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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  So Far, So Good - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mcanny - May 20 - 5:03 pm

  Weve only had our Pathfinder a few weeks, but we like it. We did not experience the quality control problems you describe. It is a very comfortable highway vehicle, and actually gets close to its EPA figure of 23 mpg on the road. It also did well in a driving rainstorm on this trip. Plenty of power, and very smooth acceleration. Bose Sound system is great ! Seats would be great if front headrests didnt push your head so far forward of your body.

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  Good value for the money - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By ziggy1808 - May 20 - 7:22 am

  I bought my 2010 Versa SL Hatchback new in 2010. Options included the premium package and floor mats. The mileage rating on the window sticker indicated 28 city and 34 highway. In several 500 plus mile trips on interstate highways through the mountains of PA it did indeed get 34 mpgs, no more, no less. In city driving it has gotten close to 28 mpgs, sometime a little more, sometimes less. I have discovered that running the a/c or the defroster has a negative effect on gas mileage to the tune of 4 or 5 less miles per gallon in city driving. Very reliable, no issues.

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  Awesome! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Tomasso - May 20 - 1:23 am

  The Altimas suspension is superior to the 3-series. It handle Manhattan and Jersey pot holes as if they dont exist. The steering is tight and responsive. Got a sick deal too. Fully-loaded (without nav) for $1,500 below invoice and got them to throw in fog lights.

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  Missed the little things - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By lakeman62 - May 19 - 7:46 pm

  have had to go back to the dealership a lot for little things like cold air around the handles and window trim falling off. the window motors are too light weight and are troublesome. Fuel economy is nothing like I expected to get, average 15.3 and thats with a lot of highway miles, you would think that with that kind of mileage it would have some power but the engine is starving for power. The A/C runs even when the system is not activated, they claim its due to the defrost system but I think they screwed up in the design and its Nissans way of getting out of a repair charge.

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  Blind Spot Warning, be warned - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By wexlerb - May 19 - 4:44 pm

  I have a 2015 Nissan Altima SV with tech package. I noticed immediately after getting the car about a month ago that when the roads were wet the blind spot monitoring system would give false alarms all the time. I took this to the dealer twice already and I was handed a bulletin on the problem. I talked directly to Nissan and they have no fix, and in their words it was designed this way. I asked for a refund of the car since this could be a serious safety issue, and you can guess where this request went. Be warned, do not buy.

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  Bad Company, Bad Car - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By nissannever - May 19 - 2:17 pm

  For Nissan Altima Hybrid owners the carbon buildup is about to hit the fan, or not, which is the problem. Be ready to spend at least $4,500 to replace the cylinder head in your car. My 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid needs a cylinder head replacement at a minimal cost of $4,500. Carbon buildup due to improper discharge is the cause. Its a design/manufacture defect known to Nissan for years and they’ve acknowledged in an internal bulletin that it is occurring in at least 1 in 4 Nissan Altima Hybrids. My Altima is within the five-year warranty period, but has 64,000 miles on it so falls just outside warranty. They wont honor the warranty and wont recall. Bad company - Bad car. Boycott Nissan.

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  Push Button Ignition System - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Nissan Altima - May 19 - 7:36 am

  I have owned a new 2009 Nissan Altima for a little less than 5 months. And I find the push-button ignition very unreliable. On three different occasions now, I just could not start the car. I took it into the dealer. I was told that they changed the codes.It doesnt happen often, but when it does, it is most aggravating. Tonight, I waited in the dark for the Auto Club after trying more than a half hour to start it. Finally, the push button ignition connected and I called the Auto Club to cancel service. I know that you have to push on the brake pedal to get it started and I have done this repeatedly without success. Is there a sure-fire way to start this car? Please tell me.

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  Love the Car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By queenb63 - May 19 - 1:09 am

  I bought my 2008, 3.5 SE coupe new, it has great looks and ALOT of get up & go. I dont have 20,000 miles on it yet, planning on selling it to go with a bigger car will miss it when its gone...

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  Just bought and loving it. - 2010 Nissan Sentra
  By saladincham - May 18 - 11:13 pm

  I love my new Nissan. Ive never bought a new car and had a little bit of sticker shock, but bought mine for a very good deal and have been impressed with the quality and the overall feel of driving. Very good looking car, and very good on your wallet. My first car was a 1999 Nissan Sentra, and I plan on sticking with them for years to come!

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  Cvt Problems Nissian says cannot correct. BEWARE - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By harryo3 - May 18 - 8:11 pm

  Great driving car. Handles well and is quiet inside EXCEPT for transmission noise at low rpms. Do not buy this car until Nissan gets the cvt problem corrected. My 2013 has been in shop 5 times in 5 months. Want to trade in but the cvt noise scares buyers away. Hard to believe Nissan cannot correct the problem or maybe they may think it will be to costly for them. The None return of nissan customers will be felt in future cars made by them.