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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  2009 Nissan Versa 1.5L Sedan w/AC - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By BShaffer - June 26 - 4:06 am

  I went out to get a fuel efficient entry level car, and this one is what I landed on. I used to like Toyotas, but in comparison to the 1.5L Yaris, this thing takes the cake. This motor, for what it is, really screams. I drove it through 14 inches of snow without a problem last week, and am getting over 40MPG highway on long trips. My average MPG is around 34. It costs around 7.5 cents per mile for gas, which is better than everything else I own, other than my Harley. I did notice a drop in mileage after the synthetic oil was put in at the dealership at 8000 miles. Youre not going to beat too many people at the drag strip in this thing, but its a nice little car.

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  Great and fun car - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By collmurphy - June 25 - 5:22 pm

  Bought this car in early 2013, with 130k miles. A lot of miles, but the car looked too good to give up. Had it for almost 6 months already and nothing has been wrong with the car. Accelerates fast, great bose stereo, and overall a super fun car to just haul butt in. Get a lot of compliments on it as well. Great car for the price!!

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  Love my Pathfinder - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By greeneyedellen - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I can do so much more with my Pathfinder than I ever could with any other car. We love to fish and camp and have been able to get to new spots with it that we could not get to in any car. We have had a lot of rain in the Northeast this year and it has gotten me out of deep mud several times. The gas mileage is so-so, but not bad compared to other SUVs. We live in a pretty populated area and I have no trouble merging in heavy 60+ mph traffic so dont listen to what they say about the engine. All in all, this is a great looking, sporty SUV that will get you unstuck and you will feel great driving it.

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  Great truck if you have plenty of gas mo - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Mitch - June 22 - 3:06 pm

  Love this truck, the LE has everything you would want

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  OK Experience - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Bob - June 22 - 7:30 am

  Traded in a Maxima for a Pathfinder a couple of years ago. Mixed reaction. Loved the roominess of the cabin, as Im quite tall. Good layout, legroom. Mixed feelings about the build quality. Several noises coming from the dash, seat belts dont retract. Not up to prior Nissan experience. Realized I wasnt an SUV person... not enough fun. Just went back to a new 07 Max. Cool!

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  Fun to Drive, Hard to pay for!! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Chuck - June 21 - 6:56 am

  This truck is fun, fun, fun to drive. With the 305 HP motor, it makes you feel like youre in a Mustang the size of a tank. I have only had one problem so far. The hose from the AC condenser in the dash to the outside was defective and it caused water to leek in the truck on the pasanger side. It took several trips to the dealership and 6 weeks to resolve the problem (I think it was the dealership though). If you can afford it, buy one. FUN, FUN, FUN

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  2007 Altima (3.5 L ) - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By peses - June 20 - 9:23 am

  I have owned my car for 2 years. Overall Nissan made a great car! Starting with the exterior, I find the car sporty looking especially with the 17" rims. The interior is put together very well. Mostly soft touch materials and no rattles. The Bose speakers and absolutely amazing, the best Ive heard for stock speakers. I just reached 200,000 km ( 125,000 miles ) and the only problem Ive had is the tire light malfunctions. I would recommended this car to anyone!

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  Nice Little Car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Michael - June 19 - 10:46 pm

  I love this car. This is the first car my parents got for me when I was 16 and I still drive it today. The car has great gas mileage I havent had any wear and tear problems and it looks great for a car that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. I dont like the interior very much, the back seats are cramped, and the cup holders arent very well made. In fact, the cup holders broke because they were so flimsy and the ones in the front stink as well. Other than that, this is a fun reliable car, great for a teen getting their first car.

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  Poor Choice - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By vrkeller - June 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Nissan Sentra GXE brand new in August of 2001, I was deciding between this and a Honda Civic, I made the mistake of choosing this car. Since then, Ive put about 30,000 miles on it, and it has been in the shop about 6 times. 3 times for recall, and 3 other time the car just broke down. On one trip to the dealer they sent me home while the car would just stall for no reason while in motion, and after leaving the car with the dealership for over a week, the dealership still couldnt figure out what was wrong with the car. And as we speak the car is in the shop for axle noise (warranty of course) Now Im planning to purchase a Jetta.

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  Nice Truck w/Fun Spirit, bad gas mileage - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By mswh777 - June 18 - 10:00 am

  I like this truck. My other is a 4Runner, so its hard to expect too much from this one. However, Im still pleased with my purchase. The manual 4- cylinder is fun to drive, but lacks some power; only 143hp. The interior with power option package is of average quality but does the job. The exterior has a simple but rugged personality. On the 4-cylinder, expect to see about 3200 RPM while doing 70mph on the highway; maybe contributing to the somewhat disappointing gas mileage.