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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  Best Car on the Road for under 30K - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By tommasten - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Love this car, it handles better than any other car in its class, looks ten times better than anything in its class and has much more room than anything in its class, Camry and Accord are no match to this car, the North American Car of the Year for 2002, I rest my case!

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  beast 4x4 - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By jag - January 18 - 6:06 am

  I did my home work compare and test drive a jeep, fj and blazer and i decided to get a xterra. drove it in ohio winter storm with 24 inches of snow off road no problem still lots of power its a beast for a 4x4. i love it hope they have a bigger tires and higher ground clearance.:)

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  2007 Nissan Altima SE - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Jeff Green - January 18 - 5:00 am

  I have owned this car for 9 years. I bought it new and kept it garaged in the winter. The only troubles I have had with this car are: Hood liner crumbled, Bose stereo acts up on occasion. This car has never failed to start or stop. Maintenance has been tires, oil and inspections. The car rides very comfortably. The interior is stylish with easliy reached controls. The seats are NOT comfortable on long road trips. The side bolsters dig into my thighs. It seats 5 people comfortably. It has a very spacious trunk with the seats folding down at 60/40. I have recommended this car model to others many times over the years.

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  Still the one - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By hmp49 - January 16 - 11:33 am

  Mileage, handling, braking, transmission, better than when it was new. Engine is smooth as silk. Changing oil every 3,000 miles, transmission every 30,000, serviced only at dealer. Using Michelin Mud and Snow tires with Nitrogen really brought up the MPG, get an honest 19 mph on the highway.

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  Fun to drive, great mileage - 2016 Nissan Versa Note
  By David Allin - January 15 - 1:36 pm

  First, the Versa Note is almost totally unrelated to the other Versa models. Its a different platform that is more solid and much better looking. When you close the doors, you hear a nice muffled thunk, not the tinny clank of most economy cars. The whole car feels very tight, and is extremely quiet inside, with no squeaks or rattles and little tire and wind noise. The interior is simple, but the materials all feel sturdy and look attractive, which is standard for Nissans. I traded in a 2005 Sentra with 108K miles, and the cloth interior of that car still looked just like new. The Notes interior is very spacious, especially for such a small car, with plenty of leg room in the back seats for two adults. The cargo area is adequate, with a floor that can be positioned at two heights, and the rear seatbacks fold down almost flat. Unlike most cars these days, the rear side windows roll all the way down and out of sight in the doors. The car handles extremely well, and stops on a dime. In order to make it good great mileage, however, Nissan put a very small engine in it, combined with a CVT transmission that is programmed to save gas. As a result the car is not a pocket rocket, although the acceleration is adequate. Going up Nine-Mile hill at 75mph with the AC on is a strain, but otherwise the car can keep up with traffic pretty well. Ive found that a gentle pressure on the gas pedal will actually result in better acceleration than pushing it to the floor. Still, we use our Murano for long trips, and the Note in town, where it scoots around happily. Theres an old sports car saying that its more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and it applies here. I bought the SL, with all the bells and whistles, and for the most part they are worth the extra cost. The satellite radio is great, and the cars sound system is better than the one in my Murano. One of the main features we were looking for was visibility, and in addition to the great arrangement of windows, the SL has the around-view monitor, with cameras on all sides that produce a picture on the center screen of a birds-eye view of the car when backing up. The cameras can also be turned on when pulling into a parking space. The navigation systems is okay, but not as good as my Garmin, and clearly has not been updated for at least four years. The Sirius Travel Link is a nice feature, giving you the prices of gas at nearby stations, movie listings in the area, stock prices, and weather info. It also provides you real-time traffic alerts. All of these can be accessed using voice commands that work fairly well. Instrumentation is limited to tach, speedo, and gas gauge; all other systems are just warning lights. The HVAC is the same one that was in my 2005 Sentra, but it works well. Judging by our experience with previous Nissans over the last 20 years, we expect this car to be trouble-free for as long as we own it. Yes, I wish it had a little more power, but we love the car anyway.

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  Very Satisfied - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By john2438 - January 15 - 1:17 pm

  After a few months of struggling I decided to buy this car. I confess the CVT transmission is different from anything you have felt before but quickly adjusted to it. The engine is small but peppy that is not designed to be driven hard, it is meant for economy so hard acceleration does produce some noise. None of these are intolerable given the great mileage I am getting. For a car that is not a hybrid, it really does get over 37 mpg with behaved driving. If you are looking for a midsize, well designed, comfortable economy car, this should be on your list to consider.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Hornfrog - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I find it difficult not to put the pedal to the floor. The acceleration is exhilirating. It draws a lot of attention. I am constantly getting positive comments on its appearance. Most people are shocked to see a Nissan this size.

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  Take it for a test drive. - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Sorshadeanin - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the Liberty, Escape, Sorento, and Rav4, and bought this truck. Thats what it is, a truck. Real 4wd, good power, great looking and a comfortable ride. Trust me, the ride is smooth, just testdrive it and see. And they were the first dealership that didnt just show me a vanity mirror. And for the price of those above, you get 5000 lbs towing capacity, and the room of a larger SUV.

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  What a beaut! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By sweet"un - January 15 - 10:00 am

  At 6000 miles I havent found a flaw yet. Ive gotten 28 mpg on hwy and 24 city with regular gas. Get raves from friends and strangers all the time. With the drivers preferred package I got all the bells and whistles I have always wanted. Glad I got the SL for a little more comfort.

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  Reliability - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By drew79 - January 15 - 4:29 am

  Got the car about midway through its life with 91K and it now has 117K. Has needed some work on brakes, rotors and exhaust in the few years Ive had it but the cars reliability and utility has more than made up for it. 4x4 is a blast in the snow or offroad, and when the seats fold down you can cram an immense amount of stuff inside it. The gas mileage is not great, but on the highway I can set the cruise for 65 or so at 2800 rpm and stretch it. Overall a great truck that will treat you well if youre well to it. Has never failed me once, even during blizzards in NJ.