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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  Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By KYACE - May 4 - 12:00 am

  Just an awesome truck, great power, great looks and towing. I had this thing in deep mud up to bottom of doors while hauling a bobcat, never even slowed down.

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  great car! - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By ionut - May 3 - 6:23 pm

  We bought this car in 2003, as a graduate student. Best $3,750 spent! Didnt like the exterior in particular, but once I got inside, I fell in love with it. Strong engine, not so great transmission. When I bought it, one of my colleagues told me: "Altima, you will get tired of it, it will never break!". He was right. In six years we replaced the tires, front breaks and the radiator. VERY cheap to replace. No rattles! OK, its noisy inside, the ride is not what it used to be when I bought it six years ago, but what can you expect from a 12 year old car? It is a Limited Edition, it has everything my Accord07 has (another great car)!!! Just love it! I would buy it again in a heartbeat!

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  a lot of bang for the buck - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By phatdogg - May 3 - 4:26 pm

  I have owned my xterra for two months and I love it. mpg 16-18 not the best, but thats not why I bought it. Great power, nice ride, lots of room.

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  Homerun - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By doodoobrown - May 3 - 12:54 am

  Ive always loved the pathfinders since seeing the first one back in the late 80s. my wife and i needed an suv but without the nightmares we had when we owned a jeep. We purchased a 2003 SE with 54K on it. As of today 5/25/11, it has 124,000 miles on it. Gas mileage SUCKS. id be lucky to get 17mpg mixed overall, but the vehicle weights over 5000 lbs. Aside form routine maintenance, and a few ware/tare part replacements, the vehicle has been a sound performer. Its not big, but its comfortable to drive. Its been through hell and back the past 4 years, but it keeps on ticking.

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  Getting rid of it when I can - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By kbsparko - May 2 - 8:02 am

  The gas mileage sucks for this type of vehicle. I have a full size truck and it gets much better mileage than Pathfinder. 77K miles and seats wearing thru, logos fell off floor mats, now I have transmission fluid in my radiator and coolant in my transmission. Dealer says cracked radiator! Seems to be a common problem from my on-line research. Maybe Nissan should stand by their product and recall these for radiator design flaw! Now Im supposed to shell out almost $6K for a 5 year-old vehicle! There are many other minor things that are starting to fail on this SUV. Too numerous to list from screws falling out to trim randomly coming lose...

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  Great Truck Not Perfect But Close - 2012 Nissan NV
  By zonhonker - May 2 - 4:39 am

  I was driving to a chevy dealer to order a one ton cargo van. I have owned Chevys and been happy with them. I had a Ford Econoline and was not happy. On the way to the Chevy dealer I passed a Nissan dealer and decided to try the NV for the heck of it. I drive it one mile and it was all over. I bought it. Im going to buy the passenger version pretty soon for my wife. Randomly, here are my thoughts...Great backup camera....much better than the ones on other cars Ive had. The screen appears right on your rear view mirror so you dont have to look down at a dashboard screen....continued below...

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  Hangin in there! - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Grammarye - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Paid $4k for my 95 200SX SE, w/130kmi on it...was freaking out the night I drove it home over pot-holey roads due to the squeaking and clunking...but as days went by and I got my CD player in there and my mechanic assured me it was fine, I slowly got used to it. It now has 150kmi on it, and Ive replaced the clutch, the front struts/shocks, and am now looking at replacing the left front axle and the rear struts, etc. However, if I cant find something I like the feel of better (Im really surprised cause it shifts poorly and the seats totally uncomfortable), Ill just keep putting $ into it until it dies!

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  my 97 maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert T - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This car has been great. I changed a few things to make my max "mine". I put on 17 inch wheels, and lowered her 1 inch. I also added a front strut tower brace. Fun car and nice looks.

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  Car is a gem - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By BrianV - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Car has 100K miles and nothing has been changed except tires and brakes once. I have a 5SPD. I out of choice changed the fuel filter at 60K and the Plugs at 65K, but there was no noticeable difference after changing them. My car is fully loaded and has been incredible. I ended up supercharing it at 70K which shortly thereafter required a performance clutch. All in all the car is pretty solid, only a couple little squeaks. My g/f has a 95 camry V6 and the Maxima outshines in EVERY WAY.

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  130K miles NOTHING NEEDED - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By BrianV - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Yup, 130K and I havent needed anything. I bought the car from a used dealer and it was pretty thrashed. Car had been burglarized, and who know about the previous owner. Car still had no problems at 130K (I bought it at 100K). Awesome car with an awesome engine. Most reliable car on the face of the planet. There is nothing that ever needs to be fixed, nor is there any preventative maintence. My friend has one with 260K miles and all he had to do was have the automatic transmission rebuilt, and he redlines all day long.