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:

• 

  Beware of brakes! - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By ireners - March 26 - 9:23 am

  My daughter and I owned the same car. Both of them needed new rotors with under 20,000 miles even though pads were in great shape. $600 repair, not covered by warranty as brakes are considered a wear and tear item. Discussed issue with service mgr. and was told that this is a very common problem with Altimas. Buyer Beware! Traded mine in for a Honda. Would not buy another one. Nissan is aware of problem, but wont correct it.

• 

  Awesome - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Gina - March 26 - 8:33 am

  I have always had a Chevy Blazer which was good but nothing compares to the Murano! I just love it! Im still breaking it in so I cant go too fast but so far so good. Handles great.

• 

  Thanks to edmunds - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Railroad - March 26 - 7:50 am

  I want to thank edmunds for providing excellent insight and knowledge for car hunters. I recently bought a 2010 2.5S Altima and had great success at the dealership. The car sales team hit me with all the text book tricks. The four corners, trade in value, and monthly payments. Thanks to reading the article on the inside the dealership, I was well prepared to handle the smooth talk. I purchased the car three hundred dollars under invoice price. Thanks Edmunds! To new car buyers, do your homework, be ready to hear the slick talk, and never tell them the price per month you want to pay or like my brother tells them initially - $25.00 per month LOL!

• 

  Most car for your money! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By T Huss - March 26 - 3:10 am

  Absolutely the best sedan you can get on the market for $30K. Love this car, and oh so fun to drive! Never owned a Nissan until now. Will buy one again. Understand too that theyre now better cars since the French bought Nissan. Great backseat comfort & room. Lots of power, makes it a breeze to merge onto a freeway! You cannot lose with this car!

• 

  I Would Have Gone With the Honda Accord - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By YSSMAN - March 25 - 11:13 pm

  This was the second Altima we had in our family, the first being a 96. Im glad I was not the one who bought the car, because I hated it. Simply put, the interior of the car is one of the worst I have seen in a long time, far worse than any interior you have seen in a GM product. Sure, it was purchased on a great deal, but the combination of mouse-fur seats and Tupperware plastics was a huge letdown. Too bad the car didnt have a manual transmission, as Im sure it would have been fun to drive with some involvement. Still, Im glad I didnt spend the money on the car...

• 

  Best vehicle in this class, hands down! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Eric G. - March 25 - 8:20 pm

  I looked at the Fit, Yaris, Scion and the Versa. As a huge Honda fan, I was leaning toward the Fit. That was, until the Versa was released! After one drive it was no question which car I wanted! Very high quality textured plastics and fabrics, excellent fit and finish, and a more upscale look than the others made the Versa purchase and easy decision! Even the power of the engine and the CVT make it so that I dont miss the V6 of my Accord!

• 

  2015 ALTIMA 2.5SL WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By cdesai - March 25 - 8:10 pm

  What would you rate a car that you can not drive? What would you do when dealership runs away from providing support/resolution? How do you feel when you think of trade in/get rid of a car with these known issues for a new one and when someone with financial condition ends up buying your junk?

• 

  Love my Quest but.... - 2011 Nissan Quest
  By diamondeyes333 - March 25 - 3:23 pm

  I have had this vehicle for 5 weeks now and love it overall. I purchased a 2011 Quest leftover that had 15 miles on it. However, I just had a new battery installed by the dealership (covered by warranty) since it kept refusing to start. We thought my kids had left light on or one of the doors was left open (kinda hard to believe since we always use the buttons to open/close). Long story short, two people my husband works with bought new 2011 Quests and said it was a bad battery. Sure enough, brought it to the dealership and the battery was bad. This seems to be a pretty common problem with this vehicle. Hopefully no more surprises.

• 

  The Armada - 2012 Nissan Armada
  By Vanessa Tritten - March 25 - 2:30 pm

  Gas mileage is less than 18mpg

• 

  Sweet ride - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By AliceBettyAnna - March 25 - 1:13 pm

  Purchased the 2010 Altima 3.5 SR (V6) with the Premium, Sport and Technology packages. I generally buy my cars brand new, maintain them well and keep them for 10 plus years.So far, driving this for ten years would be a pleasure.