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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  Not made for cold weather states - 2014 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
  By met0430 - May 10 - 5:46 pm

  I live in Philadelphis PA and have issues with the windows not working properly in the colder weather. The windows freeze and do not drop when opening and closing the doors. Therefore I need to start my car for at least 20 minutes in order to close my doors correctly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and unfortunately I was told there was noting they could do. In conversation I had brought up an auto start, the associate agreed but the dealer does not install auto start and of course would be an expense I would be responsible for. So needless to say I am not happy with my purchase in regards to this issue.

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  Great car after a year of ownership - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Brian - May 9 - 5:20 am

  Ive had my Sentra SL for a year now, and it has been a great car. The SL is packed with features that can not be had in most any other entry level vehicle. (Ive never understood why most car designers believe small is always about being the cheapest option and not about preference for many car buyers.) Ive had no issues with the car to date other than something minor at the time of purchase. I was replacing a 2000 VW Jetta with the Sentra. I can say, the Sentra does not drive live a Jetta unfortunately, but once you get used it you settle in quickly. Fuel economy has been about 22-24 in city driving and 36-38 on highway over the year (w/o the air turned on).

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  overall a great value for a decent commuter car - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By onehappydogstl - May 8 - 12:26 pm

  My dealer sells both Honda and Nissan, so cross-shopping and test drives were easy to execute. I feel many professional car reviewers do not give this car the credit it deserves. Personally, the Civic ride is too firm, the roof line makes getting in and out without ducking impossible, and the engine and tranny are no quieter under throttle. I do agree the Sentra is not cutting edge in either interior or exterior design, but it is still attractive. I suspect younger people will only appreciate the SE-R versions.

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  Great Car, only minor issues so far - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Splat - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our car for over 3 years now, and really enjoy it. Very reliable, except for some annoying squeeks in various places in the cabin (front pillars, roof liner).

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  Nissan Dealers Will Not Service their own product - 2015 Nissan NV Cargo
  By Richard - May 1 - 2:06 am

  Before you buy a Nissan NV2500 be aware that there are only certain Nissan dealerships that are allowed to service the vans. I have been turned down at 2 local Nissan dealerships in Southern California for oil changes. If the Dealership is not a "Commercial Dealership" they cannot even change the oil. The ludicracy of this is that the Titan and the Van have the same drive train.

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  Serious safety issue still unresolved - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By hedgehog26 - April 30 - 4:48 am

  First let me say that the van, for the price that I paid for it, is hands down a much better buy than the Odyssey or the Sienna. The exterior styling is I admit a personal preference, but we like it. Interior is awesome! The SL I think is the best trim for the value. I wouldt pay more for some extra features for the LE (not for almost 10k more!). The only major flaw in this van, which Ithink everyone should be warned about before they buy it is the fuel tank problem. This is not the software problem addressed bybthe March 2012 recall. Nissan thought that will fix the problem but it didnt. That recall fix even negatively affected the gas mileage of the van.

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  2010 Altima 3.5SR - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Altima - April 29 - 7:30 am

  This is a decent car with a load of techno stuff. I bought mine fully loaded and love every bit of the techy stuff. However, this car will rattle like a can w/ rocks inside. Please beware!!!!! Other than that you will enjoy every bit of it. Its smooth (even with sport tuned suspension), fast, fairly quit and full of gadgets at a decent price. Since this is my 5th nissan I know that they could have done a better job with the cabin rattles. I would definitely buy another one in a sec. In comparison to my 2008 Maxima SL, this car is average. My Max was better quality, had only a few rattles at 25000 miles and faster w/ less horsepower.

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  Great car up until - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By ballbreaker910 - April 29 - 7:14 am

  I purchased my 99 Maxima in 2010 with 104000 Miles. I was sure this car would be reliable which it was up until I hit a severe bump in the Bronx, NY. The car was never the same since. The exhaust ended up falling off. I repaired that. The axel needed to be replaced. Done. The starter failed. Repaired that. Bushing, ball joints and breaks went. Repaired. Trunk wouldnÂ’t open. Solved that issue. So my mechanic really believed in this car. Then lastly I went out to start the car one day and the car began to sputter. Felt awful. Turned out to be the coil pack. For anyone who knows anything about coil packsÂ… When one failsÂ… The remaining coil packs may be soon to follow. So I spent the $275 to fix

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  follow-up on previous - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By douglas - April 28 - 10:03 pm

  This is a follow up on previous comments in dec2009. After dealer installed the latest things that nissan said would correct my electrical problems I took the car home with high expectations. Not so lucky; car worked for a couple of days then wife called from out of town with the red key warning light glowing in the dash as she hummed down the interstate praying the car would not stop and lock down on her as it has done in the past. called dealer and they had no idea.Took the car on 2,500 mile trip in dec. and many things happened.from not letting us in to not allowing the ignition switch to turn to unlocking itself while we were away from it. Called nissan and they are supposed to LOOK

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  Used to love Nissan, now Im not so sure - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By soulemanrx - April 28 - 1:15 pm

  Ive been a Nissan guy my whole life, have owned 4 of them. This 2013 2.5 SL Altima was great for about the first 1,000 miles. Since then the issues are starting to pile up and get on my nerves. No fixes, not even any acknowledgement from corporate. 1) CVT rattle between 1,500-1,700 rpm. Fixed with a new tensioner and belt. Went away for 500-700 miles and vibration came back. Gets worse with more mileage put on the vehicle. 2) Whistling from drivers side mirror. 3) E brake light comes randomnly. Dealer cant fix. 4) Heated seats dont really have a high and low. High heats the seat pan, low the seat back. They are both HOT!!!