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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  Thank You Lexus! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Yazoo - November 16 - 10:00 am

  If it were not for the Lexus GS series cars, this new Maxima design would not have happened. Its about time Nissan got rid of that solid rear axle... what a waste it was, this new car has a great new rear ind. suspension. My wife wanted the car... Nissan needs to try to apply what VW uses to ELIMINATE the torque steer! Wow... way too much for me... plus the NEW grill with that buck-tooth center is very ugly... reminds me of the 70s Oldsmobiles... The fake suede is getting dirty already... and the plastic interior door handles are already taking a beating from the kids.. hope they last beyond 2 years! Love the Nav... LOVE the engine...

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  my Maxima ownership experience - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By John Rawlings - November 14 - 1:20 pm

  This is a stylish, comfortable car with lots of interior and trunk space. It accommodates the roomy interior needs for a family better than any modern mid-to-full sized sedan in this price range. The maxima successfully combines comfort,sportiness(fun&fast) and luxury. The car corners good & shifts seamlessly on acceleration. EPA estimates (22/28)I have found to be unattainable under normal driving conditions. Reality:20-21 city or hwy. The turn radius makes this car tough to park in congested places. It tends to be very hard on bumps and noisy. I have owned my Maxima 2.5 years and notice the shiny trim around the windshield fading bad (the car is garaged at night).

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  Not a bad car but glad its a lease - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Allyson - November 14 - 10:10 am

  Overall, this is a decent car. Gas mileage good, decent highway and uphill acceleration. Very nice-looking car. But after driving it for 3 years I am so glad my lease is up. The 2 major drawbacks of this car is 1) horrible in the snow, especially if there is any type of uphill slope-2) terrible brake design. I could never make it up any type of hill in the snow with this car. Never felt safe driving this in the snow. Paid extra to have very good snow tires put on last winter and performance in snow still crappy! And now at 29K miles the rear brakes (pads and rotors) are completely shot! And Nissan wont do a thing about it even though they know its a problem. Front brakes are fine- go figure!

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  142000 miles what to look for - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By wfcoalrun - November 12 - 7:23 am

  I bought this truck new. No problems until about 130000 mi. Tachometer works when it wants now. Timing chain guides wore out @130K, bent all the intake valves, fixed myself. Still a daily driver to work, has 144K on it now. Cannot get it to quit coding P1706 (park nuetral position switch on 5-speed manual). Dealer says to replace wiring harness, might solve problem. Truck has been good, so I bought a 2007 and drive 98 to work daily.

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  Love Car - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Love Car - November 11 - 3:00 am

  We just bought this car a few days ago. We found out that we needed a new engine for something the previous owner hit. Nissan was so wonderful they gave us a brand new engine for free under factory warranty. Love Air Controls! Love amount of space, fold down second and third rows, and extremely comfortable!

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  98 frontier - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By AllenP - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Bought the truck new in 98, Nissan had some promotion going so I got it for 10,800. Great price considering the service Ive gotten. Had one major problem at about 80,000 miles, had a leak in the a/c system that cost about $600 to fix. Other than that only minor problems, head light and apparently a lot of people have the radio light go out like I did. Little sluggish on take off. All told, a great buy, my second Nissan and would not think twice before buying another one.

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  Fun in the Sun! - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Warren - November 10 - 8:50 am

  I picked up my silver beauty while looking for a commute vehicle a few years back. In the market for a Honda Accord, I noticed her on the used car lot and suddenly had a desire to experience a convertible for the first time in my life. Over the ensuing 3 years, Ive had many enjoyable experiences and a few bad ones. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. At 12 years old, she still looks fresh and sharp; especially with the top down. Performance is acceptable. The 3.5 liter V-6 is responsive and the power delivery is smooth and satisfying. The exhaust note is a "love it or hate it" affair for most folks and fortunately for me, I have no issues with how the Z sounds. Sure its sort of droney an does not sound like a V-8. But in reality, its not supposed to sound like a Mustang and thank God it does not sound like a modified Civic. I drive 27 miles one way to work and I was slightly disappointed that 23 MPG is the best I can achieve. Around town, Ill get 18-19 MPG which is marginal. That said, I did not buy the Z for fuel economy and its not a huge issue for me. I do find it odd that my 2015 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 V8 will actually knock down better highway mileage than the Z - but I guess thats the beauty of an 8-speed transmission. At 64", the interior is somewhat cramped - but I tend to prefer smaller vehicles - so its not a problem for me. Just by looking at the car, its obvious its not going to be as roomy as a Honda Accord. The way I view it, if i wanted a roomier interior, I wouldnt have purchased the Z. The trunk is practically useless but the interior does offer several cubbies; some of which require seat manipulation to access. During my three years of ownership, Ive had a few minor and one major issue. The drivers side door would not latch and required a new mechanism - which ended up being a lot more expensive than I anticipated. The remote fuel filler door actuator stopped working which required replacement. The drivers side power window broke which required replacement. And finally, the transmission needed to be rebuilt at 130,000 miles. Ive had a few annoying minor issues which I have not yet addressed such as the storage compartment on the dash (I do not have navigation) is broken and will not open and the weather stripping on the outside of driver side window is loose. All in all, I expected some minor issues with a 100,000+ vehicle. The transmission issue was expensive but again, not unexpected for a high mileage vehicle. The engine still runs flawlessly and per my mechanic, seems to be in excellent shape. Compared to my 94 Mustang Cobra, the Z is rock-solid with no body roll and precise steering. I rarely push it to the limit, but the handling seems to be very adequate. I have had a few occasions where I lost control of the back end in wet conditions under fairly unremarkable conditions. In other words, I did not feel the loss of control was warranted based on the driving input. Ever since Ive had those "scares" - I tend to pay very close attention in the rain. There are a few days per year when, despite the lack of convenience, poor fuel economy and added weight - owning a convertible is a magical experience. When the weather is perfect and the sun is shining brightly... Its for those type of days that make inconveniences of owning a convertible totally worth it. My Z is a daily-driver and Ill likely replace her next year - but shell remain in my garage as a weekend car. To say that Ive been completely satisfied with my purchase would be an understatement. There are faster, better handling, more modern choices out there - but there is just something special about the Z that make me smile each time I take the wheel.

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  Nissan Quest - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Greg - November 10 - 3:40 am

  My wife has had the vehicle for about a couple of weeks and I must admit that it is pretty decent for a minivan. The interior design takes about a week to get used to, but its not bad at all. If you have kids (which you should if you get a minivan) then definitely look at getting the DVD system. Its a definite sanity-saver. Build quality has been great - with no obvious defects. Its only been 2 weeks, but everything as is promised. If youre looking for a minivan that wont plummet in value like the domestics do, the Nissan Quest is a good option. It holds its value almost as well as the Toyota or Honda, but it cost less with the same features.

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  03 Spec V - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By JJF - November 9 - 5:23 pm

  I have had my Spec V for a few months now and I would say that it is an excellent vehicle. Handling is great the accl. is very aggressive and fun (for anything, especially a 4 cyl.) and the vehicle seems to be put together very well. You can even feel it when you open and close the doors. Limited slip is a great feature that is tough to find in vehicles within this price range. When the secondaries open up at 5000 rpm, you can really hear it, very nice sound. I really do like this car, and I have had several different sports cars and this one is the most well rounded vehicle that I have owned. This car is so fun to drive, you will love it go ahead, buy one!!!!!!!!

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  could be better - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Dirt E - November 9 - 3:40 pm

  I expected this car to be reliable but i have had to change a lot with the coils and the sensors. It does have impressive performance and from just a visual perspective it is a beauty, but it shouldnt have that many problems.