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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  Versa S 5 speed manual Good point a to b car - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Christopher - February 28 - 8:16 am

  Wish the base S model had more comfortable seats, folding rear seats, soft to the touch interior & SIRUS/XM radio but it does offer lots of cabin and trunk room. New it can be purchased for just under $10,000. Almost 20K miles and Im getting a calulates 36.5 on the highway and low 30s in the city. Its been a good car so far.

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  definetly unique - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By moonbaby - February 28 - 2:40 am

  Today, I was introduce to the "cube". I even test drove it. At first I was like uh... I dunno. But then I saw the White one and I was like hmmm... Im actually liking this. I have never been interested in buying a box type of car. But I found this one to be different. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it! However, it did remind me a lil bit of a circus feel, but I think that it makes it fun. The gas mileage is grreat, the price isnt too bad, compared to other vehicles. I thought it only looked good in White. Throw on some tint, and Nice wheels. And its gonna look good! Overall, I think people will buy this for the good mileage and the fair price. Ill probably go buy one next week!

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  The truth about the "legend" - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Ed - February 26 - 1:16 pm

  It has pros and cons, but the pros are mostly qualities that you cant use in normal daily driving:nimble handling and quick acceleration. I fell in "love" with this car strictly for its eye appeal...I think its a work of art. However, the Eclipse GT that I traded in served me better on a daily basis, in terms of comfort, handling, and luggage/personal space. The highly touted Bose sound system performs best when turned to a high volume. Normal speech on the radio is hard to here..there is a distinct lack of mid frequency response that doesnt lend itself to "talk" radio.

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  The armada le rocks - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By armaurerbaby - February 25 - 10:36 pm

  I love driving the armada...Youll be going 80 and have no idea! I feel safe and I always catch people looking at me in it. We have the LE version with many bells and whistles and they work great. We thankfully havent been in the shop much at all. The brakes wear out too quickly even though they fixed the 2005 model issue..my husband says Im hard on the brakes. 1 thing major went wrong & it took 3 different shops to figure it out FUEL SENSOR was off & I kept running out of gas even though gauge said it wasnt empty, thankfully under warranty.

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  Proud Owner - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By hakkincac - February 24 - 5:10 pm

  I love my new 2011 Nissan 2.5s Sedan. The only thing Im upset about is the engine makes somewhat of an ugly noise, however, it goes away once the CTV engine warms up. I dont get 23 MPG, I get about 20 city, still havent put it on a highway yet. Having said that, it really is a clean looking, nice car for the money. More importantly, I think the look will last, while other models will look odd in years to come, like the Sonata. I did test drive other cars, including Camry and Accord. Neither of them were as nice to drive as the Altima. Furthermore, neither had the handling and sporty look and feel of the Altima. All in all, the Altima is a great choice and a good car.

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  Drives like a car, performs like a truck - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Chris G. - February 22 - 10:00 am

  I waited to submit a review until after I had my Pathfinder for almost a year, and I have nothing by great things to say. The Pathfinder, much more than any other mid-size SUV, drives like a car. Handling is impeccible and accelleration is smooth and responsive. Plus, the 4WD performance is very capable for the typical SUV owner. My only complaint, and its a small one, is that itd be nice to have a little more shoulder room in the drivers seat. Im a broad-shouldered guy, so the roomier the better. But Im being picky because everything else about the Pathfinder is wonderful!

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  Nissan Altima - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By package - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Car has exceptional ride and smooth handling. Power isnt too bad for a 4 cyl. car.

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  Never mind hybrid - 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By one - February 22 - 5:10 am

  I drive this as a company vehicle. Nissan spec 35MPG city has to happen yet. I drive it very gently and it gets around 25MPG when cold. When driving in cold weather, it takes around 10 miles of driving before the vehicle starts going in EV mode. Once the EV mode starts working, MPG get better, around 31MPG. Engine restarts are very noticeable with some hesitation. For those reasons I would never buy this as personal vehicle as the gas sevings are marginal and do not justify the extra sticker price and possible problems associated with extra technology. Go with the 2.5 gas instead.

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  Proud to say its ours - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By rosey - February 21 - 4:20 pm

  We purchased this car from a used car shop and it only had 8,000 miles. We love the roominess and the wide front window. We have a black car and it looks so nice when we walk up to it somewhere. The real problem for us is that there is only a key entry on the drivers side. This is extremely inconvenient. If you are parked and want to put your elderly parent, young children, packages, poochie into the car you have to leave them there and go around into traffic. It was a stupid design "feature" and Nissan wasnt aware of it when I called. Go figure. They are to get back to me but I doubt it. Otherwise for driving around town it is pretty good.

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  Wonderful Vehicle - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By anton - February 21 - 1:36 pm

  Bought my 1997 in 2000 with 80k on it. I now have 235k. Over the last 7 years and 150 I have done little more than required maintenance. I have done the following one time: belts, alternator, shocks & struts, muffler. All fluids are changed regularly and I just did the second tire replacement. The only unexpected replacement was the rear trailing arm bushings that cost me 150 in parts and a few hours of work. The dealer will do it for about 650. Overall it has been an excellent reliable truck that I expect to see 300k without any major issues.