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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  Dont buy this car! - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By G. Loya - June 8 - 3:18 pm

  I bought my car 1 year ago with 60k miles. I was expecting to have this car without problems for a while. After six months the car went into safe fail mode not wanting to accelerate at all. I took it to the dealer and they told me it needed a new transmission plus a transmission cooler. The transmission over heating causes it to damage the transmission. The car goes in safe mode when the transmission gets over heated making it very dangerous if you are driving in the freeway and suddenly you loose all power. The dealer said the warranty expires at 60k miles. Nissan knows of this defect. 2013 and up comes with a transmission warranty extension of 120k. It also extended the warranty for 2010 models. 2011 and 2012 warranty were not extended! Never buying a Nissan again!

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  A Perfect Choice - 2012 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
  By violinmom - June 8 - 2:42 pm

  I have been searching for a car that would fill my needs for AWD but have a fun factor, have been driving a full sized SUV for years and was craving a sporty fun car..our climate tho requires AWD..really loved the idea of this cross cabriolet..was fun to drive in test drive, was roomy enough, sat up a little higher..had AWD..and i like that not everyone has one! but some online reviews had me a little concerned. well...I have had it for a month, and i adore it, was the perfect choice, i have no complaints at all, its really fun, looks cool, different and not common to see lots of them..all things i like.

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  Quest is superb! - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Garey - June 8 - 9:30 am

  The 25-26 mpg has been far exceeded, curently getting 28-30 mpg on the highway far exceeding the manufacturers stated numbers. Feels much safer than the previous Quest, 2002 we traded in for this one. Far superior craftmanship - much more solid vehicle than previous years.

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  OK Car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Anna - June 7 - 12:53 pm

  Car is a bit noisy. Fun car to drive on the highway, but in town visibility doesnt seem to be that great because the car sits so low. Interior parts are very cheaply made. Lots of back seat space & trunk space. Rattling noises in places cant be detected. Dashboard is sensitive to the sun and is actually deforming/melting up above the steering wheel. Always problems w/the door locks. Car likes to just lock by itself at times. Decent on gas. Front seats dont seem to be too comfortable on long rides. They sit too low as well. Tires seem to wear quickly and seems tire noise is loud no matter what. Biggest beef is the cheap interior parts.

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  Better with 2001 - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MattM - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought it new as it seemed like the best value compared to domestics or the Toyota. As it is heavy, the back end can slip on corners (especially on ice). It consumes a lot of gas and is underpowered. On the up side it is very reliable and quite comfortable. I think they improved it in 2001.

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  Gotta love this truck - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By nemoret - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first SUV and I absolutely love it. The ride is smoother than any car Ive ever owned. The fit and finish is beyond reproach. Ive had the truck for 4 weeks now and cannot find a single defect, not a squeak, rattle or non-functional anything. Incredibly quiet. Id buy another today if I could.

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  Best value car! - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By hanhan - June 7 - 10:00 am

  My sentra has about 24000 miles on it since last June. It is really fun to drive. I like the interior of Sentra better than any other compact cars. No problem at all so far and I just feel it could run forever trouble-free! I commute about 110 mile a day now and very comfortable with this car. Gas mileage is about 33 to 34 on highway with auto. This car really has the best overall value than any other comparable cars and its TCO (Total Cost to Own) is alos the lowest 5 years from now. If I had one more chance to choose, I would still pick Sental. 100% recommend!!!

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  02 Maxima SE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By stp1 - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Just bought my wife her third Max. Have owned a 96 and 99 and this one is the best by far. The new 255 hp is just what this car needed, the old 3.0s just didnt seem to hall the mail in an automatic. The new body design is excellent and the road and wind noise has decreased dramatically. ABS is finally standard equipment and the power up/down feature for the front windows is awesome. The Camry and Honda have nothing on this vehicle.

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  Velvet Is In All Year! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Velvetisin - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 2.5SL in October 01 (around the time it first came out). Took a test drive and was hooked. Its a beautiful car (Velvet Beige of course). Drives smoothly. Definitely an eyecatcher. Gets a lot of double takes. And the best part about it is -- I look good driving it!

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  The 3.5 SE Rocks baby! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Goz91 - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Hey, this car rocks man! I love it. I can blow by beamers in a blink of an eye. I have already pushed 120 in this baby! How about all yall? Just watch for the coppers drivin this baby! It is very fun and easy to drive, the handling, the performance, cant be beat for the price you pay for it. Its the best car that you can buy for under 30 grand man!