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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  are ya kidding - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By redhot - July 21 - 11:36 am

  I just bought a new tundra, (let my wife take it over). Took over her frontier for work. Its a tuff little truck that can take a beating and gets great gas mileage. 4 cyl bear basics does the job, been getting 24 mpg driving across New Orleans. Pot holes, railroad tracks, ya name it, handles it all. Be my work horse till she wears out, gets wrecked, flooded or stolen. 29k on it.

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  Great SUV - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mario Guerero - July 21 - 7:26 am

  I love this vehicle and you will too if you love the outdoors or hauling thing from the hardware store or the mall. Easy to park, and fun to drive, will get another one when the time comes.

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  A decent car to buy - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By Dipti Narayan - July 21 - 4:43 am

  I bought the car as used one. The car is looking great & interior is excellent. The car has power transmission. The audio, CD player is good. No sound inside the car. The car has some problem on the highway, e.g. some noise but not too much. AC is good, heater, power set are easy to manage.

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  Headlights - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By JanetJones - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Given what I know now, I would have never purchased this car. The headlights are so easy to steal and so costly to replace. Mine were stolen in less than a minute--right in front of me. The thieves popped them out with a screwdriver causing significant damage to the hood and bumper. This is a dangerous car. I worry about my safetly all the time. Nissan has not been sensitive to concerns. Yes, they have recalled the car to install the brackets on the headlights, but they still can be stolen.

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  Love The Engine - Hate The Manufacturer - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MRB - July 21 - 2:00 am

  25 months and 60K+ miles. Love that Nissan engine. But rattling windows, turbo sensor problem on trans, 2 oxygen sensors, and 7 trips to the dealership to sort all this out have really soured the experience. The selling dealership provided poor service – but I have found another dealer who has been just fantastic. I was hoping to get 200K miles from this vehicle…but I do not foresee that. Thank goodness I got an extended warranty from Nissan. Looking to replace it now. Where is that “great reliability reputation” when you need it. My dealings with Nissan have been very unsatisfactory, especially on an I30 I also own (dealer problem – car’s great).

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  HAPPY BUYER - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By TEDDY S - July 21 - 2:00 am

  AFTER OWNING 6 SUV, THIS SUV HAS THE BEST START OF BEING ONE OF THE BETTER ONES. HOPE I WILL FEEL THE SAME 3 YEARS FROM NOW ?

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  Sweet motor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By maxim1010 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Happy so far, excellent ride, absolutely incrediably motor/drivetrain. Coming off Ford F150 this thing makes ford looks like POS. Tons of room

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  Armada Monster - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By MoveJ - July 21 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is everything you would need or want. It is a Monster on the road and in the snow. I can get past the fuel economy and just enjoy the ride and many safety features. What a vehicle

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  Satisfied with this choice - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By wshwasmdnjpn - July 21 - 2:00 am

  It rides and drives very well and the interior is laid out well with plenty of smaller storage compartments to put things. The seats are comfortable enough for longer trips. My only complaint is some of the interior plastic somewhere in the dash near the passenger side door will rattle slightly going over rough roads and also the roof under the cloth lining will also. Its one of those things that is so slight that if you took it back to the dealer they wouldnt be able to find the problem to fix it. Nissan just needs to make the fittings tighter during assembly.

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  Its awesome! - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By George S. - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive only owned my new Xterra for a few weeks so far. But, Ive been looking at them for over 6 months now. The Xterra is great looking, and very fun to drive. Im new to suvs and trucks, but Im sure this is a typical feeling truck based suv. The steering is very numb, but again, I figure that is normal. Freeway driving is much more comfortable than expected.