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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  Low build quality that takes all the fun - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By Hondaguy - January 31 - 12:13 am

  Nissan wanted to make the most profit possible, so they built this nice car with the lowest quality parts available. The car has nice transmission, powerful engine, comfortable seats. and low quality material. bad suspension, below average rims quality, precise steering that wont last long. noisy gas tank when its full.The car also has a very large turning radius makes you feel youre turning with a semi truck. Nissan also has a very bad customer service with the slowest response in the industry.

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  Never Disappointed me - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mary516 - January 30 - 10:00 am

  Bought new, still going real strong 7 years & 130,000 miles later. Normal maintenance is all this Pathfinder has ever needed. Rides well, holds a lot. Gas mileage is consistent with if not better than other SUVs. Love the full size spare tire. Will drive this car till it dies, whenever that might be. Holds road really well in heavy rain or snow. Sometimes keeps 4WD engaged even after you dont want it, but it eventually goes back to normal by itself.

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  01 heres a review with miles - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By firstacsent - January 29 - 1:26 am

  Allright, so Ive put 79,000 miles on my truck in less then three years. My driving includes a little of everything, city, highway, even some off road. But to be honest its handled it pretty well. Recently though I did start having some issues, 1st: the taigate handle started to break and mad useing it very diffucult, but it was a easy $50 fix 2nd: Drivers side window knob broke, **** happens... BIG PROBLEMS- 4th: Throw-out bearing has worn, new clutch- $500+ 5th: Service engine litgh came on- O2 sensors need to be replaced first, possible the cat convertor. Still in the end Ive treated this truck poorly so in the end these problems could be expected.

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  engine and transmission problems? - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By dudej - January 28 - 12:43 am

  My 2005 SE AWD used oil. Fortunately my 2005 Murano was under warranty for the engine replacement ( using oil with no visible burn or leak) at 80,000 miles and for the transmission replacement at 128,000 miles. Engine mount replacements, driver seat motor, and CV joint! I bought the Silver warranty at the dealership and then extended it as long as I could (140,000). Thank God!

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  need some improvement - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Linda - January 27 - 8:40 am

  it is fun to drive it and comfortable for my family. this is my 3rd nissan quest.

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  The truck that has it all - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Faithdimmer - January 27 - 6:13 am

  I have only had this baby for a week, but I have had more fun driving this truck than I have ever had driving anything else. It accelerates nicely, handles very well for a truck, looks great, and conveys a sense of durability that Volvo would be jealous of.

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  Good Truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By textodd - January 26 - 2:00 am

  Overall this truck has been very good and reliable. We will probably get another one when our lease expires in May 2003.

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  My first new vehicle - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Dawg Pound - January 25 - 12:13 pm

  I was looking to buy my first pick up and test drive a new LE 4 door v6. I hit the accelerator and that truck took off and felt like it just kept gaining HP. Within the hour I was the proud owner of a Nissan. The heated seats are great. The leather is nice. The power I wanted was there. The armrests lack, need to be bigger. Fuel economy not great but it is a pick up. About 17 mpg in city, 20 on highway. The truck is really fun to drive. It handles really well in the snow, descent in rain. Glad I bought it.

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  wife loves it not a bad car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By janeal - January 25 - 7:03 am

  solid car. nice looking and real comfortable. I like the ride and the size. we had a 2000 altima this car is bigger and drives and handles much better. a nice mid size sedan.

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  Buy a 4Runner - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Adam - January 22 - 3:13 pm

  Was choosing between this and 4Runner. Chose Pathfinder because of option availability and price. At 7000 miles headliner (ceiling) started falling out. Took to dealer and they replaced the entire ceiling. Second ceiling was full of creases and looked far worse so it went back for a third time. They had it for five days and it came back with many faults. Stains on sunroof, ill-fitting, scratched, and broken trim. I am waiting new parts on back order so it can go back again and they can fix all the interior bits they broke. It will never be right again.