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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  Transmission issue - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ndun - May 10 - 4:39 pm

  I noticed that every time i step on the gas from stop the car feels like auto transmission shifting/jerking and the RPMs drop suddenly from about 3500 to 2500. The dealer is saying that its normal but I dont trust them. Does someone else experience the same jerking problem? Also its a shame that the car doesnt have Blind spot monitor. All competitors have it.

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  Will never buy another Nissan! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Brittany - May 10 - 4:30 pm

  This is my first Nissan purchase and it will be my last. Two weeks after I purchased the car, I had to bring it to the dealership to have the battery replaced. A couple months later the service engine soon light came on and I had to bring it to the dealship. The car stayed in the shop all day only to find out they had to order fuel filler tube so I had to bring it in again! My paint is chipping, the electronic seat button on the drivers seat has fallen off, the arm rest on the interior of the car always pop out of place. This was a relatively low priced car, but these are things that should not go wrong in the first year of a cars life! Overall Im not a happy camper!

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  Love this truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Joe - May 10 - 8:56 am

  I absolutely love this truck!! It has been a hit with me since the day I drove it off the lot. Its powerful, its tough, its one heck of a great truck. The only problem I ever had was when the brake calipers had to be replaced, but believe that was a design issue that Nissan has started correcting in all Titans.

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  The Best Sedan to Date - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Devinn Armstrong - May 9 - 10:21 am

  They should know this car does not compare to any other sedan on the road.

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  GOOD SUV! - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Johnzy - May 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought this SE pathfinder in the spring of 2000 and got a good deal on it so thats why i bought it, but thats not the only reason. I love this thing for its 240Hp engine, BOSE stereo, just cause its a nissan. Im not to impressed with the gas mileage but I got it anyway and i have to deal with it.

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  Good car but unstable in winter - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By arilling1 - May 9 - 4:51 am

  As posted in separate message, my 2009 Altima has stability problems in winter and weighted conditions. Aside from this, it is rather decent car but the fear to drive in winter out-weighs any benefit. I would recommend not to buy due to safety concern.

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  Worth for the Money - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By mrx - May 9 - 1:26 am

  I bought my nissan altima 3.5sl in march 2005. I like the interior & exterior. Fun to drive. Had a very minimal problem on wheel alignment, where i had a tough time communicatiing the same to the dealer. Finally took to another location of the same dealer to do my alignment. Not sure what caused this, it might be the stearing or something to do with the tyre itself. Otherwise great car to drive. Thank to Edmunds for excellent information about the cars

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  Repair Nightmare - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Mike - May 9 - 12:23 am

  I enjoyed the truck for the first 6 months and then the run on repairs started, first was new rackinpion system, then came the new steering column, then new tie rods, and now finally over $500 to find and repair the leak causing the Service Engine Light to stay on. This was the 5th Nissan Ive owned (2nd Frontier) and will be my last. Ive talked to several mechanics both Nissan and private and all have expressed the downward trend of Nissans reliability.

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  Good value car - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By prkv - May 8 - 6:37 pm

  Bought a new nissan altima 2.5SL, got a very good deal on the price since i bought when the 2008 model was already in the market. exterior styling and features are very good. interior is very comfortable for 4 people. for 5 people it is good on short trips. rear middle set is really hard. trunk space is very good. can easily fit it two full size check-in bags and small cabin bag. handling is very good at normal highway speeds. takes the curves good, ive done 40mph at 65mph just adjusting the gears. acceleration is good with two people. even though i hear many people complaining about the CVT, dont feel it is bad for a family sedan. suspension is very good and gives a smooth ride.

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  Could have been a 10! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Jack Franchek - May 8 - 4:33 pm

  Love everything about it. Plenty of pickup from any situation, everyone admires looks, needs better suspension or clearance. If loaded with 4 pax it will bottom out over driveway. Wouldnt stop me from buying it again, just add better shocks.