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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  Catch me if you Can! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By nocboy - August 13 - 2:00 am

  My ride is awesome! I got the 3.5 V6 back in Feb. of 2002 and I still dig it. I was waiting around to see what the 04 Maxima looks like and finally saw some pics. Nicer ofcourse but you could see that family resemblance so Im cool with keeping the Altima. I take the freeway on a daily basis for my work commute, I luv working those lanes through traffic! Not too fun going home from Orange County to Corona Though...(traffics a parking lot). But then again its a perfect time too show off my ride!

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  very comfortable car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Mal - August 13 - 2:00 am

  This car has a big car feel, yet it handles very well. The front seats feel very comfortable and the 4-cylinder engine is powerful. The car feels very tight(no rattles or squeeks).

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  Love/ Hate - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Pete - August 13 - 1:56 am

  I was so excited to buy this truck.It looked great, drove great and Sounded awsome(duel exaust).To this day I still love the Truck and tell others to buy it.My problems started the day I picked up my truck.The drivers window came out of track.They fixed it, I got it back the next day the window came out of track again, they fixed it again.To save you the trouble of reading between the lines here is the rest of the problems.Driver window motors replaced, both.Wind noise all around the windshield, back of passengers seat replaced 5x, would keep comming loose,Tire pressure sensor light comes on after 40 miles,they cant fix it,Ive had it in 7x,R-diff housing replaced , many more problems, many

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  problem with heating - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Phyllis Fischer - August 12 - 9:46 pm

  Total experience was excellent for the first 2 months, at which time the heating for the floor stopped working; the face and defroster are okay. It was in the shop twice and was told that nothing is wrong; they put it up to 90 and it seemed to be okay; but the next time we drove, it was still cold! Where do I turn now?

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  $12570 with 1.49 apr for 4yrs!! - 2013 Nissan Versa
  By na02 - August 12 - 9:25 pm

  32.5 mpg with mixed driving of hwy & street. I got 5spd and loving it. took the them 2months to order it but it was worth the wait. No power windows, locks, or mirrors but everything else is standard. Great car for work since I drive 52miles to work one way....also, its a timing chain so this car will last forever with less maintenance.

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  Good SUV, Bad Gas Mileage - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By James Darmawan - August 12 - 10:16 am

  I just purchase this car. I was crazy about the car aloaded with everything and the prices i got $19,000 with only 28 k on it. The only bad thing about this car, it drinks lots of gas. I know the newer nissans consume less gas.

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  Awesome vehicle - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By BRYAN - August 12 - 6:20 am

  Owned two pathefinders , 2003 and 2006 never had a warranty repair yet on either. Never needed brakes on the 2003 yet with 36,000 miles , just replaced tires once. Great vehicles. Nissan could inmprove rear end styling on the new 06 pathfinder, but i still love it.

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  Good at the price - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By bluevista - August 12 - 5:43 am

  The PF is truck-based SUV with off-road capability. This is the main reason I bought it. It also saved me thousands of dollars compared with its competitors. I like the 4WD function, DVD, rapid acceleration(0-60mph, 7.4 seconds), and third row seats for children. It is a good SUV at its price.

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  More bang for $$ then Tacoma! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Critter - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Great midsize truck,plenty of getty up,handle and rides nice for a 4x4. Youll pay 2-3 K for Tacoma same equipt. Dont think Toy is that much better if at all! Fuel is so-so 16-18 normal. 20-22 Hiway! Yes would buy again best truck Ive had in along time. Its head and shoulder over my old 94 Nissan. Had 160 k when I bought the new one. Bang the buck Frontier is it!

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  Only ok - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By me - August 11 - 9:16 pm

  Went with it for the good mileage but I am getting lower than expected. The CVT is ok, different, but ok. Coming out of a VW Jetta and I went to this. Drives ok and being 6 it has good headroom. Trunk is ok and the hide a way trunk is ok. Overall you shouldnt expect much of the car, as I said in the title, its only ok