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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  My second review - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By TSTORY - October 21 - 5:36 pm

  See my post on 10/7/04 right after I bought the truck. Its now been two months and I still love the truck. Being a first year model I knew their would be some kinks along the way too. Ive had some minor brake problems. I say minor, but will know for sure tomorrow when it goes in to the dealer. Feels like the rotors have warped, after only 4000 miles. If they are warped, they will be replacing, not cutting them. If their cut, its that much sooner I have to replace them at my expense. Also, had a minor problem with the driver window not coming back up immediatley. It took about 5 tries to get it to come up. Think it was because I pushed against it a little as it was going down.

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  versa hatchback 1.8 manual - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By john - October 21 - 12:10 pm

  Have 4000 miles on barebones, manual locks, windows, 6 speed hatchback. AC is strong enough for Florida summer. Quick enough for highway merging. Comfortable seating, front and rear. Very good visibility, this and crash rating were seller for me. Paid 13500 out the door including tags and taxes . Also included dealer installed cruise control. Only negative is that 1st gear is sometimes hard to find.Have driven sticks for last 20+ years and have never had this problem before. Wife feels gearing is too short between gears as well. OVERALL happy with purchase but would have liked ABS. bundling would increase price by $2000.

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  A Car for the Adventurous Spirit - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By slymekween - October 21 - 10:00 am

  My Xterra is fun to drive around town, on the highway, and off the pavement. I never have to worry about taking it into poor conidtions. With 4WD and a high clearance, snow, mud, and dirt roads are not an obstacle. There is plenty of room inside for the dog, groceries, or backpacking gear. And if you run out of room inside, theres always the rack up top. The Xterra is designed for adventure down to the last detail. Do not expect luxury here, just functionality. Lots of functionality.

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  20 th Ann. Max! - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Cacace - October 21 - 10:00 am

  All Great and even after 3.5 years.

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  Camrys and Accords are for suckers. - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By thor444 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  It has a Six Speed Manual, 255 Horsepower Yiming Chain Driven motor, LSD front end, HID Lights and never needs anything. People who compare Camrys and Accords to this car are diluting themselves.

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  Love that new Nissan Quest04 - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By soules5 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  We really enjoy our new Nissan Quest

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  Loved it! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By ponce80 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  The unique exterior keeps geeting approving glances. Great handling, The DVD and navigation system are a blast. Had to have the navigation system, which was replaced within 2 days, great service

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  I love this car! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Alisa258 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Im a first time Nissan Altima owner. I love this car and am VERY happy with my purchase. The Altima is classy, comfortable and rides very smooth. I highly recommend the Altima!

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  Tough Canadian SUV - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Rob Dunne - October 20 - 11:33 pm

  With 191,000 km I have found my pathfinder to be one of the best used vehicles I have ever owned. I like everything about it except it could use more power. This was resolved in 2001. I love all the power options and the bose stereo is the bomb! I am getting my mechanic buddy to change the timing belt and all the fluids for longer life. I dont foresee any problems.

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  Great value, reliable, fun, and nice interior! - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By tagamasid1023 - October 20 - 11:44 am

  Glad that we chose the Rouge and didnt follow the stereotypical Toyota and Honda advice. Our Rouge is now a year and half old (9400 miles) and still very reliable. Fuel efficiency is amazing, but it greatly depends on ones driving style - learn to maximize the CVTs advantage and youll save a lot of fuel! The Rouge meets all our demands and needs. The cargo space is fine with us, since we dont load a lot of stuff. I noticed the engine "drone" happens when the engine is not sufficiently warmed up in the morning, especially during winter. Nevertheless, I wouldnt trade the Rouge for a CRV or RAV4.