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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  Exellent style - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By E, Cabral - March 15 - 2:00 am

  I like the 4cyl but , I would like to trade it for a king cab 6cyl without down payment down. I own Three nissans

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  one of 3 best cars for money - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By theodore popee - March 14 - 4:56 pm

  this car has more bells and standard features than accord or camry. best buy for a 4cy lots of room in rear seat and trunk

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  Cant be happier - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By MLB - March 14 - 4:53 pm

  I have never had a single problem with my Xterra. The gas mileage is not the best, but I knew that going in. This type of truck is going to be thirsty. I take it in for every service and that seems to be helping since like I said NO PROBLEMS AT ALL!! I would recomend this to everyone.

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  Quality car - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By duke - March 14 - 3:50 pm

  This is an update of an earlier review of my 2000 Maxima. Ive owned it now for 3 1/2 years and I have to say that overall, it is the best car that I have ever owned. Objectively speaking, this is a quality car, with few problem issues. Yes, I have had to spend $700 to replace the ignition coils (as mentioned by many 2000 Maxima owners), plus another $250 or so to replace an O2 sensor. However, overall, it has been a very good value and near-luxury in execution. It now has 120,000 miles on it and the engine is as strong as ever. It needs minor bodywork, but I have decided that I will get that done, as I plan to drive this baby for another 3 years.

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  nice! lovely murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By nice! by ken.. - March 14 - 3:23 am

  It is truly fun to drive to me.. The overall quality is so great.. I"ve been change so many car every single year.. this car is the best that i been drive.. nice design in & out, resonable price.. great 18" lovely wheels makes better appearance. it rides like a luxury car & looks like a Lexus.. i still dont get it, why people spent more money for other luxury.. ^^

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  Its ok - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By NICOLE - March 14 - 2:06 am

  I purchased my 03 pathfinder a year after the new body style came out. At the time I didnt need the 3rd row seat but now wish I purchased that instead. shortly after purchasing I brought it back in because I had a heat shield loose and exhaust leak. My service engine light is always on, I have it shut off and after driving anywhere from 60-200 miles it turns back on because an evap leak. I recently had a smoke machine hooked up to it and was able to find the leak near the gas tank. I have removed almost all the heat shields and replaced my muffler twice and had it fixed once.

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  Bummer - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By murrayv - March 14 - 12:45 am

  See "Car and Driver" review here - http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/nissan/versa for a succinct and accurate description. However dont believe the fuel economy claims. The first time I used this car for a trip, it ran out of gas in only 320 miles at highway speeds. The drivers manual says it has an 11.7 gallon tank. Thats only 27 mpg. Also the gas guage cannot be seen in bright sunlight wearing sun glasses, and even without sun-glasses cannot be seen safely while driving. Also the low fuel indication started flashing only 20 miles before the fuel ran out, and I got off the freeway once in a failed attempt to find a gas station in that 20 miles.

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  First SUV and loving it - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jim Lewis - March 13 - 10:00 am

  I bought a 4x4 2002 Pathfinder LE. This is the first SUV that I have owned. My previous car was a 1992 Lexus GS300, and I dont miss it. While the Pathfinder is certainly not a Lexus the ride is comfortable and the drive is very simular to a car. I have taking the Pathfinder off road once up in Malibu and it was a rush - after I got half way into it I realized I was dinking around with a new car so I slowed it down, but it was fun. The Pathfinder was able to hadle the trails very well. The milage I have gotton around town is about 14MPG and hwy has been about 17MPG. I test drove just about everything else out there and I am very pleased with the decision so far.

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  You get what you pay for - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By MojoDojo - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Should have known when I bought the cheapest sport ute that it wouldnt last long. It was great for the first year and a half, but now all the plastic bits & bobs are starting to break: the plastic rivets that hold the cloth to the back of the seat, the plastic panel on the hatch back, the arm rest/cd holder. Oh well, I bought it to take camping and its never let me down on our adventures in the wild.

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  3 Week Rental Car - 2002 Maxima SE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By admasters - March 13 - 10:00 am

  We had the pleasure of driving a 2002 Maxima SE for 3 weeks as a rental car while we were waiting on our car to be repaired after an accident.My wife and I both really liked this car.The car had a lot of room and could easily and very comfortably seat 3 adults across the backseat.The V6 was strong and fun to drive.It had a lot of power and was not sluggish when you needed the acceleration.The suspension seemed a little stiff and did not give as smooth a ride as we would have thought, but it was a SE suspension therefore more geared toward performance I think.