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 - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Tru - September 22 - 10:30 pm

  A 4 DOOR SLEEPER

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  Like Car But Has An Incurable Bug - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Don - September 20 - 1:00 am

  I Generally like the car especially the gas mileage. Plenty of interior room, and trunk space. The only negative seems to be paring of the CVT transmission with a 4-cyl. engine. When starting uphill from a stop, particularly w/the A/C on, it feels like the engine is missing or that it is having difficulty shifting gears. I think it is the latter. Ive taken it to the dealership 3 times, and they cannot find anything wrong and suggested I use a higher octane gas. That did not work (and defeats the purpose of buying a 4-cyl.). So, I use the shift control in the "manual" mode when going up a hill from a stop and do not experience the "missing" feeling.

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  xterrible power - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By pattermike - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I realize that fuel economy is something you usually trade for the power you get from an SUV, but the Nissan Xterra drinks gas like water, and still has trouble picking up enough speed to merge onto a highway without getting rear ended. This truck is competent to get me to and from work everyday, but Im hardly impressed by the way the engine races before kicking in everytime I ask it to get me someplace in a hurry. I reccomend going for the supercharged model. Also, why does the steering wheel have to be so close to the seat? There is barely enough room for your legs, even after you adjust it.

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  Very pleased for the price - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By tamoshanter - September 17 - 9:03 am

  Just bought the rogue last week and I love it. Compared it with CR-V, RAV4 and CX-7, and am happy with the ride, comfort, handling, and engine (for a 4 banger). The CVT takes some getting used to, coming from someone who as a teenager had a firebird formula 400; but works well enough and getting 28 mpg on highway w/out the engine broken in. Bose stereo sounds boss, bluetooth through the stereo with steering wheel buttons is great! My wife loves the styling and the kids (actually 21 & 17) find the rear seat very comfortable, with plenty of room behind them for their junk!

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  Great Truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Billy - September 15 - 9:43 pm

  Ill start off by saying that my Frontier has over 175,000 miles on it. I bought it brand new in 00 with 10 miles on it. It is now one of my work trucks. What a fantastic truck it has been. Not the most powerful, doesnt get great gas mileage, isnt the roomiest, but damn, this thing is reliable. Other then tires, oil, and brake pads, Ive only replaced the timing belt at 120k miles, and one A/C hose at 160k miles. I highly recommened this truck for people who need a good used, long lasting, dependable truck at a great price on the used truck market. By the way, mine was not babied at all. It pulls a heavy work trailer on a regular basis, and only gets the oil changed about every 10k miles.

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  2 years old & not happy - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By moorem1 - September 15 - 2:40 am

  Had owned a Maxima previously, thats why went back to Nissan. Not as pleased this time. Before 2 yrs old battery went dead. Replacement on stock battery was 50%. After market battery would have been 100%. Since new battery the brake light (indicating emergency brake is on) comes on randomly. Also the slip light & VDC light come on randomly. Seems to be sluggish at times.

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  The Z almost right - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Matt_S - September 11 - 12:36 pm

  Everything about the Z is great except.... They still havent fixed the tire feathering problem on the 2004, I just turned 10,000 miles and I have the problem. If you search the web a bunch of people still do. Nissan still does not have a proper fix yet. Also Im disappointed that the base model doesnt come with cruise control. A 27,000 dollar vehicle should come with cruise, Im sure it was some jerk in the marketing department who took it off of the base model so people would have to play the extra 2k to get the enthusiast model. Other than that it has been a great car. But I will not put tires on it every 8k miles. Nissan YOU NEED TO FIX THIS!

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  98 Nissan Altima GLE - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By preebenacker - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I will definitely buy another Nissan. I have had this car for six years and I havent had any problems with it - scheduled maintenance only

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  Fast and Reliable - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Mattman - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Sentra hoping it would be a good ride for many years to come. After 2 1/2 years of ownership, I am satisfied that it will fulfill that mission. I am a spirited driver (I drive fast, but not rough). The car has been fun, fast and given no mechanical problems.

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  hmm... - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By dissapointed too. - September 11 - 10:00 am

  nissan should much care about the interior quility and service dept. dash board got peeled off after 4months drive. service dept got replaced dashboard but it took 4days..huh..the worst is theydone really clumsy work..glues are all over the window..missing parts..gaps...