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 used SUV - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By bradfinken - October 7 - 6:16 am

  Ive noticed with my 2000 Pathfinder LE that when cold, it wont shift into overdrive until engine is warm. A little frustrating when most of my driving is highway. Fuel economy is 15 city and 17 hwy. When pulling, I get 14-15 depending on how fast I go. The comfort is outstanding, not trucky at all. Feels like a dream to sit in. Heated seats will light your backside on fire.

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  like the mean look and power - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By joel29m - October 6 - 9:40 pm

  Im a Chevy man, but that Titan changed my thoughts. I got an 06 Titan, and cant wait to get up the next day to ride in style. I bought it in sept. 08 with 39,000 miles and could not leave it hanging. God blessed me with this truck because I thought I would never get one. I love the body style and engine performance. One main thing I love about it is that it sounds like it has dual exhaust when it doesnt. Its a gas drinker, but gas mileage is 99% better than my old 97 Chevy Tahoe!

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  Comfort - 2013 Nissan Murano
  By bravindran - October 6 - 4:15 pm

  I was looking to buy a crossover and compared RX350, ACURA RDX and CX9. After a deep analysis and with several test drives between these vehicles then I settle down with Murano. The build quality of interior, ride comfort, smoothness and value for money is really high for Murano when compare to other crossover vehicles. If I really need of third row then CX9 is my next choice. But I liked this two row crossover because I sensed the size of the vehicle is well balanced and appropriate to drive.

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  Love it! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By LoveMyMaxima - October 6 - 12:13 am

  I bought this car from my mechanic last year when my 95 Camry became too expensive to repair. I was leary because the car had 243K miles on it; but my mechanic said it would most likely go to 300K. Im at 254K now and have had no problems at all. The car is so quiet that I sometimes think it has stalled. It has the original stereo, which I hate, and the interior could have been better maintined (I think the last owner always drove with the sun roof open..dust and dirt caught in places I cant seem to reach). I cannot complain about this car. Mechanically and speed-wise, I love it. It has been quite reliable.

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  Buyer Beware - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By tiffanyflash - October 5 - 10:49 pm

  Logged over 10,000 miles on this vehicle: now the problems have surfaced. Tailgate malfunction, brake system, Navi malfunction and shutdown.. good luck trying to get problems resolved.

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  The Price reflects the quality - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By rarereviewer - October 5 - 10:13 pm

  When I purchased my 2012 Versa hatchback, it was the least expensive new car available in North America. And the car is what it is. On the positive side, the car always started. I consider that a big plus. Also, the interior, which is naturally cheap and flimsy, is designed to feel deceptively roomy. On the negative side, right after my warranty expired, the keyless entry stopped working on the front doors and the hatchback. The front passenger door and the hatchback wouldnt open at all. A part in all the doors had to be replaced, and it was a very expensive repair. The dealership decided to do the work free, due to the car had only been out of warranty for a few weeks.

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  Relentless Rattles - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Jason Devine - October 5 - 10:06 pm

  With a 1 year old, this was our first minivan. We were replacing a Mercedes C320 so my wife wanted all the luxury ammeneties. We narrowed our search to the Quest, Odyssey and Sienna. The quest had the latest features without the price premium on the Sienna. Weve had the car for nearly a year and love the drive, room, DVD and fold flat seats. However, build quality of the body is poor. Doors dont fit tight. There are constant rattles (back gate and side doors) and several trips to the dealer have not resolved them. Nissan extended the warranty to 5 years, nice gesture, but wed prefer doors that dont rattle.

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  Great Van - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By cgarris - October 5 - 6:24 pm

  This van has a nice interior and is easy to drive and park. Back up camera is very helpful. It has plenty of power to accelerate when needed.

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  I do not feel safe in this vehicle - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By courtney - October 5 - 4:20 pm

  I thought this would be a good upgrade from the 09 versa hatchback and boy was I wrong. Everything that has gone wrong with the car, has, it is a 2014 and already rusting, the bumper fell off, the engine sucks, and the front end is a lot smaller that the 2009. I do not feel safe in this vehicle and as soon as I can pay it off, I am trading it in for something safer. The USB port doesnt work, I have to bring it in for maintenance all the time. It is just a poorly made car. The gas mileage is good but the rest has a lot of issues. My biggest concern is the safety. If I were to hit a deer or another vehicle, I am not sure I would be ok. If I lived where it doesnt snow or sleet, I would probably like the car more but it is not made for the northeast weather.

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  ..."Surprisingly sporty"... - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By ..."Boomer"... - October 5 - 10:02 am

  I dont know what other shoppers should know about this car,it gets down to their personal needs and choices. For my-self Ive had this Altima for three months now and am very pleased with it. I bought it used at 15 months of useage from a national car rental agency and saved $2700 compared to the going market price.On top of the balance of factory warranty the rental agency had their own 12month or 12 thousand mile warranty and a policy of replacing brakes and tires with more than 30% wear,so I got new tires and brakes for the price.I had concerns coming from a Maxima and a 6 cylinder engine but my fears were put to rest after finding out how fast the 4 cylinder engine can be.The front seats are very comfortable from the moment you sit on them and you can drive a long distance and arrive feeling as comfortable as when you started.Back seat leg room is excellent and the seats are as comfortable too.The handling is better than I expected with little lean during corners and the average lumps and bumps on urban roads rarely intrude into the cabin.The steering was a real pleasant surprise with a nice feel on the road and nicely weighted without being too soft or over assisted.The cvt does take some getting used to.Under normal loads it acts like a traditional automatic in its sound and feel;but under a heavy foot the engine races ahead and the rest of the car plays catch up.Hit the power button and the cvt drops out of its normal over drive mode and the car becomes surprisingly fast in acceleration.For my-self the only negative is the goose neck trunk hinges.Theyre too intrusive and have the potential of being luggage crushers.The trunk is spacious but would benefit from the newer type hinges that are shaped like an X and dont go inside the trunk.My favourite feature is the fuel economy:..Im averaging 33 miles per gallon tooling around town so am waiting to see how good the highway economy is.If the Altima is like other Japanese cars Ive owned it will prove reliable with a cost effective ownership and again Im tickled pink with the fuel economy...