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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  Great Midsize SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By dotnet4me - August 25 - 7:06 am

  I traded in my 2004 Nissan Armada for the Pathfinder and I have had no regrets. The quality is outstanding on the Pathfinder (much better than the Armada) and the Pathfinder is just about perfect for us. The ride is quiet and smooth. I feel the interior had a sporty look as well.

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  Cant beat it for the money! - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By Chris D - August 24 - 2:43 pm

  It is a great car for a price tag under $30,000. I would not spring for a loaded model that puts the price tag close to $40,000. Would rather get in to a Corvette or Porsche Cayman. Definitely a performance oriented car that comes with less than great fuel consumption and a tight but pleasant interior. Have not gotten close to the advertised fuel rating. The car only sees city driving, so that could be the reason.

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  Family Sports Car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Mike K - August 24 - 2:43 pm

  It looks like a mundane family hauler, but handles and drives like a sports car if you get on the gas. The 3.5 engine is so powerful, and the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) is very smart and seems to read your mind. If you just cruise around town, the CVT keeps the engine revs low to save gas, but if you give it more throttle, it quickly lets the engine spin up (no shift lag) and it MOVES. When shifted "manually" the CVT shifts very quickly through the preset 6 speeds. Can feel bumps with the SE vs SL (luxury) version, but its a reasonable trade-off for larger wheels, better shocks and stiffer anti-roll (sway) bars. Steering a bit numb, but sticks well in curves. I love it!

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  Overall Good buy. - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By Amanda Reigel - August 24 - 10:33 am

  We bought our Rogue Select because it was a good value. I like a lot about my Rogue, but there are a few cons. We got the third row because we often have cousins and little ones at our house and wanted to be able to fit them all in for trip to the pool and other outings. The problem is once you get all those bodies in, theres not much room for gear and bags in the back to accommodate all of those people on your outing. The third row is tight, so it really only works for little ones and only when you move up the middle seats. I got complaints about airflow when the kids were back there. The gas mileage is great, and the seats are comfortable and I really like the style of the dash and the exterior. We got the back-up camera, which I am glad we did, because the rear blind spots would make pulling out extremely difficult; almost impossible. My biggest complaint is that the front seat will not go back very far. I am 53", but it may be that I just have long legs and a short torso, because trying maneuver my right (size 9) foot to hold down the gas is awkward and somewhat uncomfortable. Make sure you have the back floor stopper affixed before you go shopping because it can be difficult to get it set up after you have your hands full of groceries. If you put that up and there is any tilt to your driveway - everything will roll out when you open the hatch, leaving you with a mess of broken glass jars and exploding gallons of milk.

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  nissan maxima - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By brenda riley - August 24 - 7:23 am

  I love my Maxima. It is the perfect size for my family and me. My only disappointment is that it will not charge my cell phone when the car is not running. This is a huge inconvenience for me and may have prevented me from purchasing this particular model had I realized this, as I only use my phone in my car. I think it is a beautiful color and it rides very smoothly. I get many compliments on it wherever I go. It is much roomier in the rear seat than it appears and it also it very easy on gas which is a great switch for me. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase.

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  love my titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By nissan man - August 23 - 5:03 pm

  I have an 04 deep water xe crew cab that get lots of compliments. The interior is the best in class. It has awesome power yet very managable. Great truck on the highway ,as well as, in town. Seating position is perfect. I highly recommend the xe prefered package. My xe is the best truck ive owned. Nissans titan crew cab is definitely a touch down for nissan

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  Bumpy take off - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Robert - August 23 - 12:23 pm

  Truck runs great, drives great, however I have a "bump start" feel on launch from a stop. Very annoying. Drive shaft already replaced but they are looking at it again this week. Too much grease in the slip yoke causing the drive shaft to "hang" or stick and release when the brakes are released and you accelerate. It feels like the axle moves out from under the truck and then the truck moves. I can only feel it in the seat. You can put the truck in neutral and it wont do it as it takes the pressure off of the shaft and it equalizes.

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  Great Car! - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By NissanBoy - August 22 - 10:10 am

  This is my third Nissan car within the last 2 yrs. I absolutely love the sportiness of all of their cars. I decided to upgrade to the fully load Maxima 3.5SL, because my 2008 Altima 3.5SE rattled too much. I truly believe that I could not have made a better choice. I test drove the Lexus ES and Lincoln MKZ, none of those vehicles had the character of the Maxima. After testing driving the Max, I was sold!

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  First Thoughts - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By Tom - August 22 - 2:56 am

  I have had this car only 3 months, but have taken it on a 2800 mile vacation to Nova Scotia. I found the performance to be great and have been pleasantly surprised by the fuel economy. The car was very comfortable throughout long drives and it sounds great. My only critisism (which I consider minor) is that the car should have an 8 way adjustable drivers power seat instead of the provided 4 way seat.

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  Buyer Beware - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By sgtrock62 - August 21 - 9:35 pm

  This was my wifes car. We both absolutely loved it. One morning at o dark thirty, my wife was on the way to work with our grandson in the car to drop him off at daycare. The car started slowing down to the point that it wouldnt go any further. My wife and grandson were stranded on a dark highway with no street lights. Bottom line, at 40000 miles the transmission went out. The car has been at the dealership for over a week now. They are waiting on a new transmission to come in. It projected to to be ready next week. Ill believe that when I see it. In the mean time, Im stuck paying $200 a week for a rental car. Nissan wont pay the rental car even though its a warranty service issue.