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:

• 

  I Love This Van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Rick - August 18 - 11:16 am

  I remember first seeing this van at the Cleveland Auto Show as a concept vehicle. My wife and I loved its looks and could not wait for it to come out. In the summer of 2003 when my previous Quest lease was up, I shopped around and bought this van. OK, to be honest, being a first year model, there were some quirky recalls and as well as some rattles. We had to go back to the dealer several times to get things fixed, but because of all the trouble, Nissan extended the warranty to a full 5 years. How many companies would do that! Anyway, I love the power, the comfort, the size, the ride and I do love the pod and the location of the instrument panel. This has been a great van!

• 

  Great SUV For The Money - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By Rob - August 18 - 7:30 am

  Overall Im very pleased with my Xterra SE. Something I havent seen mentioned here is a recent recall I was told about through a Nissan mailing. The mailing states that there "could be" a bad weld on the torsion bar and to schedule an appointment with the dealership and theyd diagnose and repair at no cost if necessary. The dealer informed me that they needed a special welder to do the repair and they didnt have one there. They are supposed to locate a business nearby that can handle the job and contact me. They also said that Corporate Nissan informed them that this recall is for ALL Xterras- not some of them. I felt a bit deceived by the mailing at that point. Otherwise, Im very happy.

• 

  I LOVE MY MURANO - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By R D Lanzador - August 18 - 4:53 am

  The Murano had 46 odometer miles when purchased. After driving the Murano for approximately 700 miles, here are my list of likes and dislikes. The steering wheel vibrated when braking at 30-40 miles per hour. The dealer had to resurface the rotor to correct the problem. The service dept said this can happen if the vehicle has been sitting for a while. No problem after repair. I love the Bose 6-disc sound system with subwoofer, its handling, braking system, interior/exterior design, etc. Dislikes - inaccurate computerized MPG - dealer said to re- evaluate after 1000 miles. Determining the length/width of the Murano when parking is tricky.

• 

  A pocket rocket with practicality too. - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By mackattack - August 18 - 4:50 am

  If you only care about getting from point A to B, get a Cavalier. If you enjoy the drive, get a Spec V. Precise steering & great seats let you carve corners w/ confidence. Power is always available. The Jetta 1.8T has a nice interior & great engine, but had a lot of body roll. The Impreza 2.5RS has good handling, but the engine didnt impress, even w/ similar HP. While nice, they dont to have the Spec Vs combination of sportiness & refinement (& cost a few $K+).

• 

  Great little truck in general - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By beast10r - August 18 - 1:11 am

  When I was looking for a truck I needed something that I could get into relatively cheap that I could haul my motorcycle around with, and last a long time. After doing lots of research I decided on the Frontier. I bought the truck with 75k on it 2 years ago, and it currently has just under 100k. The previous owner took good care of it and gave me a bunch of maintenance receipts and so far its been trouble free except for a bad knock sensor, but that doesnt really effect anything. That said, its not very powerful and it drinks gas like a V8. It should have had a 6 speed but with this truck you trade power and efficiency for reliability. If your Ok with that, then its great.

• 

  A great truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By forresth - August 17 - 11:23 pm

  After only a week with the truck, I cant offer any long term evaluations, but I can say without reservation that it is easily the finest truck Ive ever driven. I love this truck. Its the perfect size, the V-6 engine has all the power I could ever want, and its a sweet looking ride. The seats are comfortable, the ride gentle, but firm. Its as quiet as most sedans and well manored. The price is reasonable too. The fully loaded Frontier has everything I would ever want in a car or truck.

• 

  Love my Pathfinder - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By AMC - August 17 - 3:10 pm

  Handles well on-road and off. Wide profile not the best in snow, but decent with good tires. Very comfortable, and most importantly, eminently reliable in over 85,000 miles. Of course, gas mileage is pretty poor, but I think I will keep it as a second car for camping, trips, etc., even when I look into a more economical daily driver.

• 

  Sick to my stomach over this purchase! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jenleo0080 - August 17 - 7:49 am

  Ive had the car for 3 months now & it has been in the service dept 4 times. The washer fluid wasnt coming out, they had to fix the hose. The passenger door makes a horrible noise when opening & closing, like a 1980s oldsmobile, the metal is rubbing together, thought they fixed it but NOT! When listening to music on a certian volume something in the car is rattling & it drives my crazy! They tried fixing it by putting more foam in the headliner, didnt work. So now I get to yet again take it back to the dealer & try to have it fixed. Also, the back up camera sucks! Can hardly seen anything at night. Radio was better in my 2008! Rear vents dont work well either.

• 

  Titan beats the big three - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By King Titan - August 17 - 6:06 am

  Great truck! Just purchased it, I looked at and test drove Chevy Ford and Dodge but The Titan rides and handles better. The interior is excellent, I choose the popular bench seat for the room and comfort. Lots of storage for sunglasses and CDs or anything else.

• 

  Not so hot - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Ralph Cole - August 17 - 6:00 am

  This was my 3rd Max and by far the worst. We have had the car in for replacement of the factory installed sky view (service recall issued), the rear window replaced (rattle), dash panel glass (keeps fogging),and resewed the leather seat to name a few problems. The 265 horses are hard to handle because the car is front wheel drive. Hey other than that, the car is great! HA HA