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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  Not so happy - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By shooooz - September 16 - 8:23 am

  Bought it new and love the power. Sometimes its fun to drive--too bad its not on the road enough to have tons of fun driving it. Have had issues with the rotors/shaking in the back end, and issues with a creaking sound which has yet to be repaired after the 3rd attempt. Not to mention the two recalls......just hard to have fun owning a car with so many issues. Im disappointed to say the least with Nissans performance on this one!

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  Nissan frontier KC SE 4X4 - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By norm ernst - September 16 - 5:20 am

  Nice tight little truck, but not too little. Ride is stiff/ bouncy, but not bad for the wheel base and it IS a 4X4. Yup, it does have a wide steering radius, but Ill get used to it. Did good when I had 18" of snow in the driveway. Havent had it to the hunting camp (mud) yet, but performance in that arena depends on the teeth on your tires, not the drive train. Comfortable interior, good ergos for the controls. Drove carefully on a road trip and got 22.2 MPG with the cruise set at 65 MPH. Not bad for a 4.0 liter 6 cyl 4X4 w/ auto transmission. I like it a lot, and would recommend it.

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  So far, so good... - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By NerveBag - September 15 - 3:43 pm

  Ive had my 2008 Enthusiast Z for a couple of weeks now. So far, I love it! Cant say much about reliability yet, of course, but everything else is good. PROS: F-U-N! It is a blast to drive this car. The engine sounds great, too. You get a 300hp, road-hugging sports car for $30k. Best deal out there. And it turns heads. :-) Plenty of headroom (and Im 64") CONS: Clutch is WAY too long. Theres, like, 4-6 inches of play before it engages. You can hear every speck of dirt hit the rear wheel wells. Kinda annoying. Wheel doesnt telescope, which wouldve made a HUGE difference in leg room for me. Stereos kinda lame. The fun of driving this car easily makes up for any minor nits! Recommend!

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  Nissan Versa Sedan Great Car - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By john cooke - September 15 - 5:53 am

  Bought it the end of March 2009. Just wanted cheap transportation with good gas mileage. Got it. More room than anyone would imagine for a small car. I get 33 MPG in the winter and consistently 37 in the summer. My wife has a Honda Civic. I like the Nissan better. Great car.

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  Buy This Vehicle - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Alan T. - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Sold our 2001 Mercedes C-320 for this vevicle. It is a decision we have not regretted. All the luxury of the MBZ with Nissans dependability and lower price. (We also own a trouble-free 01 Xterra). Love the sound system and the vehicles comfort. Why buy the Infiniti? A wiinner!

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  Loved it, but... - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By citychild - September 14 - 3:03 pm

  We just traded it because we couldnt afford 16/mpg average. The only significant problem we had was around 88k, our A/C stopped working--crucial in Phoenix. We found out it was the radiator which was plugged at 30%. We were told since its such a small radiator, this caused the A/C to stop working. Thankfully, we had an extended warranty because the bill for this was costly because there was a lot of figuring out what to do before they figured it out. Between the gas, the cost of tires ($200/each) and oil changes ($50 each) we traded our car. It was a sad day, but we will be happier at the gas station, thats for sure.

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  The Best SUV for the bucks - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Mikey Knows - September 14 - 1:53 am

  Before I bought the Xterra I did a lot of research. I needed an SUV with 4wd that was under $30,000 that was big enough for a family of 4. The gas mileage for the V-6 is not the best, but if you want better mileage then youre stuck with a 4 cyl micro SUV with little cargo space.Cargo space kicks butt in the Xterra compared to other SUVs below $30k & the roof rack is SOLID TUBE METAL not flimsy plastic.I strapped lumber, doors, & other big stuff with no problems(Max weight is 20lb) You do have to remove the rear seat bottoms to have the seats fold flat,which is good and bad.The Xterra drives like a 4x4 truck,it is no where as bad as a jeep. But like a jeep you will never get stuck in snow & mud.

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  Nissan Sentra, A great buy! - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By skutte - September 13 - 8:53 am

  This car has stolen my heart with its reliability. My car has 180,000k and it still runs like a new car. The only trouble i had was replacing the breaks and the rotors because the breaks had no squeakers. The Nissan Sentra is a great buy.

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  BEWARE: 2003 Murano Tranny is a Lemon! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Former Murano Owner - September 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought an 03 Murano 62k miles on it. Beautiful, lots of features, pretty good MPG. Unfortunately, within a month or two I experienced the "bunny hop." In stop-and-go traffic, I first noticed the acceleration was sluggish. Then, after each complete stop, it was dangerously unresponsive - creeping along at a couple of mph. Then the engine figured out it was going too slow, it revved up and jumped forward. I could have rear-ended someone. Read other reviews and you will see that I am not alone. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CAR! It broke my heart because I loved my Murano. But I was tired of worrying that my transmission would either blow out or, worse, injure someone.

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  Value Leader - 2010 Nissan Armada
  By Scott - September 12 - 2:00 am

  With $4,500 incentive, no contest. Even 3-4 year old used large SUV couldnt compete. Rear view camera critical on large SUV and Armada is best. Best in class 3rd row comfort and cargo space. Nice interior design, despite a few rough edges. Lots of little storage, but sub-floor storage in back would help. Push-button start and proximity unlock on hatch would be nice improvements. Excellent ride quality, despite engine roar (part of its character). Worst in class gas mileage; 14mpg mixed. But, trade for excellent towing and amazing acceleration, its worth it. If you dont need off road or towing, go with a minivan; more space, more convenience, 30% cheaper. Its my 5th Nissan!