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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  Lemon - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Oktex - May 2 - 7:13 pm

  Bought Truck New in 2004. Have had water leaking in problems for over 2 years and run around from Nissan. Engine Power is Great. Build Quality is bad. Water leaks in. Rear Diff clunks. Plastic interior coming apart. Radio/Cruse steering wheel controls crooked.

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  This van is great! - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Brad - May 2 - 1:06 pm

  We traded in our 03 Honda Oddy for the Quest SL. The Nissan blows the Honda away. It is much nicer to drive and offers much more for the money. We liked our Honda, BUT WE LOVE OUR NISSAN!!!

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  Steves review - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Steve Wesler - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding acceleration and handling on tight turns and corners. The tight handling has given me a feeling of sea- sickness, due to its unforgiving handling. I have been trying to find out how the car will handle in the snow, but cannot get an answer from anyone at Nissan. On base model, Nissan cheaped out on radio and system. Very cheap.

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  Good car - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By tug - May 2 - 10:00 am

  The Nissan Snetra GXE Limitied edition is an excellent car and I have never had a mechanical problem save a sticky electric window. The drive from LA to SF is about a tank and a half and its gear is set to greatest acceleration in third gear.

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  5 years before 1st trip to the shop - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By happymister - May 2 - 10:00 am

  5 years after buying my 98 Altima SE, I finally took it to the shop when the check engine light came on. Looks like i needed a new evap emission control valve for $166 including parts and labor. Since it has been 5 years and this is the first problem with the car.. i thought it was the right time to write a review. The car has been the most reliable car i have ever owned. The only other things i have replaced on this car are the tires around 40k miles. I put 4 Goodyear Acqutread 3 tires and handling continues to be excellent.

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  Awsome Car - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By redbandit - May 2 - 10:00 am

  What a great Ride. Very confort And great relaiablity. And for the price. Awsome

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  Great for most, perfect for me. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Murano Matt - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Great looks, great ride, extraordinary CVT transmission. This is a drivers SUV, the first one I have ever driven, you can take a corner like a sports sedan without being pushed tward the outside door. Quality and refinedment inside the vehicle is top notch leather or cloth. But the real plus here is the transmission. The CVT is incredable, so smooth and powerful. The transmission does all the work so the engine never revs hard resulting in an overall quiet ride. The Murano is very functional with a ton of room inside. To sum it up the Murano is fast and functional for an SUV. Rather than being half car half truck IT IS HALF CAR HALF SUV.

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  UPDATE TO BEST MAX EVER - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By jerrymax - May 1 - 8:48 pm

  Just wanted to update the review I wrote back in March 2008 about my 1997 Maxima GLE. At that time I had 154k on the odometer. Last week the car turned 200k for another 46,000 miles worth of trouble-free driving. This car amazes me. Ive driven it up and down the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina in all kinds of weather, it is NEVER garaged, yet it still looks like new. It has not had a tune-up in 82,000 miles [had platinum plugs put in] but it always starts and still moves like a rocket when I tap the accelerator. Im really planning on getting another 200,000 miles out this car and will be happy to drive it the rest of my life if at all possible. I love my Maxima!

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  Great New Style - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By smudges - May 1 - 8:03 pm

  I love the way this SUV handles itself on the road. I find it easy to manuever even at higher speeds. It feels solid and stable. Living MN the 4 wheel drive helps a lot.

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  rattles and bad salesman - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Mario - May 1 - 12:36 pm

  I love this truck and am happy that I own it. But it would appear the quality of those who manufactured the vehicles was poor. Mechanically everything is sound. Though I have, on the inside, lots of clicks, rattles, poorly placed trim and many other complaints. Worse than that, my salesman was a snake in the grass. Not that I should have expected more from a car salesman, but he certainly threw a kink in the whole experience. It would be nice if the bed was a little longer, like 8 inches longer, but at 64 with the extra cab I cant really complain. Hauling a cord of wood is easy enough, but making it a 3/4 ton truck wouldve been nice. Know also that this truck dents very easily!