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:

• 

  Love the van! - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Janet - October 29 - 6:46 pm

  When my husband and I decided to purchase a mini-van to accomodate our growing family we began to research the Nissan, Honda and Toyota. After driving the Nissan we were sold! Not only is it the best looking of the 3 vans but the interior room is amazing! We can now easily accomodate everyone with plenty of room to spare. Some of the reviews posted were negative (doors that rattle, awkward instrument panel, and other complaints) but we have not seen any of these issues with ours. What we have found is a terrific van that looks great and is easy to drive.

• 

  Really enjoying our rogue - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By njackson3148 - October 29 - 8:14 am

  we have had our rogue for abour 10 weeks now. We traded in our 2013 mazda CX-5 for our new rogue. was happy with the cx-5 minus the very hard seats. on a long trip I would start to get very sore in as little as an hour. The seats in the Rogue are amazingly comfortable. As soon as you sit in them you can feel the quality and comfort of the NASA designed seats. The quality of the interior fell well above average and I love all the high end features (LED headlights, Panoramic sunroof, etc)

• 

  200,000 Miles and NO PROBLEMS!! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By love the van - October 29 - 12:23 am

  I just rolled over 200,000 miles on my Quest and no problems. Squeaks a little. Sunroof leaks in a hard Florida rain. But this van has never had anything but 1 battery, several tires, and one brake job. I am so pleased that it has been so reliable! This van is powerful and fast! Every other car I have owned had problems by 75,000 miles. This thing still runs as smooth as the day I bought it. A/C control design takes forever to adjust. Center console did not last long, the powder finish disintegrated and it just looks horrible but is very expensive to replace. Huge and comfy interior. I have had none of the mechanical or interior problems mentioned?? I have 3 kids and use the van A LOT!!

• 

  Nissan Fan - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan Lover - October 28 - 11:36 pm

  I am a Nissan fan...I have owned my Maxima for 5 years. Its time to upgrade and Nissan is at the top of the list. I didnt take the best care of my car but it has taken care of me. Not many repairs needed - I should have been more proactive and those my have been prevented....never left me stranded and always starts in the mornings. Its stylish I look good behind the wheel and allows me to show off with pick-up & GO! when needed. I would tell anyone that the Nissan Maxima is a great buy!

• 

  Good for what it is - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By rizzo - October 28 - 10:43 pm

  I replace my VW Passat with this vehicle, and based on my experiences with nissan, I am expecting better reliability. First of all, this is a truck, if you want a car, or an SUV that drives like a car -- dont but this vehicle. Utility is great, with little storage spaces everywhere. It drives alright for a truck, and seems pretty stable. Im 64", nad have a enough legroom - something that set it apart from others in its class. Im getting about 18 MPG, which is ~ok~, but certainly not good The only real negative is he stock setero -its gotta go - terrible brakes are a little soft for my liking, but I am comparing it to a BMW 325 and VW Passat.

• 

  2008 Sentra - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Julie - October 28 - 6:26 pm

  Love the car. It is cute, the body style is totally different from previous years so its a lot more modern looking. Actually saw one on the road after looking at the Altima and decided on the Sentra. The Black and Dark Blue ones really look good on the road. I purchased the Silver one because I am not going to be at the car wash every week!

• 

  Nice car- Maxima SL - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By JTC - October 28 - 5:40 pm

  I have had my Maxima since Jan. and I am very pleased. Seemed to be the best value I could find in its class. Got it maxed out with all the toys. I got the SL because it had more of a luxury ride than the SE, coming out of a Lexus it suited me better. It is more sporty to drive but not as smooth (boring) as the Lexus. This is a lot of car for the money and man does it move!

• 

  2009 Altima 2.5L SL - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Bugeye - October 28 - 5:00 pm

  This is the 5th Nissan (3 Sentras, 2 Altimas)that I have purchased. The 2009 Altima is a fun car to drive that looks great. Interior is roomy with plenty of leg room for 4 adults. Seats are comfortable. Standard sound system is adequate for an adult. The 2.5L performance is ok for the daily commute. Fuel mileage is great averaging 30 mpg driving 65 mph. CVT takes some getting used to but is generally smooth. Ride, braking, and handling are very good. As for value, you get a lot car for the price. Only complaint: It took me a while to figure out that carrying my remote in my pocket could accidently open the front windows. It would be nice to be able to disable this feature on the remote.

• 

  Disappointed, though not giving up on it - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By heidi.alt - October 28 - 3:43 pm

  Bought coupe in August; have now had it 4 months. Ordered it in early Aug. & waited 7 weeks to take delivery. Unfortunately, it seems in their haste to meet early demand, production lines may not have been as fine-tuned as they should have been. In addition to various rattles & exterior seams that do not line up well, including the hood & trunk, Ive already replaced the oil pan after an oil leak at the 3-month mark. As of the 4-mo mark, only 1300 miles on the car. Positives: beautiful interior, including intuitive instrument cluster, radio, climate control and comfortable seats; 6 airbags std; decent value for the $. Negatives: worse-than-anticipated fuel economy, big blind spot, tiny trunk.

• 

  Off road enthusiasts rejoice! - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By koobsw - October 28 - 8:46 am

  Well I am a camper, hunter, and an outdoorsmen and this vehicle does it all. I also needed something to tow my two atvs to the sand dunes and with a 5,500 lb. towing capacity it is a breeze. I also considered the fj cruiser but after test driving both this was the clear choice. the xterra has more horsepower more torque and similar features, but is alot cheaper. the fuel economy is bad but for me it is worth the 265 hp and 281 ft. lb. torque. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who needs a daily driver but also spends a considerable amount of time off road.