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:

• 

  Nice car overall - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By VBM - January 26 - 4:30 am

  The car is reliable and fun to drive. The only problem in 4 years was right shock/strut - had to change. Fuel economy depends on style of driving and varied between 24.5 and 27 mpg for mixed cycle with less than 20% highway mileage. Steering is very responsive and accurate, acceleration is good, although not as fast as for 3.5L engine (give and take on fuel economy though). Overall experience was very good.

• 

  sweet - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By eric - January 26 - 3:06 am

  it tows my 30 foot toyhauler really good but it needs a lil more bottom end for climbing but overall it is a excellent truck

• 

  2011 brand new - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By sghill1 - January 26 - 2:56 am

  Purchased the car today (10-14-11) with 100 miles on it. Off the lot for 22,000. 3,000 less than Honda, Toyota and 5k less than Subaru. Pretty well equiped and gives a great ride. "Rubber band" transmission runs very well at 75 mph on the freeway.

• 

  Great SUV for the buck - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By New pathfinder owner - January 25 - 5:26 pm

  Just recently purchased a low mileage, used 2006 Pathfinder SE. Pretty base setup but has the sunroof and Bose Premium sound system in it. On the road it handles pretty well. V6 has a lot of punch to it and suspension makes the ride pretty smooth. Fuel economy is as expected in this SUV so no surprise there however, its not as bad as some other ones with V8s. Havent taken this off-road yet however I think it would perform pretty well regardless.

• 

  Disappointed with some things - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By masonlane - January 24 - 11:10 pm

  Weve had our Versa for almost 2 years. Within the first 8 months, we lost a hubcap. No biggie, we replaced it. Three weeks later we lost another one. Nissan said it wasnt covered under the warranty! Weve replaced a total of four BROKEN hubcaps (2 on the back passenger side fell off) and now a 5th one is ready to come off! The clips break & they dont go back on, except for the 2 that the center fell out and the ring stayed attached to the tire! Nissan says its not a design flaw! Whatever!!! Ive been driving for 20 years and prior to owning the Versa, I lost ONE hubcap after I had a tire changed & it wasnt put back on properly. But at least it didnt break, it went back on the car!

• 

  Many Nissans owned - 3 Quests - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By Nissan Guy - January 24 - 8:50 pm

  My wife and I have owned an Altima, Pathfinder, two Maximas, and three Quests, 2004, 2007, 2008, all SEs. Our first Quest was great mechanically except for the sliding door rattles that Nissan fixed the next year. We found the road noise to be quieter after replacing the Good Year tires with Bridgestone. 2007 had front end issues fixed under warranty, no door rattles, but we got hoodwinked by the Michelin PAX tires so we just traded for the 2008. I think it will be quieter again after removing the Good Year Eagle tires. I have had Eagles on other vehicles without the road noise but not the Quest. We have loved all of our Nissans. They have rarely if ever had to visit mechanics.

• 

  FYI - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By CtNissanBuyer - January 24 - 1:00 pm

  Drove the SE last after checking out the Trailblazer,Explorer and Grand Cherokee Laredo.If you are looking for the most car-like ride,which we were,then head straight for your nearest Nissan Dealer.We bought the vehicle right off the lot,SE popular pkg w/auto trans.,body side moulding and floormats for $200.00 over invoice.Take the rebate and 5.9% APR instead of no rebate and 3.9 APR,you will save about $8.00/mo for 48 months.Dealership was great...no hassles or aggrivation.

• 

  Great MPG, Quiet, Comfortable, Quality - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Kraken - January 23 - 8:10 pm

  Brand new 2009 Nissan Versa 1.6L / 5spd Sedan. Miles per gallons is underrated. With a combination of freeway and city street driving we are getting over 40 miles per gallon as an average. 400+miles with only 10 gallons of gas! So on the highway the mileage is probably well over 40mpg. This 1.6L sips gas even with the A/C on. Not only that but this 1.6L engine accelerates pretty well for its size. Is surprisingly roomy for its size as well. Fits 4 adults comfortably. Handles well, very much like a VW Golf or similar. Quiet engine and quiet ride.

• 

  pleased owner - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By 16 year nissan owner - January 22 - 10:50 am

  We have enjoyed the nissans we owned. I believe the quality is great, some of the design issues are lacking from year to year, but that is same with all auto makers. Nissan needs to keep features included in cars or as an option. We have had no issues with the car and if we did, it was under warranty. Rear senors are standard with Nissan, look at competitors, high end only. Want to buy or lease new but $ is not in budget $500 plus is for a sports car not a van.

• 

  Gets me and my stuff there - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By sivartk - January 21 - 9:13 pm

  I bought my truck new for about $13,000. The only "upgrade" that it has is the color keyed body moldings. Minor repair work has needed to be done before 18,000 miles....squeaking front bumper and already had to replace the 3 belts in this little 4-banger due to squeeking. Other than that it is rock solid. It takes a while to get used to the look of the "rubbermaid" front end, but a simple grill insert improved the looks and protected my radiator. Use it to commute to work (2.2 miles) and average 23MPG w/o the AC. On the highway I have got as high as 28MPG. Great fuel economy in town even compared to some mid-sized sedans, plus you cant haul a sheet of plywood in a sedan.