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:

• 

  Love it but hate the brakes! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By jmg0123 - January 5 - 1:10 am

  I love my Armada but I have to have my brakes and rotors replaced every 3000 miles. Im now waiting for yet another repair kit to come out. My dvd console broke off the ceiling and after 2 repairs to stop it from rattling, the rattle is worse!

• 

  Excellent ride. - 2014 Nissan Sentra
  By chuckv192 - January 4 - 1:51 am

  Okay. For all the people that complain about engine/transmission noise all the time I want to tell you that you are driving it wrong.If you floor the car of course its going to make noise. If you drive sensibly the car is extremely quiet and has an incredible ride. In terms of convenience hopping into this car and going from point A to point B is a delight. Getting in and out is effortless, there is ample headroom and the car is extremely spacious. I have not had any stuttering issues at 13,000 miles. The car hasnt had a single issue either. Fuel economy is great and the sport mode does make the car kind of fun. I never use Eco. I bought the car for 16,700 new.

• 

  Great Van for the dollar - 2000 Nissan Quest
  By Bob Zabinski - January 3 - 10:00 am

  My 2000 Quest is used for going to and from work, vacations and hauling musical equipment. This van has served me well with absolutely nothing breaking on the thing. It has never seen a repair shop and, after 52ooo miles, still runs great. There are no rattles, squeeks or wind noises. It has never been the most quiet vehicle Ive ever owned but since I am the primary driver, I dont really mind.

• 

  Bang for the Buck - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By 2000SR20 - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I have well over 75,000 miles on my SE and it continues to run like new. My car has all of the standard bolts ons (More than 25Hp more than stock) and is used as an autocross and track car often gaining better times than other cars twice as expensive. Even with the hard use, it just keeps on going without a problem yet. Great car for the money with a surprising amount of performance.

• 

  Buck Bangin Silver Bullet - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Spec Vicious - January 3 - 10:00 am

  ABS/Side Air Bags, Audio Fanatic, Sunroof packages. Im already surprised at neck snapping performance. I havent experienced the torque steer problems yet, but Im driving conservatively during break in. Stock Contis have me worried for wet weather, so Im already planning to replace them. Rockford Fosgate system sounds better than BOSE in Mercedes and Volvo for rock, jazz and classical. Shifter feels precise but clutch pedal travel is a little long. Brakes feel great and stop with authority. Instrument cover is cloudy with inside smudges. Ride is firm but not uncomfortable, a great compromise.

• 

  Spec V - it does a body good! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By donman - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I wanted to replace my 2001 Z24. This car was everything I wanted, plus I get a huge Nissan supplier discount (got it for just over $15k) so there was no competition in this class. Plenty of power, nice seats, GREAT suspension, yummy exhaust sound. The base stereo is adequate, but I wish they had one with the upgrade on the lot. The six-speed shifts nicely all the way up until you go for sixth gear. The limited-slip differential can catch you by surprise if you havent experienced one before.

• 

  myMaxima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By nada - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my Maxima. I use it as a commute car, and it is fun, fun, fun to drive. Main criteria were reliability and performance for a reasonable amount of money, and I got both with my 2000 Maxima. What I like the least about the car is the fuel economy, or the lack of - my driving style contributes to that :-) I highly recommand the car.

• 

  econmy car that doesnt act economy - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By actionjackson - January 3 - 2:00 am

  Bought the SE-R this weekend, fun car, excellent price at 15,700 with .9% apr

• 

  Good sporty car - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By mj - January 2 - 5:56 am

  I bought my maxima 3 years ago as used, 40 k miles on it. Now it has 100 k miles and it still drives like new. Bose system is awesome. Power is also great. sport suspension is a little stiff , but you get better handling with it. Since Ive owned it I changed tires, oil, battery and some exhaust pieces. Tires are expensive ($800 for the set), original tires worked for 50 k miles. Drivers seat leather has some cracks, I guess its normal for that mileage. If driving over 70 mph, there is some wind noise. Overall, a solid quality sedan.

• 

  Awesome - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jon - January 1 - 4:46 pm

  My dad bought his truck after his 2003 GMC Sierra had transmission problems for the life of the truck. I got to drive the Frontier around and wow, what a cool truck. Its very solid, and handles really well for a truck. The engine has a lot of power, but it doesnt pick up till after the revs get toward 3000 rpm. It has 2 glove compartments and storage between the seats, which is pretty nice too. Gas mileage isnt so great yet.