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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  Hesitant Transmissiion Problems - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Ken Mader - April 28 - 1:30 pm

  Have problems with acceleration. The drive is not smooth and there is hesitation when first giving gas of about 3-4 seconds before it gives me power. Nissan says that this is normal and that there is nothing wrong with the car. Nissan is aware of the problem because others have complained of the same problem, but Nissan is not willing to fix the problem or make the consumer happy. Shame on Nissan!

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  Absolute terrific, underrated truck! - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Leo - April 28 - 10:16 am

  What attracted us to this car was that it is the only 1/2 ton pickup with a full size cab and long bed. This configuration is awesome! The cabin is very comfy, seats are soft, rear leg room is limo-like. Power of the big V8 is incredible, the car is quiet, decent sound system and has lots of fun toys like the bluetooth. It behaves very well for a truck, soft over the bumps, but feels very tough at the same time. Definitely underrated as far as the full truck segment goes and its a shame Nissan hasnt done a better job marketing the truck.

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  Very Happy so far! - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Harleycag - April 28 - 2:30 am

  Ive had my 2010 Rogue for a week...and I LOVE IT! I bought a base model with the 360 package...definitely worth it! I added heated leather seats, Bluetooth and remote start...all for under $2000, which still brought the sticker price of this car in well under $26K. LOVE the CVT...drives smooth, no transitioning of gears. Ive yet to drive in the snow, but am hopeful from all the reviews Ive read. The 4 cylinder is powerful enough for me, but Im a "chick" and was told that the 4 cyl. is a "chick car" because of that, lol. It is a quiet and smooth ride...which after owning a Subaru Forester is a nice change!

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  Happy with our Murano - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By dennyregazzo - April 27 - 7:20 pm

  Bought the SL AWD with Premium, Leather and Moonroof package. We were looking for a crossover for 18 months. Seriously considered Chevy Equinox/GMC Terrain and GMC Acadia. Settled on Murano do to performance (at the cost of fuel efficiency) and styling. We are very glad we waited for 2010 model since it is a cosmetic improvement on 2009. We are extremely happy with decision as car is a joy to drive. We have had no issues although we are still only 3000 miles into ownership.

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  the best truck in my life - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By little nicky - April 27 - 3:13 pm

  This is one of the greatest trucks I have ever driven. The only setback was the brakes needed replacing because the morons who designed the truck put in frontier brakes designed for the smaller pick-up/SUV. However, now I have new special-designed brake rotors and feet for the TITAN and never had a problem since! I highly recommend this truck for both comfort and work. But be warned....the TITAN has such torque that it can rip your head off! The stock horsepower is almighty and has great potential! This is a must!

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  Has been a decent car - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By greg_m - April 26 - 4:30 pm

  My dad was the original owner of this car and sold it to me in 2003 w/about 135,000 miles on it. Its a pretty quick car for only being a 4 cyl., but the gas mileage isnt all that great either. When I was putting mostly highway miles on it traveling to work, I think I only averaged about 22 or 3 mpg. The engine still runs nice at 170k miles, but it has always had an oil leak. Ruined a distributor and an alternator. Got the seal fixed once, but now it leaks again.

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  Most comfortable - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By chris - April 26 - 12:30 pm

  My husband and I owned a Frontier prior to the Titan and I am highly impressed with the comfort and performance of our Titan. It powers up hills.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By j - April 26 - 11:06 am

  Great SUV, mine has 74k on it and I pound on it. Everything in my car is original except the tires which wore down at 65k. Still on original brakes battery and everything else. Drives more like a truck then a car. Interior is well laid out and I haul a lot of stuff to sports tourneys etc. Never had a real problem (knock on fake burlwood). Great ride and reliable, only annoyance is the constant problems with the tire pressure sensors (o ring is too small and tears causing a small leak whenever it gets cold). Fuel economy stinks, 15mpg no matter how I drive.

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  dependability on 4 wheels - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By champange - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my 02 GXE for 20 months. Other than having the o2 sensor replaced 5 months ago, I had absolutely no other problems and this car is the perfect around town commuter car. Been getting 25 miles city and 35+ highway. Has good torque at low speeds and handles quite well. A good financial investment.

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  Just upgraded - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By S.J. - April 26 - 2:00 am

  97 SE to a 03 LE. The added horsepower is great. Truck is 2 weeks and it needs a new power sunroof motor. Otherwise, the overall design and features of the LE model are well worth the price, invoice that is. Gas mileage could use some improvement but its an SUV what did you expect. Our final decision came down to the Pathfinder vs. the Lincoln Aviator. The Aviator had all the bells and whistles, but its still a Ford product and resale value compared to a Nissan will make you realize that eventually. I would definitely recommend this truck if you are looking for a reliable vehicle thats fun to drive and holds its value.