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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  New transmission 800 miles - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By mhasabal - April 9 - 12:36 am

  Car is hesitating when pressing the gas. They assume its a transmission problem but I dont think they are sure. Imagine what would happen in one year or 2.

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  Fast and good looking but eats oil - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By lostinfresno - April 8 - 11:56 pm

  Bought my Maxima in 2011 with 106000 car runs great and fast when using premium fuel. Mine has needed strus since the day I bought it. I have put 27K on it and im putting KYB strus on. My mechanic said the monroe struts are too weak for a cra of this performance level. Hard to believe my car burns 2 qts every 1k miles. With that said this car runs strong will fry the tires in first and second gear. I have replaced the factory stereo (that was junk) The interior is roomy and trunk is cavernous. I love the Zeon headlights most cars from 2002 don not have these in this price range I have replaced the radiator because the plastic tank developed a pin hole Still have original clutch

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  Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By neel - April 8 - 3:13 pm

  Seats are uncomfortable, lots of road noise. great gas mileage, body style is great, trunk hinges are somewhat intrusive.

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  Good Buy - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By ficklest - April 7 - 4:50 am

  I purchased the Xterra because I wanted the, up-high road view, safety and comfort of an SUV, but didnt want to spend over $30K. Also, the style of the X has always turned my head; I got the gun metal gray - great looking vehicle. So, I got exactly what I wanted. Nothing fancy about the X, but I have what I need, but no toys. Toys are nice. I miss them, but dont need them. I commute 104 miles per day and find the X to be a comfortable ride - not rough as so many have said. Im getting 21 MPG on a stop-and-go highway ride - much better than I expected. With gas prices on the rise, I will most likely go back to a small, gas efficient vehicle next purchase, but I am enjoying the X.

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  Best of Full-Sized - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Na - April 6 - 10:56 pm

  Id like to begin by saying that I am in the process of trading my Armada in for another vehicle because all of the problems I am having. This might contradict my ratings, but thats because the issues I am having are all due to bad construction rather than bad design. The Armada beats every other SUV I test drove in every aspect save interior quality. Such cheap and soft plastic!! Terrible gas mileage, but to be expected from something that dynos at the rear wheels around 340HP. Nothing like darting past little sports cars around town in something 4x their size.

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  A Real SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Kipling - April 4 - 2:00 am

  I love my X-terra. They only flaws are rediculous gas milage (they let you know before you buy it) and some cheap interior items such as the head rests are coming undone after a year. It is built to drive off road and can handle anything i put it through. I missed my old puck-up truck but with my family I needed to have the back seat. I got the best of both worlds with this Truck.

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  First Nissan - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By kris1023 - April 1 - 3:56 am

  I LOVE this truck! I initially wanted this vehicle because of the aggressive styling, but ultimately bought it for the value and practicality. Even for a small V6, it can move if it needs to. I dont have the same mileage issue as most people (I get about 20 per gal) and I have a bit of a lead foot. No mechanical troubles, except that the check engine light went on when I put on a locking gas cap. With the birth of my second child, I found that the backseat cant handle an infant carseat without squishing the front passenger. Still I only paid $17,500 including the optional power and sport packages, so this is truly the best vehicle I have ever had for the money.

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  GT-R will GeTcha!! - 2009 Nissan GT-R
  By GlennO - April 1 - 1:36 am

  The earlier reviews cover most of the salient points, so I will comment, with a perspective as a mechanic and former SCCA racer, and to correct a couple of errors in the other reviews. First, not only is there an outside temperature gauge, but one can set an auto or manual temp at which the dash display will warn you of icy conditions. My main gripe is that doing ones own service is a challenge on this car. The underside makes it hard to get at the mechanicals, and the owners manual is useless for the DIYer - it reads like a BMW manual. Parts will be very expensive, as every fluid is "special" and costly. But the car gets better the more miles I put on it, and it IS a super car, for sure!

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  Love it - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Annie - April 1 - 1:26 am

  The first thing I did was replace the ugly grille! Now it looks perfect. Performance is exhilarating. Replaced OEM tires with upgrades and traction is much better. Bought a fully loaded one with heated SW, navigation, etc. and glad I did. Do 30 mpg on the highway, using regular on highway and 89 in town. Performs the same. Definitely one of the best cars Ive owned. Great value!

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  Wolf in sheeps clothing - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By happyspecvdriver - March 30 - 10:00 am

  After trying to find a used MaximaSE manual for a couple of months, I decided to go with the SpecV as my commuter car. It doesnt have as much power as my wifes Max SE, but it is very quick and gets on the freeway with ease. I have an 80 mile commute, the limit is 65, but traffic routinely moves at 70plus. Not a problem cruising at 75, revs at 2700 with plenty to spare. Techwise, its got a lot of perks, which all combine to make it an economy car with attitude. This isnt your grandpas Civic or Corolla. Ready to race out of the box, no after-market parts required. And at $16312 it was a great deal. Best thing is, Im not one of the Civic or Corolla or Jetta masses.