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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  Good Noise Reduction - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By katsuko - March 7 - 5:46 am

  I bought it 4 months ago and i traveled out of state and found that it had good noise reduction. Inside is very quiet and when i opened the window in the highway, thats when i realized it is very quiet inside. I bought a standard no powerlock/window with auto trans and ac and found that it only gets 25-26 miles per gallon in it. Next time i get the more expensive one to get more mpg. I will get the cvt instead. dont get the basic if u want more mpg. Turning is good and brake is good too. the seat is high which is good because i realized it when i was at my friend car. PLus it is very roomy inside and i lov it.

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  Junk - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By madnissan - March 7 - 12:42 am

  I beg you please, please, please go look at all of the problems with Nissan Altima on the internet. On a 2005 2.5s there are over 400 Technical Service Bull (TSB). They do not back their products. They have people from the Phillipines trying to answer your questions, you cannot understand them. Never, Never, Never buy a Nissan Product

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  Second Nissan - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Carl K. - March 6 - 5:00 pm

  The lease was up on my 08 Sentra, and after being so happy with it, I decided to go for the larger Altima this time around. Love the new facelift, and the addition of traction, and vehicle dynamic controls. Looks great in the new ocean grey color. Drives so smooth and quiet, and has great pickup.

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  In Quest of the Perfect Van - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Northern Driver - March 6 - 12:43 pm

  Besides the 2004 Quest SL with 33,000 miles we run a 2000 Odessey and 2001 Sienna.Quest- most fun to drive (comparing their 1st year of operation) with the best combination of effortless road handling, speed, comfort and quiet,stereo. The body construction both inside & out seems less durable than others. Auto rear door hatch - great feature when carrying parcels. Unfortunately the lift device on ours just fell off. Instrument controls -too confusing (all digital with no manual click and stay buttons). The digital buttons are flush- tricky to engage-distracting. When the van is shut off the fan defaults to feet. Bracket holding adjustable pedals very dangerous-scathes toe. Hard on fuel

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  Nice car - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By katamatasa - March 6 - 11:30 am

  Previously i owned Murano04 and liked a lot. All of a sudden decided to replaced with another SUV and drove some mid-size ones. As soon i step out of the Nissan i decided to take it. So fast, so comfy so so so... The fuel consumption is not a problem related to the power and the acceleration this vehicle has. Next on might be Armada:)))

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  2007 Nissan Maxima SE - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By carsareus - March 6 - 12:00 am

  I have owned several Nissan Maximas in the past and this one has been my worst experience. Front wheels cause steering wheel to shimmy between 50 and 60 mph. Have had it in dealership many times and can not fix the problem. Torque steer is very noticable when you accelerate, almost to the point of making the car feel unstable. Appears to be disproportionate amount of torque pushing the car to left on accelleration and then back to center on deceleration.

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  Think outside the box!!!!! - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Johnnie O - March 5 - 11:30 pm

  It is refreshing to find that minivans are fun to drive after all. I have been putting off purchasing a minivan and my wife finally won the battle. My 2 kids and dog refused to accept they were comfy in an SUV, despite my attempt to bribe them with ice cream and doggy treats. After test driving all minivans, the Quest proved to be the most spacious and most modern feeling of them all. It drives like a sportscar (at least in my mind it does:) ) Great spunky engine and the most comfortable interior (that I sat on) Visibility is far better than in the other vans in this class. I also liked that I saved some cash compared to the other models. Great value for your buck! I recommend this!!

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  Comfortable & good to look at, but thats it. - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By gski1 - March 5 - 4:26 pm

  Nissan pushed this car out too quick IMO. Replaced my totaled 2012 without hesitation as it was perfect (final year before the 13 redesign). Less than a year old and 15 different warranty repairs, 30+ visits to the stealership. Moonroof rattles constantly, removed and reassembled, then completely replaced along with windshield and headliner. Still rattles, filed lemon law, pending buy back. Beware, wait for 2014 and still wait for reviews on that model to come out.

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  Sporty-looking, elegant car for grownups - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Larry - March 5 - 12:50 pm

  This coupe is a fine-looking car. I got the Slate color, which is a really nice and elegant color, looks much better than white. Classy car that looks sporty without hanging a silly spoiler on the trunk. Have gotten lots of compliments on its looks. Have not seen another of these coupes on the road, although have seen the Infiniti G37 couple, which looks just about the same but costs about twice as much. This car is a very good value for the money. Car handles well, giving a sporty drive while keeping good road feel. Comfortable to drive. I am well satisfied with my first Nissan.

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  6 speed manual - 2015 Nissan Sentra
  By Verne - March 5 - 7:25 am

  I can not speak to the long term aspects as have only owned my car for a month. When I bought it I could not find any reviews on gas mileage. I currently own a 2014 Camry SE. While not quite as comfortable and roomy as the Camry, it is fun to drive and in the in town mileage is 35.5 mpg. I like the cruise control location much better on the Sentra and it still is comfortable, quiet and the trunk is roomy for its side. At 50, it will get will get 50 miles per gallon. For an inexpensive car, there is no equal. I shopped Corolla, Civic, and Focus.