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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  Would you believe...? - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Agent 86 - July 8 - 1:40 pm

  This is an excellent upgrade from 98 4runner. I love the power and features. Fuel economy is about what youd expect from an SUV, and the safety features are good (side curtain airbags). I just wish the interior did not have so much plastic. I got the grey interior so I think the plastic is a little more obvious than the beige or brown shade. MY 4 runner has more leather on the inside, and so should this. One other little annoyance...there should be a mute button on the steering wheel. Does anyone know how the speed sensitive volume is suppose to work? the manual says very little about it so I am not sure if mine is not working or not.

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  Paint peeling - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By cue - July 8 - 10:00 am

  Upgraded to Nissan at the encouragement of my husband. Have owned since the end of December 2004. Great acceleration and performance. No longer have to stop several times during trips to stretch as the comfort level is very good. Downside is Contacted Nissan regarding Paint peeling but it is not considered under warranty.

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  OK for a town car, getting costly - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By OK town car - July 8 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car new and had the power windows go out while sitting in Yuma,AZ in 110 degree weather..after having the dealer replace two and a recall was issued and all were replaced by Nissan. We have 95,000 on it and have replaced the defective intake manifold gasket twice..replaced the radiator, cv boots and axles..and it eats brake shoes quite regularly. Just had the check engine soon..now the catalytic converter is shot, $700 or so. Noisy hubcaps are a tradition with this model.

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Mirna - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I owned a Nissan Quest 2004 3.5 SL that has 66,556 miles, I was very happy with this car until last September, when out of the blue my Nissan will brake down in the middle of the beltway or stall if I stopped at a red light or stop sign, the engine will die completely with no warning signs, I took this car to the dealer Passport Nissan of Alexandria VA for the 3rd time yesterday because my van keep stalling any time I drive under 5mph or brake to a stop. This after I was told for 2nd time that they fixed the problem in a message they left me saying “we were able to duplicate the problem and fixed, we had to re-program the engine idle, that is fixed we drove it many times today and definitely

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  Best car I ever owned - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Magida - July 8 - 10:00 am

  My son, who owned a GM car that always ends up in a garage, would always borrow my car when his is not available. He said my Versa drives like a go-cart! He said the comments a compliment--meaning the car handles the road very well, even when turning tight corners. I have to agree that this car handles the road well. Thats just one of the great things about this car. It also saves gas, comfortable and the visibility inside while driving is just so great! Ever since I got it, the only thing that has been change were filters and oil. Probably,I have to change brake pads according to the manual. Ill definitely going to buy another one when the time comes.

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  Tried the rest, driving the best - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By Randy - July 8 - 10:00 am

  After running through 10 trucks in the last eight years, I finally have one I enjoy owning. I enjoy it so much, I bought an Armada for my wife. This is a strong truck that is fun to drive. It easily seats 4 large adult comfortably. It is nimble and easy to park. Compared to the rest, more power and traction than the rest, ride comes in second to Dodge, and cabin space is near the top of the class.

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  Good on gas - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Dave - July 8 - 10:00 am

  Bought vehicle new based on price and estimated mileage. So far, has been extremely reliable, comfortable for a small car and actually somewhat fun to drive. For a small car, it actually is quite large and has an underpowered engine. But thats where the fun comes in. Keeping the engine in the optimum rpm range for performance and economy is a game I play. If you really know how to drive a manual its a kick. The biggest benefit of all is the gas mileage. Ive kept track since new and Im averaging over 35 mpg. Thats combined driving not highway. The only negative thing I have to say about this car is that the air conditioning is not cold enough for my liking.

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  Love My Juke - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By Don Bryan - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. I have a BMW Z4 that i am selling because the Juke is as much fun and has space for luggage to travel.

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  Fantastic car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By kchubs - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car a year and a half ago. It served me well. The only issue was that the clutch would drop a bit once and a while, but never hindered my driving. I added an iPod player to the bose sound system and it worked amazing, never heard anything that sounded so good. And this car loved to be driven hard. 0-100 km/h in just over 6 seconds, and everything was stock. Take turns hard and it would continue to grip. Suspension is harder than a normal 3.5, so ride was a bit rougher with semi-bald tires, but smooth with good tires. The car was also rolled into the ditch off the highway, side airbags went off, not front (which was good). My wife walked out of the car. This was a great car!

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  Love my Nissan - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Nissanmotorhead - July 8 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Altima. My first was a 2007 2.5S. I currently have a 2010 3.5SR. Love this car from to end to end. Great car for entry level performance combined with enough space for friends and family.