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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  Lots of problems with memory seats - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By jeayrs - June 29 - 7:37 pm

  This car has a rough ride and lots of road noise when driving over about 30mph. Have taken mine into the shop 3 times because the memory seats will not hold what is programed into them. Also had a problem with the steering wheel falling and locking into the down position after turning off the car and then it would not come back up when ignition was started. Again, another trip back to the shop.

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  Gus Guzzler - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By ciara - June 29 - 7:03 pm

  I bought this car because Nissan stated that it got 36 mph and 30 miles per gallon in the city. I only get 16 miles per gallon in the city and 29 on the freeway. The auto fuel sensor has broken twice and it has been replaced under warranty. I was told the repair would improve mileage but it did not. Its a comfortable car to drive if you can afford the gas.

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  Like my PF LE but... - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Kinta - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Love the size of the PF as its l&w are comparable to most midsize cars. Acceleration is good. Steering is secure. Handling great with the AUTO feature. Fun to fishtail in RWD mode. The interior is better than other non- luxury SUVs. It gets bouncy. Some squeaks and rattles, but most fixed. Nissan Customer service is poor. Consider a 1 year old Infiniti, especially in LA, where name plates count. Also the warranty is 1 year longer and the service is excellent

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  So far so good. - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By 96flea - June 29 - 2:00 am

  The car has decent pep to it but could do better on milage. I have an automatic tranny w/performance package. The 16" wheels really makes the car look better but the low profile tires makes the car ride a little hard. I purchased the Sentra used at Pohanka Chevrolet in Chantilly, Va. for $10,500. The car did well in the blizzard that hit the East Coast this Feb. The torque is among the highest in this class of vehicle. I believe 0-60 is around 9 or 10 seconds though i have not really romped on the gas pedal to find out. With 3 family members (each weigh about 230lbs) this Sentra performed well with a full load.

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  Overall a good vehicle - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By HebrewDoc - June 28 - 2:56 am

  I replaced my 1997 GMC Yukon with my 2001 Pathfinder SE. I got it used with 42,000 miles and now I have 96,000 on it. I use it for daily commuting and deer hunting. It goes off-road like a mountain goat. It is much smaller than the Yukon but handles all my hunting stuff pretty well (I have a hitch haul for the deer). It rides smoothly on the highway and handles well. My only disappointment has been the unreliability of the sensors. It has 3 oxygen sensors, and I have replaced each one ($350 a pop). The mass flow sensor also went out ($550). Fairly bullet-proof other than that. I intend to keep it for the foreseeable future.

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  ALTIMA 05 - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By sas - June 27 - 9:50 pm

  I bought my altima 05 2.5S brand new. Love the look of the car. Very sporty looking. Performance was great until I had approx 34k on the car. Radiator went. Dealership made me pay for radiatior which was over $800K and I had bumper to bumper on car plus extended warranty. Ended up getting my money back when I went to Nissan Headquarters. Changed dealerships for servicing. Check engine light came on at 104K and was told it was the catalyc converter which cost me over $900 to fix it. Needless to say I drove it until I had 145K and traded it in for a 2009 Mitsubishi Galant. Engine too noisy. Overall not a bad car with improvements. Wanted to try something different.

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  Great looking Crossover for the money!! - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By jeep53 - June 27 - 3:59 pm

  Weve only had the 2011 Rogue SV with SL package for a week, but I thought Id mention my first impressions. So far Im very happy with my purchase. We intended on purchasing the Murano, but didnt feel it was worth the extra $9,000. Its a really nice riding SUV and has a lot of nice features for the money. The leather seats are also very comfortable. The CVT takes a little getting used to but after a short time, its fine. I would not hesitate in recomending this SUV. I found it to be much more comfortabl than the CR-V and the Toyota Rav4 and also much sharper looking and a better ride.

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  One week, 23000 miles - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By steve - June 27 - 5:50 am

  First fill up after 400 miles, trip computer 31.5, actual 29. Second fill up trip computer 35, actual 32.5. Perhaps because I always fill to the brim, dealer probably when they gave full tank not quite full. Great pickup nav system a bit complicated, but arent they all? Nav should have built in calculator. Negatives - too much road (wind) noise. Bluetooth does not work real well, people have hard time hearing me on phone, plus voice recognition doesnt work so well. Have with tech package - should come with fog lights standard although lighting at nite pretty good, can manage without them. Trunk small, but will manage. Also purchased 2nd NAH this week for wife (without tech package).

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  A fully competent crossover - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By AutoJunkie - June 26 - 12:03 pm

  Having lived with my Murano for 3 years, I felt it was time to report in. My Mo is factory spec, no aftermarket upgrades. 06/07 models are truly the best years. Significant styling changes to the exterior/interior in 05 boost class and elegance. While 06/07 models benefited from increased sound deadening and are free of most early glitches. Im always test driving cars and IMHO the 1G Murano still stacks up well against modern competitors, a testament to Nissans forward thinking and sound design back in 03. Only modern amenities missing are Bluetooth and Aux/iPod interfaces. The Murano strikes a good balance between sport, practicality and comfort. I plan to keep my Mo around for a while.

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  Juke NISMO RS, What Fun - 2015 Nissan Juke
  By mschumi - June 26 - 11:27 am

  This car is such a fun car to drive to work every day. We have a v8 4runner and a Honda S2000 also, and this Juke NISMO RS is a better daily driver than both because it is comfortable, quick, handles like on rails, stops on a dime and cost $30 to fill up with 93octane gas. Weve driven the Juke RS from Philly to Boston several times and it eats up the 3rd world roads really easily and is fun carving up the on ramps too. No doubt about it, the AWD CVT Juke NISMO RS is a fun, practical car to drive daily.