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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  great first truck - 2014 Nissan Frontier
  By matt - January 15 - 11:51 am

  the leg room if a car or booster seat in back.is none for passenger.the radio is fair.only bluetooth streaming for ipods.aux port for android phones is ok.but expected better for year.other than my issues with frontier,its very nice truck.

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  Good Car/Good Value - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By RnZnd - January 14 - 10:43 pm

  I bought my Nissan Sentra last year, and have not had any problems whatsoever. The car has a sporty look, good interior features, nice stereo, and gets excellent mileage. I am very happy with the overall value as well as the quality of the vehicle. I would recommend this car for anyone looking for a decent car at an affordable cost.

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  Sound economical choice - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By montigirlmn - January 14 - 6:55 pm

  This car is the first new Nissan product that I have purchased. I have now owned the car for six months and have put 11,000K miles on it. With that said, I am glad that I chose this car. I am averaging 38 mpg, most of it commuting 50 miles a day to and from work. The great fuel economy makes it the right choice for me. I did drive the car for a couple of months already during the winter and the push button traction control is absolutely wonderful. Minnesota winters are harsh and it handled the 8+ inches of snow exceptionally well.

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  My wifes car. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By ray anderson - January 14 - 8:16 am

  the car is fun to drive but the 1.8 liter engine dosnt have enough punch for me.For her its just fine.The up graded radio is a plus and it rides and handles awesome for a little light car.When i get to drive it i just have a blast but i also enjoy the power my titan has to offer. R.A.

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  Nissan Cube Review - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Jacek P. Drozda - January 14 - 7:16 am

  The cube is absolutely amazing. Its like getting a minivan for the price of a Honda Fit. Its fun to drive due to stability control system, abs the acceleration is more than adequate, Im over 61 and feel that there is plenty of space in front as well as in the rear, there is an incredible amount of headroom. You feel like you are driving a small bus, with turning and braking of a sports car. I recently went to home depot and after reclining back seats I was able to fit the screen door! I bought this car for my wife and I drive the bmw coupe myself which I rate 10/10 but still enjoy the CUBE after driving my beemer.

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  Decent Car - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Decent Car - January 12 - 11:26 pm

  This is my second review. I have almost 5K miles on my Versa. A couple of things that Ive noticed in comparing the Versa to the 2001 Honda Civic that it replaced are that the dash rattles over even the slightest bump and it appears that Nissan does not have the same attention to detail or quality of materials that Honda appears to have. I have gotten as high as 39 miles/gallon; the Civic got 43-45 on the highway in the summer. The Versa rear windows go all the way down, the Civics dont. The Versa seats are more comfortable and the ride is not as brutal as the Civic. The tire pressure sensor is useless and comes on for no apparent reason. Reliability is still a question.

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  Love it so far - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By hpver - January 12 - 12:38 pm

  We almost bought a 2012 but waited and leased a 2013. We opted for the charger and rearview camera package and are glad we did. State (CA) and local air district rebates cut the already low three-year lease cost in half, making this an unbeatable bargain. We havent driven our ICE car once in the 10 days since we got our Leaf S. This car does everything we need and is comfortable, easy to drive and costs less than 5 cents a mile for fuel. No problem keeping up with traffic, especially if we take it out of Eco mode. It also appears to have more range than the previous models. We only charge to 80% to save battery and can drive almost 70 miles in urban and suburban traffic.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Michael - January 11 - 10:30 am

  After looking around, we decided that the Nissan Xterra was the best deal for the money -- cost less than Toyota, better then Jeep. It has been great so far -- reliable, helpful, definitely big enough for family stuff and my kayaking. Only downside -- lower gas milage than the Honda Civic it replaced -- the the ability to get places, drive in snow, and store stuff outweigh that.

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  2007 Xterra issues - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By schott5504 - January 10 - 10:39 pm

  I have owned my 2007 xterra for 15 months now, and its a love/hate relationship. I purchased mine used, with 58k and purchased the (unusually expensive) extended warranty with it. Shortly after purchasing the car, the radiator began leaking and was replaced. Then the rear differential seal began leaking and was replaced. Soon after that the entire rear end basically gave out, and the transfer case, rear differential, and rear axel were all replaced. Now the rear hatch quit locking, and the water outlet on the engine block is leaking coolant.. I love this car but with 74k and already $5400 of maintenance (luckily mostly covered) in 15 months it may not be in my garage much longer.

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  Very Pleased Overall -- CVT Not So Much - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Gene - January 9 - 9:01 pm

  We like this car! Overall fine repair record; nice ride; great flexibility for load carrying. Just two complaints -- the CVT and the rooftop rack. Around 75,000 miles, the CVT started to show problems, specifically failure to upshift and revving up to 3K rpm or more at 20 or more MPH (unable to drive faster -- just revved faster). Of course, this was sporadic and never showed itself when taken to the dealership until the day when it finally appeared and I drove it over, revving mightily all the way. Nissan replaced the transmission under warranty. The CVT has always been functional but rather halting -- dont really care for it. The other complaint applies not only to the Murano (a humorous note -- the spellchecker highlights Murano as a misspelling and offers the alternatives "Moreno" and "Murine") but to many other SUVs of all brands. The rooftop luggage rack consists of two rails parallel to the long axis of the car, but does not have an essential transverse front rail. Stylish, but of absolutely no value when trying to prevent a load (a fresh-cut Christmas tree is a case in point) from sliding backward. You need to faster a load to a front rail to prevent it fro sliding backward. Style, but no substance. Overall, a fine vehicle and my third Nissan.