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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  Great Truck for the price - 2011 Nissan Titan
  By smoothnuke - June 17 - 10:48 am

  I bought this truck a little over 3 years ago now and overall it has exceeded my expectations in all aspects. I bought the Pro4x brand new for $28,400 just $400 more than the SV model and I am glad I did. I have used every feature on the vehicle and have had no problems. As of now I do not tow anything regularly, I have towed up to 9000 lbs without any problems at all. I have never gotten stuck in snow/mud and I have definitely put it to the test. The locking rear in 4 low will go through anything. I have put this truck up against many other comparable models and it has out performed time and time again.

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  sputtering - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By chocolatecake - June 17 - 2:38 am

  I love my 2013 Pathfinder with the exception of the sputtering every so often. I have been told that there is no fix and Nissan is working on one; so therefore there is no recall as of now. It feels as though it will cut off when it does this. I have been told that no Pathfinder with this problem has cut off so far.

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  Think Twice - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By sonja killip - June 17 - 12:46 am

  I have had 4 Maximas and when I saw the 04 I had to have it and I bought this car the first week it came out. Since then I have had nothing but trouble. Ive had a new computer, 6 new injectors and now this week the dealership stated I need a new cat. converter. The tires have been replaced 2xs due to wearing out at 40,000 miles. This car has been in the shop more than any car I have ever owned. The front grill has also been replace due to peeling paint.The list goes on and on. I dont know if I will ever buy another Nissan.

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  Only Negatives - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By DMW - June 16 - 10:26 am

  I only want to comment about negatives aspects of the car because there are too many positives. First, Nissan needs to fix the dull looking fuel guage. Also, the guages are very hard to see in the sun light. Second, and PLEASE NISSAN, LISTEN TO ME ON THIS! PLEASE have an option to display the SPEEDOMETER DIGITALLY. I cant tell you how much easier it is to have a digital display. If not replace the traditonal needle with the digital display, at least give us an option to show it with a multifunction display inside the speedometer, like Honda and Mercedes-Benz has done! Fix some blind spots and the rear visibility, but I guess that might take away from the exterior beauty of the car.

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  Good, not great - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Good Car - June 15 - 10:13 pm

  Put 33k on my 2006 Maxima in 14 months and it is a decent car. Good performance, nice to look at, good highway mileage, stereo and bluetooth are excellent, and its a big car. However, Ive had the brakes done twice (11k and 26k), The lumbar in the seat broke, 2nd gear a little notchy when cold, and AC stopped blowing real cold air and dealership says its fine. Couple of annoying rattles in dash. My biggest complaint is seat comfort. No lumbar or upper back support compared to other "Sport" sedans. I drive 30k miles per year at least and my back is broke after a 300 mile drive. Back was never sore in my 2004 acura TL. So... going back to Acura or step-up to lexus/infiniti.

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  Low Gas Mileage - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By DD - June 15 - 12:23 pm

  I have owned this SL AWD Murano for 3 months, and have generally been pleased. The best gas mileage I have achieved is 16 MPG which I think is really bad. This vs my previous RX 300 @ 19.8 MPG. I will let the dealer check it out. Also the steering wheel requires two hands to turn in parking lot situations.

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  Built to Run and Run - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Fred - June 12 - 6:30 am

  I owned the vehicle for about 60K miles, not particularly fond of the comfort, and dont hit ice at 60 MPH in RWD only. Sold it at 140K, still going strong. The exhaust would rust out every two years, but thats all that I can complain about. Handled 6 inches of unplowed snow beautifully. If you prefer reliability over creature comforts, great vehicle, my third Nissan, would certainly buy another.

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  Boy This Thing Is FASTTT - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By ThisThingIsFAAST - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This car is so fast its almost scary to drive. THIS model is definately worthy of the title of "4-door sports car"

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  What to expect - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Carolina - June 11 - 8:46 pm

  I am surprisingly disappointed with my choice. Special Edition, sounded great, looked good, systems is nice, but have been experiencing too many issues after the 16k mile. Its been dealer maintained only, and I drive less than the average doe. Windows not working, car not starting, had to take it 4 times for the same issue and finally, they got it right, issues with cheap belts breaking, serpentine and Alt Belt. Time consuming, very stressful to be broken down on the side of the road when you have a "NISSAN" under 20k miles. Unheard of before, and I owned several makes and models including Nissan in the early 90s, when their quality was much better, So I would think twice next time.

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  All is Great But the MPG - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By David - June 11 - 11:56 am

  I only get 15 to 15.5 mpg. The Rockford Fosgate package is a let down. Only the amp is RF, Stereo is Panasonic, speakers are clarion. But it still sounds good.