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 Car - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By jhandu - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive. Good acceleration. Ordinary build qulity.

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  Lots of Warranty Work, but still fun - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By scottn - June 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had my truck in the shop several times since I bought it in October. Bad rotors, faulty computer, popping noise in front end, and this week - bad window motor. The good news - I dont have a single complaint for the service department. They are quick and friendly. Those are, for the most part, minor problems covered by warranty. I still love the truck and after 10,500 miles in 8 months, its still fun to drive.

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  How do I hate thee, let me count the ways. - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By 6twentysix - June 3 - 11:48 am

  I was super excited about this pre-owned car, I bought it around 50K and I bought the extended warranty. HOLY CRAP, Im glad I did. Here is a list of things that were fixed. Catastrophic Failures (covered by Warranty) Drive box - wouldnt go in reverse (Out 2 weeks) Transmission was rebuilt when the chain kept leaking which I guess is a common problem. (Out 1 week) Minor but extremely annoying: Door Actuator on the Drivers handle Windshield Wipers (twice fixed) CV Joint passenger side Struts after only 60K And a bunch of other crap I cant remember... Nissan fixed things, but as soon as the warranty ended, I sold this bad car. Now its another Nissan dealerships problem.

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  MY FIRST SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By ange - June 1 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS MY FIRST SUV, MY HUSBAND PURCHASED IT FOR MY BIRTHDAY. I HAVE ENJOYED DRIVING THE ARMADA. WE TOOK IT ON A ROAD TRIP WITH 6 ADULTS AND 1 CHILD ONLY AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. IT HANDLED WELL ON THE ROAD AND WE GOT 100 MILES TO A QUARTER TANK OF GAS. THIS IS A GREAT VEHICLE.

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  Noisy engine during acceleration. - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By confidential - May 31 - 6:46 am

  The day after I got my new Cube, I drove it and noticed the acceleration was not smooth and engine is loud. I got a bad feeling about this new car of mine. This engine is not consistent, it drives normal and sometimes loud engine with lesser power during acceleration as if engine is struggling. I brought it to the dealership but they said it is in normal condition, just try to observe it. Mileage now is only 1,450.

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  2003 SPEC V - The Best of the Pack - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By arainy - May 29 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2003 Spec V yesterday in Molten Silver (Base Package). So far, it has been absolutely top notch. The best improvement over the 2002 model is the seat covers. The "loud" lava color has been replaced by a classy silver/gray with a matching stitch on the steering wheel. It looks a whole lot better, especially with black or silver exterior.

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  Fun to drive and to own - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Miss D - May 29 - 10:00 am

  When I first saw the new Altima, I knew I had to have one. Its so stylish that I thought immediately that it was a Lexus. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that it wasnt, and that it was instead a car that I could actually afford to own. The performance is out of this world!

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  I wasnt planning on liking this car - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By paulncincy - May 29 - 9:36 am

  This car and I didnt start on good terms and that was my fault. I previously owned a 2009 Nissan Altima. That car was financed through Nissans financing arm. I didnt miss a payment on that car which is how I found myself owning my 2012 Nissan Sentra Special Edition. Nissan finance has a deal where they will guarantee you financing if you never missed a payment with them previously. I got a 6 year loan at 5.74% and my FICO score sucked. My Super Black Special Edition Sentra has been flawless and CHEAP to own so far. Ins./Gas/Payments are LOW. Special Edition pkg. is worth $. Im tall of torso and I can fit easily in this car. Engine is strong enough and smooth. Easy to get into.

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  Good at the price - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By bluevista - May 26 - 11:13 pm

  Just bought the truck for 3 weeks. Main reason is it is truck-based SUV. My family likes it. It is quit, strong, spacious first row and second row seats. And my daughter likes the DVD system. Currently got fuel efficiency at 17mpg (4 wd/mountain) and 18 mpg (2 wd/local+free way). The vibration (that occurs when the car is in gear but not moving) mentioned by Hman became very smaller after 2 weeks in my car. The car is good at its price.

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  Brakes issues, poor interior quality - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By MacG - May 26 - 3:40 pm

  My Q needed a new fuel pump early in its life, which was covered under warranty. Also, front brakes were troublesome, a lot of vibration, several repairs, none covered by Nissan dealer despite known brake issues. No other problems with it mechanically. I loved the center gauges, a lot of people didnt, so that was changed in later models. Drivers seat back fabric wore out just after the warranty on it was up, ended up with two holes! The drivers seat back also seemed to get a bit wobbly, or loose. 3rd row seat was not easy to retrieve from stowed position. I think that many women would not have the strength for it - as a big guy I had to fight it.