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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  My Juke - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By lpw333 - August 31 - 7:01 pm

  I love this car so much! I dont have anything negative to say about my Juke. It is fun to drive, looks amazing, and catches everyones eye. Ive had several people stop me in parking lots and ask to look at my car. The Juke is definitely a hit with me!

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  Good Car + Investment - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By maxima05_slse - August 31 - 6:56 pm

  I bought it Used, on 2007 at a Nissan Dealer with 9,000 miles on it(Aprox.) Although is a Buy Back/Lemon Law Classified. I got a good Price and the Car was Just like New. the reason for the Owner to Return the Car was for some Gases Fumes from the Engine getting Inside the Cabin Area. They Fixed but the Client did not want the Car back. Dealer took it Back by Buy Back Program(AKA-Lemon Law Statues) Since, the Car did not have any mayor Problems with it. Just the Regular Maintenance Parts & Services. The only thing the Car was Fixed was the Sway Bar and some other Front Steering Parts but under the Warranty during 1st 3 months. It is a very Powerful Car and have Lot Space. Great Family Car.

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  97 Nissan Altima - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By tdkzoom - August 31 - 10:00 am

  Nice car, reliable, hard to find after market parts, needs the jaws of life to get the damn front door open.

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  best car for the dollar - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By mjamesymc - August 31 - 10:00 am

  After looking for a reliable small sedan under $14,000 we found this fun to drive sporty car for a great price - and we like what we see so far. Best car for the dollar.

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  This car rocks! - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By protocide - August 31 - 10:00 am

  Bang for the buck, the Maxima SE cannot be beat. The V6 is buttery smooth. The suspension is designed for zipping along twisty roads and yet is smooth on the highway. You can get the car in stick shift! (Try getting that in an Accord V6 or Camry V6!) The car is quiet even at speed. The brakes are great. Even the base sound system is pretty darn good. The car can seat four six-footers with room to spare. Great gas mileage considering it can run 0-60 in the high sixes. If you want a four-door family car that is a blast to drive, buy a Maxima SE!

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  Transmission Transmission Transmission - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Bill Carswell - August 31 - 8:57 am

  Read the reviews and do your research before considering the purchase of a 2013 Nissan Altima. Our CVT transmission was just replaced at 64K, 4k outside the warranty. There are numerous complaints all about the same issue! Shudder and juttering and then it just quits - torque converter locked up. Luckliy for us it happened while we were coming to a stop! Stay clear of this car - it is going to cost you $3k-$4k some day for a transmission. Nissan needs to admit that Jatco (75% ownership by Nissan) has built another flawed CVT transmission and start the recall. They admitted this issue with 2003 -2010 CVT equipped cars. If you have had an issue with your 2013 Altima, we all need to complain to the NHTSA and have our cases logged. www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

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  Nismo - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Earl Morrison - August 31 - 3:03 am

  This car is awesome as far as driving goes. Would have been better with XM radio and navigation unit. Also upgrade of camshafts to higher lope cam would have set it apart from other 350Z.

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  Interesting new model - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By bigbearsfan - August 30 - 11:03 pm

  This is a great car. It is very close to Honda/Toyota levels of fit and finish. My 3.5SE has the Sport Package and an auto dimming mirror. The interior is nicely styled and the instrument cluster is very bright and easy to read with good radio and HVAC controls. The seats are well shaped though they are a little hard and dont offer a lumber adjustment. The ride and handling compromise is great; it handles very well without punishing you when you hit a bump. Overall, reliability should be on par with Honda/Toyota. This is a great contender in the midsize category. I highly recommend this car if you dont want to overspend on a Toyota or Honda; their dealers who dont ever offer deals.

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  Fun head turning car! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By flyboiadam - August 30 - 5:46 pm

  I purchased my cube in oct 2009 and I have 8800 miles on it and its July 22. So far Ive had 1 recall w the rear door handles, at 2k miles my check engine light came on turned out to need a new purge valve, thats the only thing thats happened. Im very happy with my cube and wouldnt trade it for another car ever! Lots of ppl look and stare but love the attention! Drove a few times 500 miles on road trip been getting 32 on hwy and 26 city. The seats are probably the most comfortable I have ever sat in, in any car! Only thing I am mad about is the 2010 model of the same thing I got comes standard with bluetooth and audio controls on steering wheel. But thats it! Go test drive 1!

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  Great Ride - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Bradley Railey - August 30 - 11:36 am

  This is a great ride. The transmission took some getting used too, but now I just love it. The only cons I have is that I would like more trunk room and add some sound proffing. I have the nav. system in mine and would not buy another auto without it.