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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  My Nissan - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Ron - March 4 - 11:20 pm

  This is the first Nissan of any type in our family. Trucks I have previously owned: 5 new full size fords (still have a super duty f250 10 cyl) 6 new full size dodges, 1 new Dakota, 1 new full size chevy. Since they upgraded the size and power of the Frontier I decided to give it a try, during my second visit to the dealership I bought my Nismo package crew cab in superblack. I absolutely love it. Prior to buying this year I also tried the dakota, tacoma, tundra, titan, chevy. No comparison - they all had different quirks that I did not like but with the Nissan I found nothing that I did not like. After the first thousand miles I have found nothing to disappoint me.

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  I got a lot of car for my money. - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By diverse379 - March 4 - 9:44 pm

  I bought this car used in 2010 it had 32000 miles on it. The thing that blew me away was that you can coast in 4th gear at 5 mph. Anyone who drives a manual knows that sounds impossible. Somehow The engineers at Nissan figured out that stop and go traffic is made more annoying when you drive a manual. So this transmissions helps with the commute. on to the car. I was shopping for a bmw recently and test drove a 330 with performance package Right after the test drove I hopped in my Nissan and pushed the envelope a bit. This Nissan really performs. I cant say enough. If you can find one of these with the manual test drive it you wont regret it

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  Youll get good at installing brake pads - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By msce2 - March 4 - 1:42 pm

  2005 Nissan Quest - Quality issues We purchased the car with 16k mi in 2008. Car now has 55k mi. We have replaced the struts in the tailgate door $700, motor in tailgate door $650, 4 sets of brake pads (front & rear), 3 sets of tires. Gas gauge does not work properly, sliding side door will sometimes decide not to close so you have to turn it on manual to shut, other side door freezes shut in winter time, rear windshield wiper has not worked since buying, a/c is intermittent, skirts that are supposed to hide under captains chairs will not stay attached and cause tripping hazards. Van avgs 16mpg overall, but a measly 13mpg city driving.

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  Great machine 2016 SL - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Dick - March 3 - 1:05 pm

  This is my first maxima and I am very much impressed by its performance and fuel economy. After reading some of these negative reviews I am at a loss at how they came to say they got poor gas mileage or there was inadequate power, etc. Obviously these people either dont know how to drive their machines or are never satisfied with anything. If they were rating a Rolls Royce it would obviously have a multitude of faults!

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  My little coco drop car - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By ria10 - March 3 - 1:01 pm

  Where do I even begin, well my father bought me this car in 2013 with 173,000 miles on it. At first i was nervous it wouldnt last but now two years later and only 174,032 miles its not bad. Ive had to replace to alternator and wiper motor. currently the front axle is having problems but that will be fixed soon.Paint chips a lot and it tends to be very loud. Other then that i really love my little coco drop. After a good amount of money is put in to it tho this baby is ready to go for another 100,000 miles. I highly encourage people to get altimas. Maybe not as old as mine to. :)

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  Fits like a Glove - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By sallylyn - March 3 - 10:00 am

  The size is perfect for me at 52". There are no blind spots. I can take passsengers in the back seat without having to worry about their comfort. The best thing about this car, however, is its power. Its wonderful to pull on to the highway without worries - I used to drive a Cavalier. When my lease was up this month, I couldnt bring myself to turn it in - I bought it.

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  Nice SUV - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By exphys - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Bougt this SUV as an upgrade from a Nissan Frontier pick-up. Plenty of room for people, cargo and the dog. Smooth car like ride makes this SUV fun to drive. Safety of anti-lock brakes,and conveniance of on demand 4wd enhance the overall apeal of this vehicle. Excellent reliability and durability track record are a definate plus.

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  Great Truck - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By mjm1 - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 01 4WD crew cab new in 4/01. I now have 33K miles on it and just now had my first problem. The drivers side front power window is getting stuck and will need to be repaired. Other than that, its been running great and gets tons of compliments. Sound system is great. Handles snow good in 4WD, but poor in 2WD

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  Rear ABS problems - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By MeHere - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Nice truck, but had rear ABS problems from the beginning. Dealer no help, told me ABS was fine. It did work in the beginning but after 3 or 4 K miles it did not work, snow or rain and the rear brakes did not work. It even failed the two year inspection and the dealer charged 50 bucks to adjust the rear brakes !

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  My Baby - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By harmony - March 3 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for anyone single or with a family. It is sporty enough for the single folks but yet roomy enough for a family. I would recommend this car to anyone wanting something powerful.