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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  Dont get it! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Nissan Altima - September 7 - 3:16 pm

  I just bought a new Nissan 2.5S Altima - my advice, dont get one! As I drove off the lot, it was drizzing - the windshield wipers have a loud annoying - clack ... clack .. clack .. The blinker is a cheap - click click, click click. The storage under the radio wont shut, its stuck open and the cheap plastic shifter cover pops off. Im having buyers remorse after 5 minutes off the lot! - my 2002 Camry can do 5000 or 7500 miles between old changes, the Altima is ~3500 miles. The CVT is what sold me. Its good but the car doesnt feel right. oh well, live an learn.

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  LOVE MY ARMADA...LOVE IT! - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By Night_nurse - September 6 - 5:46 pm

  My husband and I have always had a large SUV for road trips, hauling etc. When our Expedition was stolen in September, we really didnt want to go with another Ford. We looked at the Infinity QX56 but for the price decided it wasnt worth it. We looked at the Armada and fell in love with it, better price for very similar vehicle. Just wish it had better gas mileage, but you dont buy an SUV this size for great MPGs. Absolutely no regrets, if you want a roomy, comfortably and reliable SUV with power this is definitely the one.

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  Title - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By chanandreirei - September 6 - 1:46 pm

  The day I bought this truck, my family and I went camping. It was very cold up in the mountains, but the truck never stalled or anything like that. It always started right up. And even now, the only problem weve ever had with it was a flat tire. This truck also has great handling. On those twisty-turny roads in the Sierras, the truck handled so well, I never worried about what a steep drop it was. So, this truck has been a very reliable and fun to own vehicle.

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  Used 08 Pathfinder SE V8 2WD - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Kdubnyaya - September 6 - 10:00 am

  We have a baby on the way and needed to upgrade from a Scion TC. My family only buys Nissan and have loved them. Her Pathfinder is really nice. It has 42K on it and has no squeaks or rattles. The 310 HP and 388 FT/LB Torque you can feel when the gas pedal is dropped to the floor. Just running around town in rush hour traffic it is getting 15.6 mpg. Which for a big V8 is to be expected. We bought an extended warranty that last for 3 YR or 36,000 miles. Will cost $50 for any issues that we have and Oil Changes are 50% off. Incredible vehicle and because it is a Nissan we will enjoy it for years to come.

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  It worked but - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Not again - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car used in 08 w/ 66k miles on it. Within 1st month, fuel injector pump needed to be replaced. Within 1st yr, 2 motor mounts needed to be replaced 3 times each to no fault of my own, leaving my mechanic puzzled. My mechanic says this car has lots of electrical problems. I bought this car because a friend had one that I loved but ended up being a better car for passenger. It didnt drive very well & the transmission didnt like to shift smoothly. Auto open trunk also stopped working for no apparent reason. I would have kept driving it if it wasnt totaled in an accident (to no fault of the Sentra, poor thing couldnt compete with an SUV!) The seat belts and airbags work great!

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  2011 Nissan Armada SL - 2011 Nissan Armada
  By dclark347 - September 6 - 10:00 am

  I did a TON of research before deciding to purchase the Armada. This truck has been everything I hoped it would be. The exterior has a beauty about it and is in a class by itself. It doesnt look like any other full- size SUV on the market. The interior is spacious and well equipped but it should be for a $40k truck. The ride is smooth and the vehicle has excellent performance with all stock equipment. My kids have a hard time opening the rear doors with the handles mounted so high but they will grow into it. The only drawback I have found is the fuel economy. Dont expect to get anything over 15 mpg with this vehicle. Its just too heavy to get anything better.

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  Great Build, Great Fun! - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By T - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned quite a few cars in my years. The Juke is near the top in build quality. It is built economically but extremely well. Nissan, in my opinion, has surpassed Toyota and Honda in quality and design especially. I got my son a 2010 Rogue and was pleasantly surprised at its quality and value. The Juke is such a fun car to drive daily. It is fast, smooth and thrilling. I have had 31 mpg on the highway (going 55-60). I highly recommend this vehicle. You wont be disappointed.

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  Some quirks, love this car though - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By CRM - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Altima used 6mths ago. I feel for the price I paid its well worth it. However, only 6,000 miles after buying it the crank shaft/cam sensors both went out. Ill just say the attitude I got from Nissan was less than caring. I dont want to feel discouraged from my car choice though due to that. My family has owned various Nissans and previously had good experiences. I wish the rear view mirrors bent back on the car. The previous owner had tinted windows and a Sirius radio installed so I enjoy that a lot. :)

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  Love my Sentra! - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Keith - September 6 - 4:13 am

  I bought this care new with the upgraded Synergy Package and used it for service, I have had it 4 years and have 150k plus miles on it. I have no no problems with it, but the transmission does chirp from second to third gear shifts up and down both, but it hasnt affected the performance of it. I run it hard and its been a wonderful car, I havent even changed the plugs in it yet. It eats front brakes up about every 35k but I want to keep it and put 400k on it!

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  Premium Look, High Comfort, Excellent Features... - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Tom Farmer - September 6 - 12:45 am

  Weve had our 2015 Murano Platinum AWD a couple of months. We auditioned the Lincoln MKX, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Acura MDX, and the Murano was the clear price / value / content winner. Pros: looks distinctive, like nothing else out there, in a class of dull lookalike vanilla vehicles. Got a good deal; big discounts and Nissan incentives are available. Acceleration is good and the CVT is rewarding to drive; no weird clunks or gear hangups. You can stir the transmission as a Tiptronic-style virtual manual, although this is no sports car. Extremely comfortable seats and cockpit in general. Great driving position; the dimensions of the car, and ride height, feel just right and really pleasing. Back seat space is terrific. Onboard technology is impressive (adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, forward collision warning, 360-degree radar-guided camera view, etc.) and all worked perfectly from day one. Rear seats fold flat. Dash and controls are well laid out and easy to learn. Platinum trim level is pretty luxurious -- on paper the car could pass as an Infiniti. Cons: stowage space puny unless you fold the rear seats down; there was more in our smaller Jetta Sportwagen. Some expected options unavailable, like rain-sensing wipers and lane-drift warning. Side and rear visibility is terrible; if the 360-degree camera ever conks out I dont think I can parallel-park the thing. MPG is all over the place -- 27 on a recent highway drive, but during stop-and-go duty the readout goes as low as 11 or 12. Fit and finish is disappointing: some plastic panels in prominent places, like the front-seat footwells, dont mate well and the look is inappropriately cheap in a car whose sticker tops out around $46k. Some switchwork feels shoddy and low-rent, like itll snap off in your hand next time you touch it. And our new car developed a terrible dash area buzz/rattle before it hit 500 miles; our dealer dismantled the fascia and found stripped-out screws of the wrong size holding things together. Thanks, Alabama. Overall: beautiful styling, solid value for money, a unique choice on the crossover landscape, but while brochure photos suggest comparisons with true luxury vehicles, subpar assembly quality and feel/fit/finish mean you wont actually confuse the Murano with a BMW.