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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  Effortless Power - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Boscvaranus - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Moved up from a 1999 Nissan Sentra GXE. The V6 Altima has gobs of power. Passing on 2 lane roads is so easy. The only drawback is the considerable torque steer with full throttle acceleration. Braking is smooth and well controlled. The car is quiet at highway speeds with little wind noise, but there is considerable road/tire noise on rough pavements.

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  Held up on West and East - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Rhode I to Nevada - February 15 - 8:50 am

  Has been a reliable care up to 113K miles. First (recently), the computer chip that controls the shifting. Second, the struts are now history. However the brakes lasted for 100K miles. I bought this car new in CT and its not with me in NV. Sslvage life is coming due but I still got a good ROI considering what I paid for it new.

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  bad blindspot - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By dianimalxx - February 15 - 6:36 am

  Gotta love this car! Zs have been in my family since 1970. About this new model 350Z... only two things that i find a bit inconvenient.. It has a bad blindspot on the passenger side. No matter how i adjust the mirror, or twist and turn to see, even when the passenger seat is moved up, its impossible to see the rear panel. Scary at times when pulling out of parking spaces. Another thing is that there is no real glove compartment in the front of the car. Another twist and turn, and if youre driving, not safe! Its behind passenger seat so if you need maps, etc, they cant access it easily either. what i wouldnt do to get my 1986 300ZX back... ahhh the one that got away....

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  Cant get repair parts from Nissan - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Al D - February 14 - 11:46 pm

  I loved my Maxima until the air conditioner died while on vacation (38000 miles) and now a coolant part which failed will be on back order for a total of 5 weeks before it it ships. I cant drive the car which only has 57000 miles on it. The Nissan consumer department hasnt helped so beware of the support you get after the purchase.

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  Excellent SUV with a few wrinkles - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DocNY - February 14 - 12:23 am

  Having gone from a Ford Explorer LXT to a Mercedes ML280, ML350, and Land Rover LR3, I had my doubts about the Nissan. I can honestly say, the Nissan is built as well if not better than my German and English rides, and has held up admirably to a variety of highway, winter, dirt roads, and trails. Only trouble has been limited to dead battery when the headlight "auto-off" feature stopped on occasion leaving technicians scratching their heads, and a faulty doorlock on passenger door made it impossible to exit vehicle from the back seat. Mild valve noise has appeared at 36K miles but too early to tell if this is meaningful.

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  Happy so far - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Eric & Amanda - February 13 - 6:33 pm

  We bought our Pathfinder after researching numerous other SUVs when the transmission in our 02 Explorer went. I loved the appearance of the PF and after a couple test drives and reading a number of reviews here, felt it best fit our needs. I get about 17.5 MPG on a mix of road and highway and just took a 300 mile road trip to upstate Vermont on 3/4 of a tank using mid-grade. Lots of power and you definitely feel it when you hit the gas. My wife likes to drive it so much more than the Explorer and she says that she feels our 1 year old is that much safer in it. Third row seating is really tough to get in and out of, but we use it so rarely, its not an issue for us.

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  Nice to drive but MANY engine problems - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DaveT - February 13 - 2:30 pm

  I bought this after taking a small Toyota to more than 150K miles with no troubles. Like the size, power, interior features and just about everything about the car. But Ive had TERRIBLE engine troubles -- all relating to overheating. Ive had the radiator replace 3 times, valves, hoses, you name it replaced at multiple dealerships in multiple states (not fun when a car breaks down on a vacation) and no one can seem to fix the problem. As I type this, its in the shop for at least the 6th time for overheating. Rental car guy in the service area says he sees 01 Pathfinders come through ALL the time. Wish it had the reliability of my old Toyota.

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  Nissan Sentra 2.0S - 2011 Nissan Sentra
  By versa_2013 - February 12 - 10:31 pm

  Purchased a 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0S with only 1500 miles on it. In three weeks Im now at 2860 miles and have a good idea what to expect from this car. The ride is VERY smooth. The Sentras 2.0L engine/CVT combination delivers more than enough power for everyday driving. The cabin is spacious upfront but tight in the back, and well isolated from engine/road noise. Steering is on the stiff side at low speeds. Brake pedal is very responsive. Barely any body roll in any situation. The CVT is surprisingly responsive and smooth, but is very sensitive to throttle. Ive been averaging 32.5 mpg overall in Winter driving conditions (Northern Canada.)

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  Before you buy - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Before U Buy - February 11 - 5:36 pm

  Traded in my F150 for this car when gas went up to 3 bucks a gallon the first time, I drive 90 miles a day to work, minimum. I dont recommend this car as the head gasket went out at 42,000. The engine was missing, sparkplug #2 did smell like antifreeze, check engine like came on. I changed it myself. 80 bucks for the head gasket. I will say the engine is VERY easy to work on compared to most if youre mechanically inclined. CD player died, now using a MP3 player through aux port. Engine is well designed except the head gasket, lots of people have the same issue I see. Other gaskets are awesome, no sealant needed. If you buy this car, be prepared to fix the head gasket.

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  Great car! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By SHAWN B - February 11 - 4:30 am

  This car a really been a great buy. We avg (city/hwy) about 25 mpg. The motor is solid. Seats feel great. lots of power. I couldnt ask for more except the turning is absolutely ridiculous. Not sure who dropped the engineering ball on that one, but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives!!