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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  nissan 250z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By kentcarr - September 14 - 10:00 am

  great car,great design. comfortable, great style owned a 96 300z and it is no comparison to the new z

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  Environmentally Responsible - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By chemiedee - September 14 - 9:44 am

  A great vehicle with excellent acceleration from a stop, quiet, nice ride and handling, and very much an eye catcher. Ive calculated my total cost of ownership over 15 years, 180,000 miles as about $45000. $33000 initial cost after the $7500 tax credit, $5000 in electricity, and $7000 for repairs, tires, and insurance. That is about 25 cents per mile, lower than any conventional vehicle. The mileage is 4 miles per kWh in the city, which at 11 cents per kWh is about 150 MPG. In an area with cheaper electric, and when I get metered service for night charging @7.5 cents per kWh, it goes to over 200 MPG city! The vehicle is fun to drive and has great pickup from a stop.

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  Awesome little car with a few minor flaws. - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By Samantha H. - September 14 - 9:27 am

  My husband and I bought this car new in 2012, for around $14,000. We have put 97,319 miles on it, and commute out of state monthly. We change the oil religiously, every 4,000, and it averages about $60 for that service. We replaced the battery about a year ago (at roughly 60,000miles), and other than that have NEVER had to do any other maintanence on this vehicle apart from regular tire replacement (every 6-8mos at the rate we drive it). The car is light weight, so even at this mileage we are only halfway through our break pads...and it stops on a dime! The windows are large and virtually panoramic, so there is little-to-no blind spots, and as a hatchback, the seats lay down and can fit and hold an alarming amount of things. (When we got married, we were able to lay the seats down and move my things into his house in only two trips, minus furniture....note-I had lived on my own for several years so it was a Small apartment that we managed to fit into this car with only two trips...not simply a bedroom). We average about 35mpg, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how conservatively you drive it. My only major gripes about this vehicle, are its lack of a key fob to unlock and lock the car from a distance, there is no cruise control, and...oddly....the front seat cupholders sit BENEATH the stereo column and many "large" size drink containers simply do not fit under it without bemding and sometimes breaking the straw...and you have to tip most cups sideways a bit to get it in...which results in a spill, or having to hold the drink and sip it down far enough to tip it before you can put it in. Overall, its an incredible car for a young person, or young couple, we hope to keep it long enough for our son to use as his first car due to its easy maneuverability and lack of blind spots. But with two car seats now we have to shop for something else. It DOES fit two carseats...surprisingly...but the front seats have to be scooted up pretty far in order to accomodate, which means the driver has to be either as tall as me or shorter (55") to fit their legs under the steering wheel to drive in that position...its tight. My husband (60") is cramped in the passenger seat with his knees against the dash if the carseats are in it. Overall, it is a terrific little car, harder than hell to break into when youve locked the keys in the car, so that could be a plus or a negative depending on how you look at it (haha!) And having been in three minor collisions in it, you would never know, it brushes off small accidents like nothing...no scratches, dents or anything.

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  Best minivan - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Connecticut - September 14 - 5:00 am

  Great family car. Have had ours for about ten months and 5,000 miles. No problems. Highly recommend the car, and have no regrets what so ever. Take a look to see how many recalls there have been on the 07 quest, and you will understand why I think so highly of it The only draw back is the lack of snow tires for this vehicle (225-65-16).

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  Overall impression - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Ange - September 13 - 9:03 pm

  Great vehicle. This thing accelerates like a sports car and has the firm and sure handling to match. This unit has the ability to go and stop fast, walk through deep snow sure footedly and to keep driving interesting and fun for many miles to come.The vehicle seems to be a unique cross between an SUV and a sports car. Nissan brings the best from each category to this platform with decent fuel mileage to boot.The dash is expansive and serves to hold a potentially large quantity of items, I believe that space could be more wisely allocated to the console area that seems too far down and forward to make easily accessible. This is a fine vehicle for a now emerging segment of cross-style SUVs.

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  OH BABY - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By meo~ - September 13 - 9:03 am

  Great car fun to drive seats not long enough, when fill car with gas will splash back on you and the car, why I dont know. Could have better materials for interior. But still a great car to drive.

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  Nice Little Commuter - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Peripatetic Nomad - September 13 - 7:13 am

  Because my son had an accident with our 98 Honda Accord (233,000 miles), I had to give him my 07 Honda Fit manual shift (108,000 miles) so that he can get to school. I had to buy a commuter car and the Versa was my choice. It is an SL fully loaded. I will be putting in excess of 45,000 miles a year on this car just like I did with the Honda Fit. So far for commuting, the Versa is miles ahead of the Fit. The 07 Fit is a very fun car, but not a commuter car for the city. The ride is just too stiff on NY City streets. If I really need fun, thankfully I still have a supercharged BMW 540 on the side.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By HevyDevyHead - September 13 - 6:20 am

  I absolutely love this car. Had one on order for longer than a month and now that I finally have it, I know I made a great decision. It feels more like a car that should cost $27k and is the smoothest riding vehicle I have even ridden in. Seats are nice and plush. Stereo sounds great and I love the aux input jack. The drivers seat offers a great view of the road and the backseat is huge.

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  Avoid this Lemon - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By ikeburns - September 13 - 2:45 am

  This truck has been a lemon since the day I bought it. The knock sensor and the catalytic converters (yes, plural) go bad at 100k miles, and youre looking at 3k to fix all this, or else you cant pass emissions. Ive talked to mechanics and they say that they see this all the time with Nissan frontiers. Youll need to get the Nissan parts, because aftermarket parts arent compatible and youll waste your money, & still not pass emissions. The AC has gone out on me twice, and even the electrical components struggle. Ive only got 145k highway miles, and Ive struggled mightily with the catalytic converters, knock sensors, AC unit (broken twice), electrical, tailgate handle, door handle

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  1997 Maxima SE - Great Car! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By corona1373 - September 12 - 11:37 pm

  An amazingly reliable car after 210,000 miles and 17 years of service. It is dependable and has never let me down or left me stranded. I bought my 1997 Maxima SE about 17 years ago and it has been the most reliable car Ive ever owned. It is super easy to service, replacement parts are inexpensive and the engine/transmission still run flawless. With 209,000 miles it still cruises quietly down the highway and gets about 25-26mpg on highway trips. The motor is smooth and the transmission shifts perfectly. I frequently see many of the 4th Generation Maximas still on the road. If you can find a rust-free one that has been well maintained I think its a good bet as a used car.