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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  Love my Maxima - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Chris - December 9 - 12:43 am

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  No More Nissans - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By steanboat1 - December 7 - 6:53 am

  Purchased 2001 SE brand new for my wife and absolutely love the car at first - power, comfortable, ample interior space and did I mention Power. For the previous 15 years, weve owned Hondas and Toyotas and guess we were spoiled with their reliabilityr records of these. Starting at 30k we started having problems with the Maxima (O2 sensor, transmission, and Catalytic Converter). These are not your regular $200-$300 problems but more like $900- 1,300 a pop and you would expect these problems at 200+k versus 30-100k. I love the power and styling of Nissans, but I must say Im going back to the ole faithful Honda or Toyota for reliability and $$ saves in maintenance.

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  2003 Sentra GXE - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By steve01 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Great little starter car. I purchased it with the synergy package that included power options (windows, steering, etc) along with fog lights and a rear spoiler. One annoying thing concerns the gas cap. If it is not put on tight, the "service engine soon" light comes on and takes days to reset unless you take it in to get evaluated and reset at the dealer. Air conditioner is a bit on the weak side also. Overall, I have been very pleased with the car!

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  SE Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Sigeliot23 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Ok, I bought a 2003 Nissan Murano at the beginning of last summer. 12000 miles later I still love my car. I am a bit rough on it and drive it like a sports car. This car really can move, you can take turns up to 40mph without your wheels skidding out, but watch out, the oil pan is a little weak as I broke it. Also, beware of gas mileage I only get 15.5 mpg. Granted that number is low because of my driving habits, but even when I drive nicely I can only get 16.5-17 in the city.

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  Best Performing Hybrid Sedan - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By SonicAgamemnon - December 4 - 3:53 am

  Test drove the Fusion, Camry and Prius hybrids and concluded the Altima was the best overall performing hybrid in the group, with the best balance between fuel economy, driving performance and comfort. Although the Prius stands above the group in fuel economy, it fell quickly behind in other areas during my test drive. The Altima has the best merge/pass performance, lowest cabin noise, and the best cornering and general handling in the group. Fully dressed, all of these vehicles are priced about the same, with similar rebates and financing, and the same warranty coverages. Its nice to simply test drive them all on the same day and decide based mostly on that alone.

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  Shari is a treasure. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Sandra Carlson - December 2 - 11:08 am

  Treat her right.

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  About what I wanted - 2017 Nissan Sentra
  By M S - December 1 - 5:38 pm

  Tiny gas tank (13 gal?) and tires. Stodgy but has tight handling, you feel the road (which I like). Also like eco setting, interior, trunk space, good visibility. Little info given on how to use infotainment system. Navigation not as good as WAZE but oK. Screen good but cant use usb port for phone without losing sound??

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  surprisingly good - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By frankevich - November 30 - 7:56 pm

  We say "surprisingly good" because if one read all the negative reviews...well you get the idea. Notes MPG, with usually two aboard, and under all conditions including steep hills and a couple of mountains, is astonishing at 40+ mpg average. Car is noticeably quiet and has a nice ride on most road surfaces. CVT takes some getting used to but we favor it over regular automatics. Car really rolls (due in part to its low drag figure.) We found the strength of the car is on the open road--this is no "grocery getter" only, as described by one dopey reviewer. So, car looks good, is well built, great mpgs, is quiet and rides well. What more could one want?

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  Solid Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By DRARLT - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Overall the Titan is a solid truck. We have the Big Tow and average about 13.5 with the first 2 tanks. Interior plastic is cheap feeling. Seats and comfort is excellent. CC is very roomy. Exterior is excellent, the truck is a looker. I have yet to tow anything heavy. With the power underhood, heavy loads should not be much of a problem!

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  Not Sure what to think anymore - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Hextreme2000 - November 30 - 2:50 am

  Well at only 61K barely out of powertrain warranty my engine needed to be replaced. First was the catalytic converter. Replaced under warranty, got the truck back and started burning oil, NIssan 23 in NJ where I bought it, worst customer service and would never buy or service any car there, they said I needed new engine $7k repair. Called Nissan corporate and they have been helpful and covered the repair at another dealer since I have been a loyal customer for years. No complains about Nissan corporate and their service but still I dont feel confident that I wont have more problems with my Pathy. I love Nissans and I def love my Pathfinder but have not had good luck with its reliability