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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  Gas gas gas - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Brian VABeach - April 30 - 8:10 pm

  Ok so everyone konws that your going to get bad MPG on gas but not this bad....i have had my Frontier for 3 weeks now and am at 1500 miles and still only getting 17.7 - 17.9 MPG ....Horrible!

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  Transmission Problem - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Sludge - April 30 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle replaces a 1995 Quest Van. This is a nice vehicle which drives smoothly and has good acceleration. I presently have a problem with intermittent failure of the transmission to shift after starting. The vehicle has twice started in 3rd gear and refused to upshift or downshift. I took it to the dealership who called Nissan for help in solving this problem. According to the service manager Nissan says this is a known problem which they do not have a solution for yet. I reserve judgement on this van until I see if Nissan can fix this problem. On the bright side, turning the vehicle off and restarting restores the transmission to normal function.

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  The Problem Car - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By momadukes - April 29 - 6:27 pm

  My car was making a roaring noise so I took it to the dealer. The just about replaced the whole front it. The problems with the air condition was exhausting they had to replace the compressor, condenser and found out it was the intake sensor. Now the car is making a squeaking in the back which now it means it need shocks. This car has to many kinks in it that wasnt worked out.

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  Very fun car, and practical - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Ryan - April 29 - 5:43 pm

  This has been a great car! It will do every thing from haul the kids to blast through the corners.

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  No regrets whatsoever - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By fronteeer - April 28 - 5:06 pm

  I bought my 05 Frontier in October 2005, and Im still in love with it. Its a great truck for taking your friends to pick up replacement parts for their Fords, Chevys and Dodges when they break down every week. It has about 30,000Km (~18,600 miles) on it and everything is still as tight as new. I put an ARE hinged tonneau cover on it, which is disappointing because the bed is short so you cant reach anything in the back without climbing in, so get a rolling cover and youll be much happier. Definitely get the step bars too, because the front tires zing rocks at the rear fender flares. You can get great fuel economy if you drive this truck very gently, but... why would you do that? :)

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  Good Commuter - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By DJ - April 28 - 3:36 am

  Bought brand new with only 6 miles on the odometer. Havent had a single major problem. Had the belts replaced at 57000 miles. Other than that, oil changes and gas fill-ups. It doesnt have very much power and the A/C drains even more from the already struggling engine. However, my 5spd manual gets pretty good gas mileage (as much as 28.5 hwy).

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  Great Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bscanlan - April 27 - 4:23 pm

  Just sold my 2007 Versa after 39000 miles and 38 months. I am sad to see it go as it was a great car. Inexpensive to buy, great mileage (32 mpg), reliable, and fun. I have never had a car with as good a drivers position and/or visibility. As a fun and well-built people mover, it has no equal; certainly not the Fit or Yaris; it is in a class by itself. It served me well and never complained. Good job Nissan. Thanks Versa.

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  2 separate wheel bearing replacements - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Lori Harmon Burns - April 27 - 8:03 am

  I loved this car the first year. However, the wheel bearings have had to be replaced on two separate occasions. One around 46,000 miles the next 4000 miles later. Passenger sliding door does not stop when I am in door frame. Pushes hard and I have to work to stand up against it before it reverses if it does. Worried about if kids are in frame and potential for fingers or even worse torso or head getting crushed in door shutting.

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  New owner 2013 Nissan Quest LE - 2013 Nissan Quest
  By jay24 - April 27 - 4:46 am

  Purchased may 2013. Like many features and would buy again. The biggest complaint is mileage but maybe its because it has less than 1k on odo. I drive like a dead person because I want to see a decent mileage number to get my wife off my back. She thinks I made a bad decision because I am only getting 13.1 mpg. I traded in my 2008 Yukon Hybrid getting 16.4 because it was stalling in traffic and dealer could not fix after three attempts.

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  Excitng at every turn - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By DougR - April 27 - 2:00 am

  Recently purchased my 2002 Xterra and cant be more pleased. The non-turbo charged 3.3L 6cyl has enough power when needed. The ride is very comfortable and you feel like youre on top of the world when youre in the drivers seat. Love the exterior look which was the buying point over all other SUVs.