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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  Sadly Mistaken - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Purtysouthern - October 21 - 6:33 am

  Thought I wanted this vehicle. Exterior plastics faded and look old, interior plastics are cheap. Rear end noises that dealership cant fix even after a complete replacement of the entire rear axle. It is a fight to get any type of warranty work done. This veh. only has 35,000mi on it and I am about to trade it in for a Toyota.

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  i think it will compete the prodo - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By joe - October 19 - 10:30 pm

  after taking it for off road for the first time even it was smooth ride on sand the steering axcel became noisy, they fixed it, now it came again, i think it is a week point in it. other than that every thing looks good. performace is good, it was stable even on 200 km/h i dont regret having it

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  Recent owner - Still breaking it in - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Eric - October 19 - 11:43 am

  I am 65", and it was very hard to find a non-SUV hybrid that fits me. This one did. In fact this is the only one that did. The result is that I needed to drive ~120 miles to NJ to get one since they are not available in my home state of Maryland.

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  Fun to Drive and Affordable - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By welshy3575 - October 18 - 9:21 pm

  The JUKE is lets say unique looking and I thought it was a joke of a car until I drove it. It brought a smile to my face. It is a very engaging car to drive, very spirited, and the seats are extremely comfortable, and definitely not found in cars at this price point. We now have just over 20,000 miles on our Juke and to date it has been very reliable. Inteior pluses are comforatbe seats, easy to read gauges, large rearview side mirrors. wish there was a center armrest, window and door lock switches should light up, and wish there was ambient lighting. Rear seat room should be increased a couple inches both in leg room and head room. ^th gear needs to be more fuel econmy minded.

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  damn - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pathfinders - October 17 - 10:06 pm

  Now Ive owned 3 pathfinders so far. A 94, a 96, and a 98. I have had this one only since October and stopped driving it end of July. In those months I have bought 4 brand new tires, struts, shocks, front brakes, front drivers side axle, water pump, radiator hose, timing belt, ball joints/u joints, bushings and bearings on control arms, new evap system purge valve and canister, and then the recall was fixed, and last but not least my transmission just went and my knock sensor and my control arms need to be replaced. Im still looking for a new pathfinder but I wouldnt suggest a 98 or younger to anyone.

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  2001 altima OK - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By MAZZ - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE HAD MINE FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION. STABILIZAR BAR AND BUSHINGS SEEM TO BE WEAK ON THIS CAR. OTHER THAN THAT, ITS FUN TO DRIVE AND PRETTY QUICK OFF THE LINE. TOP CHOICE FOR ANY DRIVER. PRICE WAS RIGHT ON TOO.

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  A Rocket Ship - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By Jim Drummond - October 16 - 2:07 am

  Very powerful with the V6. Unlike some others I only get 23-24 in town and 29-30 on the highway but still that is good for a V6. Power is terrific. Passes with ease and no hesitation from the CVT. The sun visors are a bit small and do not really block the sun very well on the drivers side. This engine is supposed to be one of the best. I sure hope so and also hope the CVT holds up long term. Time will tell.

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  One of the last real SUVs - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By MissouriX - October 16 - 1:33 am

  The Nissan Xterra is one of the last real SUVs, that is capable of being a daily driver AND going off road on the weekends (try that with a Hyundai Santa Fe or Toyota Rav4). Ride is definitely truck-like (and should be, since its based on a truck platform), but still gives a quiet and smooth ride on the interstate. The Technology package is awesome, and the Bluetooth and Rockford Fosgate system are great options. I love my X. Its equally suited to long road-trips and deep woods excursions. I wouldnt want anything else.

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  lots of problems - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By paul - October 15 - 11:33 am

  Mostly cosmetic problems, lots of plastic falling off the car, but the doors and the transmission have needed work more often than they should in a 1 year old car. Mechanically, it needs a lot of work.

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  A Second Look - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By CAMP HILL, PA - October 13 - 3:13 pm

  I have had this car now for over 3 months. The car before was a 04SL which lets me compare the two. These two cars ARE different in most ways. For a $30K + car it still needs much improvement in ride and needs more sound proofing. It is however much better than the 04SL. The handling is much improved. BEWARE of the SHIMMY, this has been a problem in the 04/05/06s and now the 07s. When you test drive your car pay attention to the speed of 50-65. IT CANT BE FIXED ! When I took my car in to have it corrected, which wasnt, I test drove another 07SL and it too had the shimmy. You have been warned. The only other problem that I have is the drivers seat moves when turning. To be fixed ?