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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  Fantastic Truck - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By tufaznailz - February 22 - 3:43 am

  This is a solid truck that looks good and has a cab that will help you stay organized. I think it is the best value in the marketplace, but the gas mileage on the 2wd Nismo stinks.

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  Oil consumption - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By april - February 21 - 11:56 pm

  I have had my altima (2.5 special edition package) since Mar. 2006. Loved it until I started to hear engine noise with only 4,000 miles. Per Nissan, they expect 87,000 altimas to have oil consumption defect where you have to get your oil checked every 700 miles. This problem led to me having to get a new engine with 5000 miles. Thank goodness for warranty!

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  Fun Driving!! - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By My Max - February 21 - 10:19 pm

  I was considering the 2016 BMW 328xi. Who wouldnt its a BMW. After doing some serious research the 328xi base model didnt match up to the 2016 Maxima SR. After adding all the bells and whistles I wanted to the 328xi the price tag went from sub 40k to mid 50k. The 2016 Maxima SR was my choice. All those bells and whistles I wanted came standard for a price tag of sub 40k. Navigation, premium sound system, back up camera, sonar sensors, heated seats, heated steering wheel, really cool 19" wheels oh dont forget the 300 horses that make those 19s look even better on the road. Thats just to name a few. Im super excited I decide to go with the Maxima it has everything I wanted plus a few extras. If your looking for more BANG for your BUCK consider the Maxima. Cuddos to Nissan on a job well done!!!

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  my little white Nissan - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By pboggs - February 21 - 7:56 am

  We bought the car, and I have never been more happy with any purchase, as with this one. I absolutely love my little white Nissan Sentra. It drives like a dream, gets great mileage, and has room for my daughter in her seat in the back. And it has air conditioning. This was our first brand new car, and I dont want anything else, for a very long, long time. I may someday trade it in for a Pathfinder, but for nothing else. Thank you Nissan for helping us to get into this car. We love it.

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  Buy this car! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Jim G - February 21 - 7:06 am

  The Murano is the best combination of attractive design, comfort, utiltarian design, handling, and economy of any vehicle I have ever owned or driven.

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  Love but ? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By cvb8 - February 21 - 3:59 am

  Problems seems to be popping up. First time I had a car stop behind me when backing up...accident since no warning. Next, back up screen showed electrical waverings and passenger air bag lit up. Passenger door whistles and sounds as though something is open when not. CD player only holds ONE disc at a time (bad, bad) and recently when I did a phone call while CD was playing and ended it, a message saying No USB connection) Lastly (for now) the car slips into neutral at 35 mph and has to be shifted from drive to neutral and back to drive. Probably should have bought another Honda Accord since it seems Nissan, though has great styling, conveniences and good gas mileage, has many "bugs"

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  no problems here - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By augie - February 21 - 2:23 am

  I bought our 1997 Pathfinder new in 1998. Got a good deal on it. As our spare vehicle we only drove it about 4,000 miles a year the first 8 years. That all changed when our daughter started driving. She doubled the mileage in 3 years. It has had the normal things replaced/repaired. The A/C evaporator is the biggest so far. Im very comfortable with our daughter driving it full time. It has to be inspected next month and if we get bad news we may look around at some other SUVs. We cant afford another Pathfinder. That Hyundai 10 year 100,000 power train warranty is looking pretty good.

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  Awesome Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Nealy27 - February 20 - 3:40 pm

  This car is awesome! First time I drove it I didnt want to park!!! I test drove several other competing cars ( Mazda6, Camry, Honda) and there the Altima. Performs great and is alot of fun to drive.

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  Commuter Car Supreme - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Hoho - February 19 - 5:13 pm

  I got sick of driving my BMW 325 in the snow, and then got sick of fixing my Volvo, so I sucked it up and bought a commuter car. I have always been a fan of Nissan reliability -- have had several over many years. I now drive 25k a year. I have put 34k on this car, and it runs the same as the day I bought it. There was a minor vibration at 3000 RPM that was easily repaired (air conditioning insulation was vibrating). I have done all the scheduled maintenance. I recommend that. I am of the mind set that if this car is maintained correctly, it will last a long time. Is it fun to drive like a Euro car? NO! But it is reasonably quiet, handles okay, and slow as molasses. Overall I am happy.

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  my tank! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By niki - February 19 - 4:30 pm

  we, love it we went from a domestic midsize to the armada and it just feels so big! I have plenty of room for a carseet and and can still seat 5 more kids and my husband comfortably, thats important when hauling around a girls softball team and all their equipment, the trunk has plenty of room for it all, there is no complaing because someone is touching me, or my legs are cramped. everyone has their own space. the dvd player makes for a quiet ride when it is on.