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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  Gas Mileage sucks - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By HCSD13 - November 8 - 7:53 pm

  This car is good for getting from point a to point b but anything else it lacks. You can get a better deal on a nicer suv. The car is actually not bad to drive but severely lacks in power and gas mileage. The most I have gotten in mileage on the road is 18 with cruise control at 65-70. At gas prices today, I would get another suv thats nicer even though they get the same mileage.

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  Efficiency over Power - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By bkaiser - November 8 - 12:00 am

  I bought this truck used from an individual in 12/05 and have since put about 12,000 miles on it. Overall, I love this little truck for what it is: an inexpensive, efficient little hauler. Its not very powerful or roomy on the inside, but for a "compact" truck (of which there really arent any more, these days) it excels in many other areas. I routinely average 26 mpg on the highway (as high as 30mpg on a couple of trips) and about 22 mpg in mixed/city driving -- this is fantastic, I think, given that this is a TRUCK and not at all designed for efficiency. Ive had a few mechanical issues to deal with (front suspension bushings worn, rear shocks worn) but nothing major to date.

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  Tramission shot, engine mount broken - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Tiffany Pham - November 7 - 4:56 pm

  I owned a 1995 maxima and love it. still runable. bought 2004 and clunk noise when put in reverse to drive gear, brought to nissan dealer and diagnose front engine mount is broken (i have no car accidents)replaced it for $600, clunk noise did not go away. Brought back to nissan dealer and suggest me to replace the transmission due to "internal failure" cost me another $4000 to replace a new transmission. Reported and complained to Nissan Cooperate and waiting to hear from them. I think I got a defect transmission part and it can be a wear and tear on front mount engine when my car is only 84K on millage... very disappointed on Nissan, my whole family and husband voted out on Nissan.

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  Sexy car - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Ashlee - November 6 - 8:46 am

  I recently passed the 100K mark on the odometer and the problems have begun :( Randomly driving one night it felt like I was not going to stop while braking, it turns out Nissan diagnosed the ABS actuator pump as "bad". $ 2200 to fix, I had just put brand new front and rear brakes, new tires x 4, and a new battery. I have taken very good care maintenance wise, and Nissan will not work with me at all. Disappointed with the car? No- I am however very displeased with Nissan and not being willing to help me despite the technical service bulletins on NUMEROUS 2005 Maxima ABS actuator pumps :( Also have have both fog lights and head lights replaced at least 3-4 times each light!!!

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  Spec V - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Sharpmaxell - November 6 - 12:53 am

  This is my second Spec V and I love it. The exterior styling is better on the 02 and 03 but the performance is great. I dont really race but it certainly has plenty of get up and go either on the street or the highway.

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  2000 nissan frontier - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By iphone956 - November 5 - 1:20 am

  very nice truck just bought it a year a go and has not given me problems....no oil leaks no nothing ... fun to drive .... not a fan of the windows since there manual ... but engine and trans is good

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  Cash For Clunkers Victim - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ace Skater - November 4 - 7:33 am

  I bought my Pathfinder brand new in 1998 and its still going strong 220,000 miles later. Cabin held up well and still looks great. Things to watch out for: real axle seals (leaked, had to have both replaced), fuel throttle body (replaced, was sticking from bad fuel and had a coolant leak), AC (replaced compressor, replaced fan speed switch (x2), replaced blower motor and its speed control resistor (x2), harness wires toasted from being too thin), and that coolant rubber hose inside the engine (!) that gets overlooked when replacing the timing belt, water pump, and other hoses.) All-in-all its been an AWESOME truck for me! Definitely buy one if you can find one thats been well maintained.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Mixed Feelings - November 3 - 7:30 pm

  Bought the car in 05 with 95km and now has 166km. Ill first start off with the good qualities: comfortable luxury interior with good sound system. Has good power and fun to drive. Now the problems. Non stop idle problems. I have had many parts changed and still no luck. It seems like the check engine light is always on for something. To this day I still have idle problems which the dealership wants $2400 to change the computer. There is also some rust starting on the body. Other than that, its been a decent car.

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  Decent SUV - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MarkZ - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2001 Pathfinder LE when it first came out in April 2000. Wish I would have waited a little while until the full-time 4WD was available. But overall I am rather happy with the vehicle. Just make sure you get the extended warranty from Nissan. The standard 3yr/36,000 warranty expires quickly. I have 48,000 miles and have used the extended warranty 3 times already in the past 12,000 miles (for emissions sensors and a leaking wheel cylinder) so it was well worth the cost.

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  No first year problems with 02 - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By mfelton - November 3 - 10:00 am

  When I purchased the 2002 Altima, I wondered how much risk I was taking with a first edition new model. I have owned the Altima for approximately 20 months and have been had no problems with any aspect of this vehicle. As with many other reviewers and critics, the interior and some of the interior assemblies have a feeling of "value engineering", or cost cutting. But all in all, this has been a very solid car.