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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  Murano cvt - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By cvt - December 10 - 7:23 pm

  All wheel drive perfomance was excellent for the new england winter. Gas mileage on highway a huge plus Roomy with plenty of leg room for rear passengers. Love the hatch door with the lights. handles the curves well. Zippy sleek looking vehicle. I intend to purchase a second one for the spouse.

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  cheap truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By johns truck - December 10 - 3:10 am

  Overall a cheap truck, both good and bad. Engine torque performance at start up and pulling grades was poor, especially with a load. Number 2 plug wire was against a metal bracket and shorting out intermitently for first 5000 miles, once repositioned, performance became marginal. Traction has been very poor when unloaded, until it resulted in a crash into a road bank at 15 mph and $5K of damage. Have now replaced the original 225/70 tires with 205/70 tires. So far that change has proven to be useful, wet and dry traction seems to have improved and the torque/gearing now is acceptable. The speedo/odometer, of course, is off now, as nissan offers no adjustment.

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  Fun, Reliable, and Economical - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By AZShawn - December 9 - 2:00 am

  At 170,000 miles, my Maxima SE 5-speed is still running strong. Average 27mpg is great and the car is still fast and fun to drive. The reliability of this car is outstanding; however the suspension and steering are less than adequate. I cant think of a better value.

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  Wow! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By CD Smith - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my car!Tons of interior room, great amenities, and just gobs of fun to drive. On top of it all, I can find it in the parking lot at all the kiddy activities we attend.(Love the distinctive styling!) Drove this car to KC MO from WNC-took about 2 tanks of gas, (almost 1000 mile trek!). Caveats: crystal blue is WAY brighter than it appears on the web. More like electric blue. I love the color, and I dont get lost in the mall parking lot! Not for everyone, though. Also, use premium gas. Even the 4 cyl laughed at me with mid grade!

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  not so smooth.... - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By vamshi - December 9 - 1:26 am

  I had this car for almost 3 years...37K miles on it. the tires that came with the car were very cheap...cant blame the car. My only complaint is the ride doesnt feel smooth anymore....I can hear the road noise through the cabin....It is not supposed to be that way. Dealer says everything ok but not sure. Like the car for all its features but still have my doubts about its reliability.

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  Bad paint - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Bob Plucinski - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed this vehicle and do feel it is a good vehicle for the money. However, I am very upset about the paint job. I have had too many paint chips to count. I expected more out of Nissan.

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  Sweeeet...however... - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By BrianP - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Very pleased over all, however, a few things left me a bit disapointed: 1) no standard fog lights on 2.5 ("fully loaded") SL model. 2) steering wheel mounted "convienience" controls are NOT illuminated 3) no spare change small storage compartment. My coins rattle all over the bigger compartments, and I have to use the map light to see the mounted controls.

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  Ive had the same problems - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By amber13131313 - December 6 - 11:40 pm

  The performance of the car is right up there is definitely fun to drive for sure. All in all I like my car if it come with all the fixing Ive had to do to it.I never had problems with it until it was crashed except for a battery dieing on my first day of work. after the insurance company paid $15,000 to fix yes that amount is right. about 4 months later I started having problems with it they never should have fixed it they should have totaled it out. It broke down at a light i got it started a few times to make it to the gas station across the street before it died again. I had it towed to nissan. i will continue on please read next review to find out more.

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  good truck but has its problems - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Good Truck - December 6 - 7:46 am

  I have 33,000 mi. on the truck.The radiator was replaced, the transfer case was replaced and now i have to have the exhaust replaced.There is a service bulletin for the squeeky passenger seat which will be covered under warranty.I also had the 4wd symbol on the dash dissappear and had no 4wd.I had to pull over and shut the truck off and the problem cleared.Overall with all the aggravation this rig has given me i still like it. I think they all have there problems.From my opinion i think the truck is a good value.Just hope that you get a good 1.

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  developing problems - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By george keating - December 6 - 2:00 am

  shortly after the warranty 36k expired problems begin to appear. window auto up sw quit,engine knocks on 1st accel, have to restart to stop knocking, xmission slips. all in all a nice car that is developing problems to quickly. probably will not buy another one for this reason