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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  Beautiful car, fun to drive but noisy! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By maureen16 - June 27 - 2:59 am

  I replaced a worn out Ford Freestyle with this beautiful little Nissan Altima. I love everything about my car except for: the noise at low rpms. Honestly, I have never heard anything like the whistle that comes out of the engine during low acceleration. It is not my computerized variable speed transmission, rather the whistle I am hearing is credited to the new electronic style of power steering pump Nissan opted to put in these cars. And you know what I was told? Get used to it.

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  A little Disappointed - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By L Sowers - June 25 - 9:56 pm

  I have always been a big fan of a Nissan product. When the new body style of the Altima came out, I just had to have one! I find that my new 2004 Altima, has plenty of interior room, alot of get up and go and a great look...but it lacks on interior quality. Considering these are not cheaply priced cars, there is alot of room for improvement!

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  the Car - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By pitlatch - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Great performance. Stiff suspension. Made two trips from Colorado to Wash. St. in the car, its not the most comfortable to drive that far when youre over 40 but it was fast and cheap -- and fun. Get a radar detector.

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  So far - so good. - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By 2fastdre - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought a used 2001 Pathfinder SE 4WD 2 months ago with about 38,000 miles already on it. And I have to say that its been a pleasant experience so far over about 2,000 miles. No major problems or issues came up - although I have 2 minor worries that I will have looked at during next service. The sunroof shade rattles a bit when open, and the rear hatch lifting rods just started to skweak while opening or closing. Other than that I am happy with it and looking forward to doing some Colorado camping and towing a ski boat in the summer.

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  The Quest Continues - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By DREWSTER - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Weve had a quest for a month and a half with about 2,400 miles traveled. Im beginning to worry about the build quality. The two side doors are rattling and it refused to start during some cold weather (possibly frozen fuel).Two days after getting the van home we had a flat tire. The Goodyear service center told us the bead of the tire was seated properly. The Quest feels great on the highway and is comfortable to travel in.

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  almost perfect - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By pluckYew - June 23 - 2:00 am

  first of all: theres no rear axle electronic locking differential until April 2004. not even a limited slip differential. were getting 8 city/15 hwy mpg, first 500 miles with the off road and big tow packages (3.36 final drive) easy to get stuck on deep (1) snow, but then what 4x4x isnt, i guess. truck lock is always locked..annoying. ca not anser the Reliability question yet...

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  Very satisfied owner - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By John - June 23 - 12:30 am

  I am about to hit 100k miles today (XE V6, 4WD, Crew Cab, 5 speed). Havent had a problem yet and Ive worked it hard. There arent even any rattles in the interior. Itll tow an 18 boat, haul a yard of stone, plow snow, and commute to work. The ride, handling, and build quality are much better than my previous truck, a Toyota Tacoma. As far as mileage, I have seen 21mpg when driving with a light touch on the highway, but its mostly 18-20mpg. Its certaintly no worse than any other compact pickup on the market. I did install a Magnaflow exhaust and K&N filtercharger, which helped with throttle response. Overall, I couldnt really ask for more from a truck.

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  Good Car - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By my96altima - June 21 - 10:00 am

  Great car, very quiet, smooth, and pleasant on long or short trips. Handles normal driving well but feels weak when pushed to its limits.

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  NOT BAD. - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By PEDRO - June 19 - 3:46 pm

  I was going to buy a 4Runner Limited , but after driving it, we were unimpressed. So decided to give the Pathfinder a drive. What a difference. Much better ride, more comfortable inside and cheaper price. The fuel economy I get is about 17 city 20 hwy, and I have a heavy foot.

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  This car is fast! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Danny2002Alty - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for over two years now and no problems and I still love getting behind the wheel. Its just so much fun to drive. I find excuses to drive this car.