot of cabin noise especially from the front end, you can feel most of the bumps on the road due to the sporty suspension, have had my batteries changed out twice, air conditioner has gone twice in a year, and other problems that i cant mention because i had to bring my car into the dealership so many times. This car is a really great car, but i just wished that these problems would have never occurred. I have owned a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE before i traded it in for the 07 Maxima SE, and i have never had any problems with the car at all.

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  Not Quite Good Enough - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By alko - December 26 - 8:10 pm

  This review is specifically for the 2x4 Crew Cab SE w/ 6-speed tranny. This truck looks nice and has nice features in and out and the interior controls and gauges are well thought out, but threr are a couple of things I dislike. The front suspension is so stiff that it does nothing to absorb the freeway bumps and constantly throws my body from side to side on uneven terrain such as dips and driveways. The tires take all the abuse bouncing over the bumps. Its almost unbearable. The other thing I dislike is the electronic throttle control which has a decceleration delay of about 1 second and makes smooth shifting very hard to master. I just dont understand the thinking behind this.

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  Two Questions on my Murano SL FWD - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By lishumit - December 25 - 10:00 am

  I have heard too many positve evaluations. However, I noticed that: (1) I have never got the 25MPG fuel economy on highway with a speed of 70MPH, only about 22MPG. (2) When I try to accelerate the car (not very sudden) at low speed (<20MPH) I find that the engines revolution has a slight shift down (i.e. from 1800rpm to 1500rpm), and then stay at that revolution with an increasing speed; on the contrary, when I try to slow down the car, at the speed of 15MPH I find that the revolution has another shift up (i.e. from 1100rpm to 1500rpm), and then goes back to 1100rpm with a decreasing speed. Anybody noticed the same phenomena? All comments are welcome.

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  Stylish Ride, Good Gas Mileage - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Don - December 25 - 5:43 am

  Theres at least three 2.5S on our block, and more in the neighborhood. Nissan must be doing something right with this car. We love the gas mileage and style. This is our second Nissan, the last a 1989 Maxima. They still havent learned anything about lower back support. Long drives can be painful. Otherwise, my main complaint is the transmission. It seems like the engine is missing, particularly when going up a hill. Ive had it in to the dealer twice, and they can find nothing wrong with the engine, so, I have to feel as if it is the transmission. Recently, Nissan sent me a letter extending the warranty on the transmission. So there just might be something there.

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  Plenty Happy - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By SteveD.1911 - December 24 - 12:40 pm

  Bought brand new and this X has never disappointed! Taken it cross country (NC-OR, NC-AZ) 3 times and have never had one issue! Rides like a truck and thats what I wanted. The factory suspension in the rear is lacking and bottoms out fairly easy. Easy fix with some good Timbren bumpstops. Have never had a major issue with it yet, just routine maintenance. Fuel economy is average but thats what is expected from a 265HP 4x4. If you want to wheel your rig hard then expect the front diff to fail since they are weak and you will most likely have warranty issues from the dealer if they know you go wheeling. Overall It is a great truck and I love mine!