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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  So Far So Good, But... - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By tommywo - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Xterra for just over a week and I love it so far. Still, I REALLY wish the steering wheel tilted up higher. Im 64/300 pounds and the extra room would come in handy getting in/out of the car. Other than that, I have plenty of leg room. Also, my gas mileage seems to be pretty marginal at best. Im hoping that it will get better as the engine gets broken.

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  Good car - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By jt11649 - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Good car no real problems until recently (185,000 miles) and now just things wearing out. Drives well and still gets 28 mpg combined. A few minor things bother me like cup holders and the fact hat the fold down rear seats give limited access to trunk. I would definitely buy again. Not as good as the civic I had but still very reliable.

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  Tough but Fragile - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By James - September 9 - 10:00 am

  As much as I love my Titan, my comfort has been a bit shattered. The service advisers at the dealership are great but they have been unable to figure out the reason for my constant radiator failures. I am currently on number 3. The radiator is definitely of poor design, but as long as it remains under the extended warranty Ill continue to bring it in. This truck has great potential.

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  2 years with the Rogue - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By TXdirt - September 9 - 10:00 am

  First time Id ever bought a first year model. Overall the vehicle is great. Few minor things; hear a lot of road noise from the back when driving in the rain, they should have insulated the wheel wells a bit. Also, as with most Rogue owners, visibility is something you have to get used to, would love a bit more, especially when backing up. The AWD makes it easy to get around when we get ice/snow.

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  Very nice for the price! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Kei_Calibur - September 9 - 2:53 am

  I bought this car new and so far Ive only a couple of complaints. One is the hotspot on the shifter assembly. Turn the lights on and your leg will feel the heat. The other is the front brakes are horrible. I fixed this problem from the get go by ordering new rotors from ebay (I know... I know.) and using a high quality pad from autozone. To those with the tire sensor problem, make sure to check the spare tire also. Ive NEVER had my light come on for anything other than low pressure or one flat. I use this as a family car, and it does its job VERY well. Plenty.. and I mean PLENTY of space for almost anything you could need. Mileage is great also! Nissan loves to make a torquey engine!

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  Keep looking - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Bill - September 8 - 5:30 pm

  I owned the quest for 28 months. During this time I put 35k miles on it. It has been back to the dealer for the following, drivers window stuck open, transmission stuck in 2nd, a/c failure, Rattling (Seats, Doors, Windows), various recalls, exhaust leak, doors not closing, engine light, no sound from radio, loose interior trim , excessive paint chipping. The last time I brought it in they told me they needed to remove the dash to trace a wiring problem in the a/c. In the past I have called nissan directly, they claim to open a file, but I never heard from them. Today I traded it in for a Honda. It got to a point where I was living with the problems until I had a list of things to be repaired at onc

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  Love my Murano!! - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Brenda Patterson - September 8 - 11:13 am

  I was in between getting a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, which I previously had, or the Murano SV. Suffice it to say that I am so happy I went with the Murano!!! This is one of the most luxurious automobile I have ever owned. The way it handles the road is outstanding, not to mention the sleek exterior. The interior is so comfortable & roomy. The drivers seat cradles your body in a way that is so comfortable & with the lumbar setting its like a dream. The updated electronics with the Navigation System, Bluetooth, Bose system, Instrument panel, etc. is all so high tech. Im still learning how to work it all & discover something new each day. By far this is one of the best automobiles I have ever owned. I highly recommend the Murrano SV!

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  Listen up everybody its not the CVT transmission - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By James - September 7 - 12:33 am

  Nissan is pulling a quick one on everybody by saying the problem youre having is your transmission. Think about it people, with the car shutting off you have to remember transmission will not affect your car starting the problem is the alternator. CVT transmissions are extremely sensitive to the electrical current it gets and the alternators are faulty causing the car to rumble and shudder now Nissan would rather tell you its the transmission because it only has a 36,000 mile warranty and the alternator has 100,000 or whatever it has dont know the exact mileage but much more than the transmission tell them to replace your alternator and it will fix the problem I had the same problem with mine. Put in new alternator and its driven like a dream ever since. Because mine started acting up right after the 36,000 mile transmission warranty and they said I had to replace the transmission luckily I bought my car through Carmax who has an excellent warranty and they took the car I told him what I thought about the alternator they looked into and presto so I drop my car at Carmax the mechanic there drove it to a Nissan dealership told him to put a new alternator in doing great ever since dont let Nissan tell you its not the alternator they just simply want to say its the transmission because chances are most of you are outside the 36,000 mile warranty and what theyll do is put a new transmission in and it will run better for a little bit but that alternator will chew the transmission apart again this is my third post about this I posted every few days to keep her on the top of the review list hoping to help people good luck guys. And I have a friend who works for Nissan so I was able to confirm this that it is the alternator and some of the technicians purposely keep their mouth closed because they want to get paid for doing the work on the transmission a lot of the dealerships dont pay by the hour they paid by the job so the technicians are the ones [non-permissible content removed] us along with Nissan.

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  03 SL AWD 142,000+ mi - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By timinmn - September 6 - 2:34 am

  I have owned this since new, went in to buy an Altima, drove out in the Murano. It has been a joy to drive. It has been a reliable vehicle for over 142,000 miles. The only major problem Ive had was the transfer case went out at 138,000 ($3000 to fix, still cheaper than a new car). The one flaw I have found is the fuel filler neck rusting and pitting, causing the Check Engine light to come on, I have sanded it down applied LPS3 rust preventor on it well see if that lasts.

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  Nissan Rogue SUV - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By A Rogue - September 5 - 10:16 am

  I bought the Nissan Rogue SUV AWD, totally fit out with all the luxury package items about 4 weeks ago. So far, I like the following aspects: cool design, engine power, radio/Bose speakers/satellite, cargo room, ease of use. I think the car rides a little harshly and jiggles and jumps too easily in response to bumps. It should have a memory seat feature also. However, it does satisfy my wish for a car/SUV that is sports, gets > 20 mpg in city driving, has cargo room, and lots of amenities.