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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  Nothing to complaint - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By AnotherAltima - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I had an Altima 03 but I think the interior design/quality is ok. So, when the 2005 is out, I went to see both Solara and Altima. The layout of Solara is as good as Altima. However, in my opinion, the quality used on Altima is better than Solara despite others comments. One of the obvious examples is that Solara just used all hard plastic on the door trim while Altima used leather with pad underneath of it. At last, I traded my 03 Altima for the 05 Altima.

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  Great Fun and Goes through the Snow - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By headmonk - September 11 - 5:50 am

  I traded a Jeep Grand Cherokee for my Murano after a lot of research. I could not be happier. I live in serious snow country (300" a year) and put a lot of miles on my car in the summer. I blasted through 12" of snow on my way home. No problem. The car handles great and gets plenty of looks. Pickup in any situation is very good. Very comfortable and quiet riding. My wife thinks it looks like her old Gremlin. I wish I had bought the full feature version with all the fun stuff. This is a great car.

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  Maxima - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By ABHILASH - September 11 - 3:27 am

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  3 years and 60,000 miles later - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By 6th SUV - September 10 - 3:03 am

  This has been a very good vehicle for us. Runs rings around the 99 Grand Cherokee we had before this Pathfinder. However in my 40 years of driving I have never had an exhaust manifold break. Not one but both broke on this SUV at 50,000 miles and the dealer wants $1200.00 to replace them. I feel this is not a normal situation and should have been replaced under the drivetrain warrenty. Besides this issue this has been a very reliable SUV, we travel with it alot and I have confidence where ever I go with it.

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  a womans view - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By rhonda - September 9 - 10:26 pm

  i like the pathfinder but it is not good on gas and the defrost unit is not that great

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  Not as good as people say - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Buhba - September 9 - 10:16 pm

  After 4 yrs, 35,000+ miles, very roomy, nice exterior, enough powerful, good MPG. Very noisy, twice changed shock absorbers (on warranty), over 3 yrs something knock in right front area, no one knows what is that, gaps around headlights, askew bracing of trunk hood, bumpers are very easy to markup after that looks cheap.

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  2005 Altima SL - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Kurt - September 9 - 12:30 pm

  I wasnt really looking ot buy a new vehicle, but with the gas prices being so high I started to look (owned a 2001 Ford Escape XLT 4x4 - gas guzzler). The Altima caught my eye because of the exterior design along with the many features it has. I instantly fell in love with the Altima and it handled with ease on my first test drive. Like all the safety features along with the Homelink remote.

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  The New Armada is a Beast!! In a Good Way!!! - 2017 Nissan Armada
  By Tolson - September 9 - 8:20 am

  Tows my 7,000 boat and gear w no problems. Solid and smooth. The self leveling rear end works great. The safety nannies are awesome. The AC is awesome in the 110 plus degree heat in Phoenix. I shopped the GMC Yukon Denali against this new Armada. Its a much better value than the Denali. After test driving 3 new Denalis and finding vibration in all 3 I switched to looking at this new Armada.. The main reasons I purchased the Armada are 1) better value for the money 2) No vibrations, smooth, powerful and really tight - no rattles/noises 3) Nice looking and different than the typical GM or Ford form factors 4) 9+ inches ground clearance 5) All the safety technology 6) like the rear heater/AC venting in the back better....

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  Another Winner from Nissan - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jeff - September 8 - 12:33 pm

  Overall, this Pathfinder has been an excellent SUV. Power is outstanding, interior has been deemed as the "lap of luxury" by passengers not expecting the interior of a truck-based SUV to be as supple as the LEs. Most notible issue Ive had with the build quality is the LOUD rattle/creaking noise that consistently comes from under dash near the steering column. Ive located the cause, but neither the dealer or I have been able to mute it. Also, with 4 or 5 passengers, the rear shocks will bottom out on larger freeway bumps at highway speeds, causing an unwelcomed bouncing effect for the following couple of seconds.

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  High Mileage Altima - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Dragasoni - September 8 - 7:20 am

  I bought my 98 Altima in March 2001 with 30,000 miles. Now it has over 200,000 miles! Ive had almost NO problem with this car either. I had to replace the alternator at 120,000 miles and the the CV joints at 150,000 miles. The car has never broken down, and has made several long trips to New York, Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta from Tampa Bay. About 65% of the miles are higway and about 35% are city. It currently runs strong, just as it did when I first bought it. It does burn some oil (1 quart every 4,000 miles) and its a bit slower then it was 170,000 miles ago. I dont maintain it as good as I should though. I change the oil every 5,000 miles.