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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  lemon law , two recalls one oil seal - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By lynn - February 9 - 2:27 pm

  this car is my wifes dream car. she loves body style and and the over-all performance . but on a recent road trip we encountered some snow and patches of ice on interstate 80 in Nebraska, and each time we hit a patch of ice, the car seemed to want to bring the rear-end forward. we were the slowest car on the road and had no clue as to why this was happening. tire pressures were sufficient , the wind was trailing, and we were carrying ample weight. after talking to a service manager and hearing of no probable causes, we have since learned of other customers with similar experiences. I would suggest that anyone considering buying this model or an Altima look into this problem. I am thoroughly disappointed with the handling of this car and will be looking at other means of transportation.

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  it s ok - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By NV - February 9 - 10:03 am

  Overall I love it very much.Its a nice looking truck. But so far I had the problem that make noise under the hood.I brought it to the dealer and they fixed right the way.But I dont know later it will coming back again or not.Do they will cover it when it was out of the warranty . The brake kind of vibrate and make noise really loud on especially on wet weather everytime you brake or stop at the traffic light .I dont know if outside the people could hear it or not, but inside its very loud and vibrated,feel the car is shaking. When you ran over the bump dont try to step on the brake it seem like it loose or something is out of place. I notice dealer they said It maybe the ABS sys.

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  My Third Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Steve-A-Reno - February 9 - 6:53 am

  This car is easy to get in and out of. Very roomy. Performance and handling are best in class. 5 speed auto very smooth. Ride is nice but a little bumpy on rough roads. Lots of features for the money. This is a practical family sedan that will also satify a persons craving for performance. Long trips with winding curves with this car is great!

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  After 1 year &2600 miles and top is beyond repair - 2014 Nissan 370Z
  By Jeremiah Lee - February 9 - 5:59 am

  A piece of plastic felt off from within the top damaged the headliner. Under warranty repair, the headliner was replaced. In the process, the outter top was damaged and needed replacement. Three attempts and with each attempt further damage was done to the top. Holes were drilled onto the frame to tie the top down and the top could not be fully attched to the frame. The gasket also could not be fully attached to the frame either. repair advisor at dealer informed me that this likely can never be repaired. The top opening and closing mechanism failed complete at the end. I have been out of the car for 6 weeks. At the end traded in the piece of trash. I ended up taking a lost of $15000 and traded in this piece of trash.

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  Best mid size without a doubt - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Bogarto - February 9 - 4:00 am

  Looked at all mid and full size trucks. Finally settled on Frontier 4x4 LE. 265 HP is awesome. Got the 4x4 havnt taken it off road yet. Nice size truck, bigger than any other mids I drove and smaller than the full sizes but with plenty of comfort. Jenkins Nissan in Lakeland, FL was very helpful, got it used with 14,000 miles on it.

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  Best Car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By sarjarm - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my Sentra! Its never given me any problems & is very fun to drive. the only complaint I have is that sometimes parts are pricey. But compared to other imports, I guess the price is pretty good. It has very good fuel economy. All around, I give it a 9.5 out of 10

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  Good One - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By sbjtn - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Good tight feel. Great for teenagers.

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  Looks Good & Feels Good Too!!! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Moquarius - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 04 Altima since New Years day and I L-O-V-E my baby. Although its only a 4 cylinder, you would never be able to tell because it drives beautifully. It looks so damn sexy when I wash it (sunsoma sunset)! I wish I could bring it in the house with me.

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  Seafoam Green Altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By 2004SpecV - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I have to say that after owning this car for about 2.5 years that I have not been more pleased with any in my past. I have the 2.5S automatic with the sport pack. The windows have a half chrome tint and I added a spoiler. The Nismo Cold air intake really wakes up the motor and increases the fuel mileage. (35mpg highway). I just hit 25K miles and have not had any problems. Some complain about starting problem but Synthetic oil seems to make that issue go away. I also have a 2004 Sentra SE- R Spec V with the same engine that gets about 38 mpg highway and about 28 city.

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  2004 Sentra Spec V - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By deltaj52 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my new nissan sentra. Lots of fun for the dollar .