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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  Maxima - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Tim - July 14 - 2:06 pm

  The car handles like a dream. The pickup and go is smooth and fast. Its a classy sedan.

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  Disappointing in the end - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Lex - July 14 - 1:53 pm

  Bought the van new with the full nav and entertainment system. Has been a great people mover for family and friends. During the annual safety inspection the mechanic mentioned I may want to look for new tires due to balding and dryrot. I thought this unusual for tires with only 29,000 miles so I went to get a second opinion and was introduced to the Michelin PAX run flat tire ripoff. $1500 tire bill every 30,000 miles with service available in limited facilities (some Honda dealers or Michelin). Even if I would replace the tires and rims myself Nissan allows no options to replace with other tires without voiding the warranty. Customer service you can believe in. Last Nissan for me.

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  handles great - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jevon - July 13 - 10:33 pm

  going from a jeep cherokee to a 05 pathfinder, i thought the pathfinder would be heavier and handling would suffer. WRONG, the pathfinder handles excellent and doesnt feel like 4600lbs. you cant beat nissan build quality. the SE OFF ROAD has a beefier suspension and guard plates underneath and not to be totally rugged i got the leather package.

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  hood paint off & noise underneath - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By thomas - July 13 - 3:43 pm

  1) In less than 18 months, a small portion of the hood paint is off naturally. Bought brand new. 2) When passing a road-bump even with a very low speed, you can hear a noise come from underneath the car. The noise is similar to as if something was loose. On two occasions I took the vehicle to the dealer to correct this problem. The noise was back within a month.

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  Sold on Nissan - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mmsr4 - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I am the second owner and a first time owner of a nissan. I have only bought subarus. Living in Maine the 4wd has come in handy since we spend a lot of time driving off road and on snow covered roads. For an SUV the gas millage isnt bad, I think if u drive conservativly its fine.I drove 612 mi(avg.75mph) and started w/ a full tank I only had to stop once for gas.The ride is very comfortable and the interrior appealing. I have found with a full load (5 passengers & 2 lg.dogs) bumps and leans are more pronounced. I had some bad tires during that time so maby that contributed to the ride quality. New tires and a much better ride now

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  A great Value - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By TraciFred - July 13 - 10:00 am

  This was my 1st new car. I bought it when I got my 1st real job. I loved it so much! The car still looks like new. The cost to own this car is so low. I thought that I would hold it till it dies then buy another Nissan, but I have my eyes on a BMW now.

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  200o Pathfinder - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jeffmck - July 13 - 10:00 am

  The Pathfinder has more than exceeded my expectations for comfort and reliability. Driving 35,000 miles plus per year have exposed this vehicle to every southern road condition possible. I have always been pleased with the performance and on road extreme road handling. At 87,000 miles typical maintenance and the purchase of tires have been my expenditures. I have averaged 20.5 MPG on the interstate and 16 MPG around town. Only negative response is the hard ride and limited legroom in the back seat area.

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  Surprising drive and quality - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By BAC - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I test drove a GXE in April but was not impressed with it, however I was impressed with the SE-R. In July I found payments higher than I liked and was persuaded to test drive a GXE with the Synergy package. I was amazed that there was a difference in the driving and feel of the car. I was trading in a sport suspension car that hugged the road and wanted the same in a larger car. This drove almost the same. I had a power sunroof installed and am totally in love with this car. The hp could be more making it better but otherwise its a great car. Dont quite understand how the "stone" color is tan though.

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  Kinda Used.. - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Origamiman - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I was driving a Crown Vic. I loved my roomy 4.6 V8 car,but i needed something more updated; plus, people always thought i was a cop. Loved the look of the Nissan for the dollar. Both the Ford and Dodge had better engines, but the Dodge was too expensive and the jumpseats in the Ford are a joke. I settled on A Nissan XE 2002 barely used. It only had 4000 miles on it, and most of the features i wanted. I built my truck online and i would of had to pay much more money if was brand new. I got a find.

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  Just OK - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By sgkoch - July 13 - 8:33 am

  I bought my 2007 Maxima new and it now has 22K miles on it; I live very close to work. At 19K miles the AC compressor went and took out the whole system including the serpantine belt. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere 75 miles from home. Thankfully I had 9 days left on the 3/36 warranty so the AC was covered. However Nissan did not have the compressor in stock and it was on backorder for 2 months. What does that tell you...Must be alot of ACs going out. They did provide me with a rental car but it was still a pain not having my car. Other than that nightmare the car has been OK. Its fast, it handles fine for what it is and its comfortable. The Bose system is great.