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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  Just a great car that keeps going - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By obx808 - March 1 - 3:20 pm

  Bought this car new in April 2000. Here I am 13 years & 190K miles later to tell all about it. Repairs have been few & far between. Lets see - 3 starters (weak spot on these cars), a MAF, a thermostat, a clutch (150K miles on original), both drive axles, an alternator and a water pump. Not bad considering the mileage. Engine still pulls strong and burns/leaks no oil. Manual trans shifts quietly & smoothly. All the power accessories (windows, locks, sunroof, etc.) still work - as does the AC. Overall, the car is aging quite nicely - I plan on keeping it for a few more years. Why replace something that works so well?

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  This car should be regulated by the FDA! - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By motownZ - March 1 - 10:00 am

  All I can say is "Wow!" I commute 35 miles each way every day in this car and it brings me to work with a smile on my face. Amazing performance wrapped in a runway-worthy styling package is a real winner in my book. Biggest downside is build quality. Tires, although sticky, wear VERY quickly. Factory alignment issues produced feathering of the tires and HORRIBLE road howl. Dealer will replace tires free of charge under warranty and re- align the car, but its a BIG headache. Other problem relates to a rattle-prone interior. Build quality is sub-par causing excessive rattles all over the place. Bottom line, if you can afford it, buy the G35. Better car.

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  You get what you pay for - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JM - February 27 - 3:40 am

  Purchased this 2005 LE in December 2004 and got a pretty fair deal as it was Dec 31st. I must say we use this vehicle a lot and its provided fair value. We still have original brakes and tires. We replaced the battery once and fuel sending unit 4 times. Nissan took care of the first 3 sending unit replacements under warranty and the covered half of the cost of the most recent one. Recently the air bag "dummy" light was flashing but I learned how to reset it on the web. Our Nissan dealer wanted $700 to replace the "airbag computer." The instrument panel of this vehicle is really starting to scare me as Im not sure what will fail next. Although I love my Infinitis, I wont buy Nissan

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  Good car - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By geogeo - February 26 - 8:50 am

  purchased used with 31k miles, as soon as I took it home, made noise from rear. Dealer says it needs a new rear differential. Covered under warranty, but my question is, why so soon? This is a major repair. Other than that vehicle is solid, the gas is not bad for a 2+ ton CUV and the cvt definitely takes away from the performance on this vehicle. Nissan service should be questioned, they told me the part would be in one day, now its delayed for at least 2 weeks. driving an 10 altima is fine, but i would like my murano back to keep driving it

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  2004 maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By james - February 25 - 5:33 am

  Responds exceptionally well. Accelerates immediately when the gas is pressed. However, the computer terminal is not entirely intuitive.

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  My second Nissan Quest - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By Kim - February 24 - 5:06 pm

  I have been satisfied, overall with my second Nissan Quest. I bought the fully loaded Quest. I enjoy the steering wheel controlled radio switch, the seat heaters, cruise control, rear mirror compass and the vcr. The car is quite reliable. The van usually gets 16 mpg. The only problems I have had with the van are the steering wheel radio control failed at about 20,000 miles, and was replaced. Now the same thing is failing again at 76,000 miles. Also at about 50,000 miles a control needed to be replaced that operated the power windows and compass (That was an expensive repair) Overall, I recommend the 2002 Nissan Quest.

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  Super Smooth Crossover - 2011 Nissan Murano
  By faztang1 - February 24 - 11:30 am

  Very happy with my decision to get the Murano. It came down to the Nissan or the Ford Edge. The Edge had a few more "gee whiz" features that were cool, but when it came to the most important thing, how does the car drive, the Murano won hands down. Super smooth transmission, plenty of power, and decent gas mileage for and SUV. TONS of leg room space for rear passengers. Gripes are few, rear visibility is a little difficult (the back up camera helps a lot). Im also not a huge fan of the radio controls but its not that big of a deal. If you are looking for an SUV in the 30-35K range make sure Murano is on your list!

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  I would love to love this truck... - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By desant89 - February 24 - 12:46 am

  I am stunned reading these reviews. I have had more small problems than ever. Windows rattle, sunroof rattles, cheap plastic interior creaks all of the time, ride is a little rough, poor fuel economy. I have been to the dealership as much as an employee. A friend has one, and notices the same annoyances. Funny, when I get in it, I still love to drive it! Trips to the dealer are killing me though. Too many annoyances for something in this price range. Nissan has to do better than the plastic interior in this vehicle. If noise does not bother you, this is an excellent vehicle. What is with the cable driven windows?

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  British Columbia Driving - 1999 Nissan Quest
  By prenp - February 22 - 1:20 am

  Overall nice vehicle to drive &own. town mileage kinda sucks w/ stop and go, highway mileage is good. I can get 900 kms on 1 tank ( filled to the brim!). Dont like the low! front air scoop for AC rad, it seems to collect road sand and gravel in the winter and thus subject to damage IE: bent colling fins. All styles should have a rear spoiler to mitigate the rear window vaccum debris and grime which sticks to it. I seem to lose the rear wiper frequently also, cant figure out the cause? Kids like it, gives lots of room inside.

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  Disappointed and Concerned/Buyer Beware - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By tsz628 - February 21 - 4:23 am

  I purchased my new 2013 Nissan Altima in January, 2013. I have had the vehicle now for nearly 2 months and 1300 miles. The performance of the vehicle thus far has been very disappointing. A very annoying vibration and lugging of the car upon acceleration at low rpms has been an issue. I just recently took a short trip using all interstates and felt a vibration and howling noise in the car the entire trip at speeds of 65-75mph. I have called the dealership and was told this was typical of a CVT Transmission. That statement is far from the truth. Nissan has a serious problem and needs to find a solution to correct this problem. Without these very annoying issues this can be a great car.