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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  1995 Nissan Pathfinder XE 4WD - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By cwade - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased my 95 pathy a few months ago. Since then, Ive replaced all plugs and plug cables, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, engine wiring harness (frayed wires to injectors), thermostat, a tension rod (front left broke from rust), O2 sensor, and now just found that the front right CV boot is cracked and the other is on the way. Ive been turning a blind eye to the major rust on the frame. The list will never end with this truck (yours may be better). If you live in a 4 seasons kind of area (Im in MN), Id look for a newer model. If it werent for the fact that I have to drive this, Id take it back. Surprisingly, the interior is great- all the lights work, windows, etc.

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  5 Year Review - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Solid Vehicle - August 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine brand new in 2005. I now have 116,000 miles on the vehicle. I do a lot of driving. This is a fun car to drive on road and off road. I have taken it on many off road trails and it handles very well off road and will climb steep hills, drive through muddy roads, deep snow. Quality wise its a good vehicle, Ive had problems with the CD player, Im on my 3rd one right now. Ive had some squeaky belts replaced a few, this can be annoying with the car squeaking. The most expensive repair Ive had is when the computer went out on the car and the car was out of warranty.

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  Dont buy any Maxima between 04-06. - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By VKMaxima - August 19 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our car in Nov.of 2008. The car ran beautifully for about a year. Then around mid 2009 the car began jerking. The jerks became more and more violent as time progressed. We then had it checked by Nissan, but it was too late for the power-train warranty. Thankfully we purchased the CarMax Extd. warranty. Had the job done by AAMCO,and about two months later the problem arose again. They then replaced the valve-body,and its now running "better", but not like before. I truly love my Maxima,but I feel Nissan has neglected many of their customers. I just wished that Nissan took some responsibility for their actions. Overall it is a GREAT car. The 07-08 is a much better choice.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Truck Dude - August 19 - 10:00 am

  The 5.6 puts you a quick stomp away from instant gratification. A good mash when you are not loaded will put you in the back seat. The throaty exhaust note is hard to beat. 390 lbs of torque makes the Titan the best tow rig I have ever driven. The suspension is spot-on. The interior is quiet and the seats are awesome. However, the truck has its down side. The sloping front end and flared rear fenders make judging distance in a parking lot quite difficult- rear blind spots swallow a Caddy with 10ft to spare. The turning radius isnt exactly competitive. Fuel economy is worst in class- mostly highway, I avgd 14. I got 17 mpg hwy with a tonneau cover and 10 mpg with an enclosed trailer.

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  great car - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By ahr2 - August 19 - 10:00 am

  This is my second max I still own my 1995.This 2010 is the feel of a sports car with a little more room. The features on this model are great. The heated seats and steering wheel are my favorite.

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  Fun Car - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By Foley - August 19 - 10:00 am

  I have only had my car for one day but already a few things I like/dislike. I really love the comfort and power of the car. I have the Prem Package w/ Prem Tech package. The nav is good, not great. Thus far the most disappointing thing is the Voice Activation System. It takes too long to do anything with it. Like, when you press the button, it ask questions and you have to wait until the thing is done talking before you can talk. Then you move to the next level and it ask another series of questions that you have to wait through. Then finally you get to do what you want. They need to add short cuts. I might not be doing it right though. I cant complain though, great car.

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  My second Maxima - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By MaxUp - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Compared to my 2000 Maxima, they fixed the turning radius. The view over the hood is spectacular and the side mirror view is sweet. The acceleration with the CVT is awesome. The transmission is always running in the sweet spot. No engine torque in the steering wheel. The seats fit my 6 foot 3 inch frame and theyre heated/cooled for the driver. The iPod interface is perfect, streaming audio or plug into USB to view my music on the NAV display, which also plays DVDs in park mode. On hilly roads, the paddle shifters come in handy for engine braking. I have the Premium addition which is a good balance of sporty feel with comfort every day driving. Nissan hit a home run with this model.

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  I think I got a bad one - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By randis623 - August 19 - 3:33 am

  I loved the car when I first got it on 1/31/2012. It did perfect at first, did the "clunk" at 25 - 30 mph and was told it was normal for the car. But it wasnt long before I started to notice little things and some big that were going wrong and I babied this car. About 5 months into ownership the window regulator failed and had to be replaced. A month or so later I started to notice a lot of clunking when I would back up, not cv joint type noise, but more like a series of little clunks. The driver side door and hood seemed to be poorly aligned as the door scraped the paint off the running board and the hood had a major gap on one side. The last straw was the failure of the A/C. I traded it.

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  2010 nissan pathfinder - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Hockeymom - August 19 - 12:20 am

  Love the pathfinder. Have had it for 7 months. We traded in a toyota sienna, when looking for a new car, realized that we still needed the third row on occasion. I was surprised at how smooth the ride is. Not at all what I had expected. The only downsize is gas mileage. Around town get only 16 - 17 miles per gallon. On the positive side, took it up skiing and managed to get 22-23 miles per gallon.

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  In the Wind - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By john haslett - August 18 - 6:26 pm

  This truck rides extremely well and very fast. Point A to Point B is no time at all even in long trips. The interior is comfortable once you adjust the seats properly. I havent used all the features. The truck is really worth the money. You are not going to get 30 miles a gallon out of a v8 truck.The gas prices just need to be lowered again. The truck roars with ambition for the open road. The gas pedal does not need to be pressed much for a response. It has a sports car heart with the utility of a truck. I get nice comments from everyone about my truck. The buying experience was very simple at the dealership. I look forward to nissans diesel trucks because of these Titans.