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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  you need one of these cars! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By 02altimahunny - October 16 - 3:33 pm

  I just bought my Nissan and i love the way it handles and looks. i was looking for a car that fit me, and i found that in my Altima. I didnt really look at this car until i heard so many good things from co-workers. Im glad i listened to them because i could not have been more happy with my purchase.

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  Great Value, Quality & Reliable - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Keith - October 16 - 1:03 pm

  You cannot go wrong with this truck or really any Nissan. Good quality and no issues to report. Great acceleration and power for size of engine and vehicle. Own the 5 speed and had cruise installed at dealer when purchased new.

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  Not So Great Experience - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Denise - October 15 - 5:43 pm

  I purchased my vehicle, everything was great until I rolled the drivers side window down to experience a sound like breaks scrapping. Took it in for service, they addmited not ever hearing of this issue before, they called Nissan tech support, they advised to replace the door seals. Today is day 6, they told me vehicle is ready for pick up and that sound I am hearing is characteristic of that vehicle, huh??? I contacted Nissan Consumer affairs still waiting... Make sure if your looking you roll the window down and listen for any strange sounds. In my case, it would happen at 50mph. In addition the dash digital display had to be replaced, can you say lemon

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  Pathfinder Is A Solid Vehicle! - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nissaned - October 15 - 7:10 am

  Its a fun car to drive. The 3rd row seating is good if your riders are small kids. Do not try to pack granny or teenagers in the 3rd row. Also, there is limited leg room in the 2nd seat. But everything else about this vehicle is great. It is extremely responsive both in acceleration and manueverability. And it is a very comfortable road car. The only real drawback about this vehicle is that (I didnt do my homework) it requires premium gasoline. Oh, it will run "ok" on mid-range - but its worth pointing out. Its otherwise a solid car and I would buy another one. Oh yes, spend the extra money and get the sunroof. It will be even more fun to drive.

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  Nice design, sketchy execution - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Doug Blas - October 14 - 7:06 am

  The Altima is a great car. When weighed against the Accord, though, there are several shortcomings including: Five speed auto, standard ABS, heated mirrors, arm rest extension, and 10000 mile oil change intervals, and interior materials, to name a few. I bought the Nissan because of the dealership and because its not as common as the Accord. The Altima has more power and (seemingly) more room plus features the Accord doesnt have like BOSE and a trip computer. I can recommend this car, but buyers should take both for a ride!

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  Awsome car off the line - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By daaaaaaan - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I really love this car and dont regret getting it at all. Kinda wish mine had a sun roof but its all good. Extremely fun car to drive. Excellent handling, acceleration, and braking. Dealership sucked, but I cant hold that against the vehicle. Ive gotten tons of compliments on this car. This car is no joke at all.

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  Solid truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Russ1999 - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Always been very dependable, reasonably comfortable, and extremely practical. Never a problem. Top reliability.

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  not bad, but not perfect either - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By sales driver - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Bought the 2002 2.5s in sept2002 Nice car but some quirks, burns oil, interior is a little on cheap side. Some problems including: ride gets a little mushy-maybe the tires, steering wheel shakes and pulls alot while braking, crankshaft sensor went out- luckily car was at home and still under warranty-the dealer said this is a known problem, worst of all a very noisey interior especially at highway speeds - OK for normal low mileage usage around town. Cold weather starting. check out the nissan website for volunteer recall work, there are about six (esp ice crystals forming in fuel line) ask about the crankshaft sensor!

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  What were they thinking! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By ontheroad24/7 - October 14 - 2:00 am

  It gets plenty of looks, and the engine is strong. However it the ergonomics of this craft that werent thought through. I cant tell you how many times I have rapped my knuckles on the gear shift selector,while reaching for the other instrumentation. And a few times while in city traffic, hitting the O/D button and throwing the engine into a 600rpm jump in the attempt. The interior is also too dark, with little to no illumination while driving at night. There is also no ilumination for the multifunctions of the six switches in the steering wheel. So one must memorize there function or turn on the interior lights to use.

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  Maxima 3.5 SL is Awesome! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By David Vail - October 14 - 2:00 am

  New 265HP engine is so responsive, I was at 110 in less than a mile during the test drive. It does take a little time to learn how to use all the gadgetry included. Love the skyview roof as we rarely open the sunroof on our other car. Headroom is plentiful, interior space is roomy and the ride tells you its a luxury car. Only options we bought were the Drivers Preferred pkg, mats, splash guards because the standard features contain so much.