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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  Nissan Built the Right Truck - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By estrellazero - August 6 - 12:30 am

  Titans power is great and going 0 - 60 is just as fun as it is in a car. It rides smooth and handles like a car, and yet its rugged enough to dig through a swamp or pull your 9500 lb. camping trailer. The interior and exterior are large and appealing. The Titan very practical as passenger, work, or playing vehicle!!

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  Armada Rocks - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By KatyNKris - August 5 - 5:26 pm

  I love my Armada and I would recommend it to anyone in the market. For its size it gets descent gas milage (I get about 290 miles to the tank and my sister-in-laws Tahoe gets about 220) I think for the size and power it has that is pretty good. Its nice inside and out ans also comfortable for the kids and my husband as well, plenty of feet room! If your looking for a full size SUV check out the Armadas.

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  Save money YYYY - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By Rf rr - August 5 - 1:39 pm

  Go Green gas will b over $3 soon

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  Durable, Reliable Maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Maxima - August 5 - 9:36 am

  I bought this 97 Maxima SE with 27,000 miles on it in 2000. I now have over 160,000 miles on it. Repairs have been minor and this car is extremely reliable, durable and inexpensive to operate and repair. In 160,000 miles I have replaced the starter, alternator and radiator. The other basic maintenance items have been replaced (struts, brake pads, battery, oil, coolant, spark plugs, hoses, belts). It has very few squeaks and rattles after 160k miles. No oil leaks either. Tires are cheap to replace. Oil is easy to change and the engine compartment is wide open compared to most new cars. I would recommend this as a good solid used vehicle.

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  Flagship ? Dont think so. - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Carlo NJ - August 5 - 9:13 am

  I dont even know how/where to begin. Very disappointed with this vehicle, I have owned 5 Nissans, all have been great except for this one. Low end power is horrible with the CVT, torque steer is disgusting, High speed handling is ridiculous, the car is a boat when on the highway is all over the road and you have to hold to the steering wheel very firm to keep the car in its path, in-cabin noise horrible, interior materials still stink, it does have a lot of awesome features for its price, back up sensor, heated seats/steering wheel, leather, moon roof, etc. Not happy at all.

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  love my altima! - 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By smsimmons - August 5 - 4:53 am

  Bought this at the end of 2010 in order to take advantage of the federal tax write off as well as the Nissan incentives. Financially, it was a great deal as we achieved a savings of $10k. Plus, I love these cars. The last time I bought a brand new car was my 1992 Nissan Altima which was incredibly reliable and fun to drive. I have driven numerous other cars since then, but getting this one was like getting "back in the saddle" so to speak. Love my car!

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  Engine problem help - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By david - August 5 - 3:16 am

  Just a heads up to some of you experiencing rough running when cold or TCS light coming on. Three different dealerships couldnt solve the problem. Finally a small private auto repair shop solved the problem. It was two coils AND the intake manifold had a severe vacuum leak throwing off the timing.The coils alone did not solve the problem. Got the coils from Autozone where they are backed for 4 months if they go bad. If you read these entries...coils are a common problem. I would love this car otherwise with 145,000 on it.

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  Great SUV - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Steve - August 5 - 3:06 am

  Bought used in 2002 at 61k miles. It has been a pleasure to own, reliable, comfortable and fun to drive. Very smooth in the city and highway and you cant beat it in the snow. Go for the SE or LE for style,leather, heated seats, bose stereo. Gas mileage is typical for an SUV. Engine is improved in 1999.5. Struts replaced at 70k miles.

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  Updated review from a couple years ago - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By Roger D. Luchs - August 4 - 2:32 am

  I live in suburb of Wash, D.C. Work in downtown D.C., shop in suburban shopping centers. Due to size of car, maneuverability, visibility, I regularly can fit into parking spaces other cars cant(on D.C. streets) and can get in and out of spaces and lanes in suburban lots while others with larger vehicles are backing up and moving forward, over & over, to get out of space, blocking entire lane entire time. Have likely saved hundreds of dollars in parking lot fees in downtown DC. because find parking at the curb for far less(or nothing at all). I now have 37K on odometer. Thus far - have never had to take car in for other than routine maintenance, tires, replace brakes, etc. & a couple recalls. Obviously lucky, but have never owned car that went more than a year without requiring service because something went wrong. Must note quality of basic components is very good(e.g. AC system is excellent). Stock radio was 2d rate, so replaced that. Also, dome light only in front of car- none in middle or back of ceiling so added one myself(battery powered, motion detector). Otherwise, back seat, in charcoal, too dark to reflect light when putting things in, getting them out. Nissan should add some color to interior, via subtle striping, decals, whatever. The black plastic & charcoal seating present little variety and gets boring quick. The only major criticism is dash light - it is a push button with something like 8 settings. 1st is bright, too bright at night., 2d setting dims a lot & 3-8 dim even more.. But turn on headlights in grayish weather, daylight, and 2d setting on too dim to illuminate dash(speedometer, tach, etc). Its nuts, because so easy to install better adjustments. Should have a dial. One is stuck with having to switch to 1st setting in gray weather, by pushing button 8 times or so to cycle thru settings, and then at night pushing that to dimmer setting, because dash too bright.

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  Love my Altima - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By FreezingD - August 3 - 5:43 pm

  Driven 2600 miles so far. Car is very fun to drive (I have the 6M). Is getting 31-32mpg, I drive 70/30 hwy/ cty. Love the styling, front seats are comfortable. Not sure about the passenger comfort, no one has complained. Car is very steady at 75MPH. Great family car that I dont mind driving around by myself. Stereo is ok, nothing special. Great value for the money.