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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  My new Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Chuck A. - June 5 - 2:40 pm

  Ive had the car 3 days now, and am very impressed with it. The interior is way above what I thought would be available from a low cost Nissan (like my last car, a Sentra was). The ride is very smooth (consider Im comparing it to my Sentra SE), and the car seems tight and quiet. It seems very peppy, and the engine is totally silent at 70 mph (as is the interior, except for road noise). No wind noise. The fit and finish appears to be very well done, with no blemishes noticed thus far.

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  95 Max GLE - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By ger3sf - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car privately ($11.5K) in summer of 1999 with 57K miles, and now with 77K miles. Used as a second car when transporting 3-4 people, cargo, or whenever I dont want to drive my Z3 or Boxter. Always gets dealer servicing every 6 months, and insist on OEM replacements where possible. Had one breakdown in summer 2003 due to failed starter. Good quality, inexpensive hauler that allows me to have 2-seaters for daily driving.

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  Car and Drivers #1 - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Ray Harris - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Car and Drivers #1 choice over the F- 150. It out performs the Hemi in almost all categories. And it has the most interior room. Not to mention the fact that it is the most innovative of the big 5.

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  No Country Machine - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By SANSL - June 5 - 12:50 am

  The truck is quite good. Power is great and cab size. The Utilitrac bed system looks better on paper than in real life. Radio replaced due to poor reception. Lots of rattles but dealer has taken care of them. Major problem is with tires. Goodyear Wrangler SR-A 265-70/R18 ar passenger rated and no- one elses makes them. Have had 4 flats in last year due to gravel road hazards. No one makes a light truck tire for this yet. Two tires ruined. Two weeks to order replacements and they had same problem. I dont travel cross csoutry without a 6th tire with me.

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  Dont Do It - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Justin - June 4 - 10:00 pm

  Purchased my Maxima with 33k miles in 2004. Ran great and very reliable until around 2008. The maxima began to barrage me with check engine lights, needed an 02 sensor, brakes, MAF problems, muffler holes, and the list goes on. The car now has 124k miles and it is time to move on. As soon as I get one thing fixed, another thing goes down and I cant keep up with it. The car is very fun to own and I love the look and power of it but I cant keep up with the maintenance. According to the internet, 2001 Maximas are prone to every problem you can think of! Dont buy one!

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  Good, but needs a tighter turning radius - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By Max - June 4 - 8:13 pm

  This model is a good size for what I need. My 2 sons have plenty of room in the rear.

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  My SE-R - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Michael C - June 4 - 10:00 am

  I have only had this car for a few months and it had it faults a first but that was due to the privious owner, who did not replace the distributor with a Nissan one. This caused some electrical problems that left me stranded but that is fixed now, I hope. I always liked these cars and when I found this one for $2900.00 I bought it. It reminds me of an RX-3 I had but better equipted. It is a ball to drive in town and on the road and gets good gas mileage.

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  2000 Maxima GXE (5 speed) - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Mykal - June 4 - 10:00 am

  We love this car and see ourselves in a few years going to a Nissan dealer and saying, "We want the same thing, but newer!" Its that good. Powerful, fun, roomy, looks good. Maximas only keep getting more powerful (hard to imagine, but even more fun!). They need to work on the notchy manual transmission! Its the only real sore spot about this car.

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  NISSANS TOUGH TRUCK - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By HARDHEAD - June 4 - 10:00 am

  GREAT TRUCK FOR ALL KINDS OF USES!THIS TRUCK CAN HANDLE ANY KIND OF TRIP WITH MOUNTAINS OF FUN.

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  Pretty Good....I guess - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By #1 mom - June 4 - 10:00 am

  With only 30,000 miles on it, Ive had too many problems. One day all the electrical items went out. We couldnt roll up the windows, move the seats or do anything electrical. We could just drive the car. Fron driver wheel squeeks when we turn. On the positive side, its interior is the roomiest on the market. We looked at the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna and the Mazda van(Cant remember the name) and the Quest was much larger inside. Ive had no engine problems yet (knock on wood) and the abundance of extras is nice. Overall its a good product, I just think we got a lemon as far as the electrical is concerned.