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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  Still better looking than the competition - 2015 Nissan Armada
  By Bruce stevens - August 30 - 8:07 am

  Bought a platinum reserve 4x4. To replace our 2005 Armada LE that has 230000 miles still looks great and is our second car. Replacing my 2001 Frontier. That frontier replaced my 1995 nissan pickup. Needless to say I have had great success with Nissan vehicles. I expect the same with the new one. If I have a problem thats why I have the extended warranty. Love all the bells and whistles. Looked at the competition and the Armada feels more luxurious. Of course the gas mileage isnt the best . I knew that before buying. I always make sure it gets the schedule maintenance and pre check before long trips. I highly recommend the Armada over any other SUV

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  Never Again!!!! - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Disappointed - August 30 - 4:56 am

  Bought this 2006 Exterra SE new November of 2006 because of the reviews and ratings on this site and the awards it garnered. Ill admit, it is a fun vech. to drive. But what a disappointment! Replaced tires at 20,00 miles. Replaced the front brakes (Rotors as well as pads) twice in 51,000 miles. Paint is poor quality showing rust specs and flaked off the running boards at in less than a year Just replaced the fuel sensor. Worst of all, tranny and radiator self destructed at 51,000 miles. Nissan refused to honor the drive train warranty. The excuses were pathetic! Cost to repair this piece of junk was outrageous! On top of that, we still owe $5,200 on the purchase price. Back to Toyota for us!

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  Nice Ride - 2008 Nissan Armada
  By TitanThunder - August 30 - 1:43 am

  Outgrew the Pathfinder that we purchased a couple of years ago and decided to get an Armada. We purchased a loaded SE, since the LEs that we found all had the captains chair package. The Armada drives nicely, is comfortable and roomy, and gives you plenty of cargo space. Gas mileage is what it is but thats easily overlooked when you think of how versatile this SUV is. The wife loves it, the kids love it, and I really like it due to its size.

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  The Altimate Altima - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Cheryl Altima - August 29 - 2:45 pm

  Its not good for hauling around dogs.

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  Fun but.... - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Ted - August 29 - 6:26 am

  enough power, interior design and material is poor. Fun to drive but materials inside is so poor it gets dirty quick.

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  This car saved my life - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By companda - August 29 - 5:03 am

  I got this car from my parents for graduation. Its lovely. Drives like a dream and Ive put this thing in places any other vehicle would have been stuck and its pushed through and gotten out with no problem at all. About two years ago I got hit at roughly 110mph from behind. Needless to say the car that got shoved under mine was destroyed and the police/EMTs stated that if I were in any other car I would have died on impact. The car still drives like a dream and you cant tell anything bad happened to it. Its the most reliable car Id ever heard of. My only complaint? The rising gas prices.

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  37 mpg - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Alan Groves - August 28 - 6:56 pm

  I drive 220 miles a day round trip to work and back, all interstate driving. At 65 mph Im achieving 37 mpg! Around town I get 27 to 28. The thing runs like a good v-6 would but its only a 4 banger! The one thing I dont like is that it feels like your falling out of the seat forward. I have to recline the back of the seat further than I would like so that it feels like Im not falling forward. I also find the tire pressure warning light annoying. Its too sensitive to outside air temperature. Other than that we love it!

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  Big Body - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rym1 - August 28 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I love driving our Armada. This is our very first SUV, and we do not regret it. I would definitely recommend this vehicle to who ever is considering purchasing a new vehicle.

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  My 5th Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Ann B - August 28 - 10:00 am

  We have always enjoyed Nissans design and technology and were especially pleased with this 2004 design. We have had a problem with both sliding doors making various annoying noises while driving our 2004 and, after reading some of these other reviews, I see we arent the only ones. The doors still make noise after being adjusted 2 timesb and this seems like one of those problems that will never be fixed permanently. This door noise problem is the first problem we have had with a Quest. I hope Im not one of the people with the "under 30 degrees" problems...I live in Chicago and I guess Ill find out next winter.

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  Nissan Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Buran Canka - August 28 - 10:00 am

  It was really good