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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  REPLACED 1992 MAXIMA - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Franny M - May 15 - 7:50 am

  The new 2005 Altima has both beauty and performance. I hated to part with the 92 Maxima but was sold the minute I test drove the 2005 Altima. For a 4-cylinder vehicle, I expected less and was pleasantly surprised at the pickup and ease of handling. Congratulations to Nissan on this beauty!

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  Replaced my 1992 Maxima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Franny M - May 15 - 7:50 am

  The new 2005 Altima has both beauty and performance. I hated to part with my 1992 Maxima but was sold the minute I test drove the 2005 Altima. For a 4-cylinder vehicle, I expected less and was pleasantly surprised at the pickup and ease of handling. Congratulations to Nissan on this beauty!

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  Test drive it & decide for yourself - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Mesh - May 15 - 3:10 am

  I purchased the Nissan Xterra X because I wanted a vehicle that I new would last me. I went from a Trailblazer to the Xterra and I figured id be disappointed but hey, I would save on my monthly payment...so it would all work out. Well, I love the Xterra! I like it more than the trailblazer. Its a more outdoors vehicle. Is great for people who camp, bike ride or have a couple of dogs. Easy to maintain. Has more power than I expected. Is very comfortable. I have not had any problems. The best advice I can give you is to test drive one. Make sure you like it....test it. I totally love mine, its what I was looking for in my heart.

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  CVT is an issue - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By ttheroux - May 15 - 1:45 am

  I run a fleet of vehicles including 5 of these. We typically run our cars between 40k-50k mi. per year. Of the 5, 2 of them had the CVT transmissions fail within the 1st year. One of these now needs a second trasmission replacement at 82K. Our local dealer, Harte Nissan in Hartford, CT, is working with us the best they can with the replacement costs but Nissan is not stepping up to the plate. Nissan knows their CVTs are problematic and have extended their warranties on other years/models, but not this one. I will not be buying any more Nissans for our fleet. BTW, even when they work correctly, the CVT is a annoying transmission especially with a small, low torque motor.

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  Wind or design flaw? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By lruthers - May 14 - 11:53 pm

  On February 19, 2013, when I pressed the button to open the trunk from inside the car, the lid came up with enough force to make the corners of the trunk lid shatter the rear window. The dealership maintains that a gust of wind must have caused this, although I and another witness told them that it wasn’t unusually windy. I pressed the release button and *CRASH*. There was no pause or delay. If it was a gust of wind, it would have had to come up just as I pressed that button and in just the exact location to fling that lid open. Thats a heck of a coincidence, and I dont believe in coincidences that illogical.

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  So Far So Good - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Pat - May 14 - 5:14 pm

  Update#2. Car is driven daily. Things have been good so far. No mechanical break downs or problems. Rotate the tires. Change the oil. Thats about it. Update: Car has been reliable so far. Has 75k miles now. Has adequate power and decent fuel economy. The versa is not a freeway car, its for around town and commuting. Yes it can be driven 75 mph but its uncomfortable. Even the loaded SL feels cheap but thats what it is....a cheap car. Once you get over that and appreciate its real quality (inexpensive transportation) you will feel good about driving it. Would I buy this car over a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic (?) probably not but you can buy one cheap. If this car lasts us 5 more years and/or 75k more miles Ill not regret it. Car is now 7 years old w/65k miles. Purchased one year ago from an elderly family member who bought it new. Versa reliability a mixed bag from what Ive read. Im more into Toyota quality but this car came available at a great price. So far no major issues. Had to change out one strut. Still on the original set of brakes. Seems to be easy on tires. Averages about 30 MPG. Drives out pretty good. No speed demon but adequate. My impression is this is a decent economy car that does everything well. Time will tell if it lasts. Pros: Great visibility, decent MPG, fold down rear seats. Cons: Electronic steering, jittery on the highway, engine noisy when pushed.

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  Dont be shocked! Its a great electric car! - 2016 Nissan Leaf
  By Hardball - May 14 - 3:51 pm

  I leased my 2016 LEAF about 900 miles ago and I have to say Im "shocked" at how great it is. Its the SL version which means its fully loaded with all options. The car is well built and very solid. With all the incentives, I got a great deal and will be able to buy it in a few years at an awesome price. Fully charged, it is capable of 125 miles. This is plenty for my daily 40 mile round trip commute. I installed a 240 V level 2 charger myself with not too much difficulty. Im fairly handy and have a newer home with 200 amp service and spare breakers. I bought the NISSAN charger or EVSE online. I charge the car on early Wedsnesday mornings and again on Sunday mornings during off peak hours. It charges from empty in less than 5 hours but I usually only need about 3 and a half hours to go from 20 miles to about 110. It costs me about 2 bucks per charge. This is easy to do beacuse its fully programmable. Its incredibly loaded with technology that makes it fun to drive. While searching for an alternative vehicle, I drove the VOLT and Prius. I was not impressed with either one. The VOLT has hardly any rear headroom and is a joke for tall people to sit in the back plus its a true four seater at best. The Prius was interesting but seemd to lack any pep. The LEAF is decievingly large inside due to its height. It also has great acceleration due to its torque from the electric motors. Driving an electric car is a unique experience. Its silent and smooth. There is no drag when using the A/C and no strain from a gas motor. It accelerates effortlessly, quietly, and smoothly. I dont have trouble with range because there are many chargers available in my area plus at any NISSAN dealer. I still have gas cars for long trips though. But, I dont travel much anyway. I love pulling into my garage silently, having no motor to heat up the garage, no smells from oil and exhaust etc. It requires no maintenance except tire rotations. No belts, exhaust, oil etc. Im no hypermiler either- dont have to be- I use the climate control liberally, drive at normal speeds on the highway every day, plus Im a car guy and own a classic musclecar which I drive pretty hard on the weekends. I guess Im not the typical electric car owner but its just a blast to drive the LEAF. It has a nice sized hatch area for groceries unlike the Honda Fit. The electronics are intuitive and easy to use. The nav is great and the Bose sound is very good. I would say to anyone on the fence, examine your driving practices and see if its for you. I should add that the build quality is exceptional and the materials are excellent. I am VERY picky with cars and dont have any major cons for this car. I will say that the center armrest could be improved by making it adjustable to slide forward. There is a little more wind noise than I like but its a smaller car. There is no lock on the glove box. There should be courtesy lights for rear passengers. I hope this review helps you.

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  Great truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By tykane01 - May 14 - 10:00 am

  I love the truck. It is my first truck ever, so that might not say much. The ride height is great. Love the sound system. Should have bought 4x4. The long bed is a must. Of course the back seat is cramped. But overall satisfaction is excellent. Watch out for the nissan dealers though. Watch out for the speed limiter too. Sucks if you do not know it is going to happen.

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  Great car - Bad Paint - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By joe_121212 - May 14 - 10:00 am

  I love the car. It has great power and handles great. Im 64 and have good room except for the gas and brake pedals are to close. Also after you start washing and waxing your car your notice many new chips after every wash. The paint quality is the worst Ive ever seen.

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  AwesomeSUV - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By HybridLP - May 14 - 10:00 am

  This SUV rocks. I recently got a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with black exterior and a charcoal leather interior. I really didnt want an SUV as i had always driven a car, but after driving this for a couple weeks i love it. I have a fully loaded one and the leather interior is amazing as well as the chrome colored outlining. This is the SUV to get.