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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  The super engined SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By AScot - January 22 - 12:03 am

  The best engine on the market. The CVT is smooth and responsive. Holds the road surprising well for a SUV. Not had it long enough to properly evaluate reliability, but it seems fine. Beautiful exterior styling, with 18" wheels. Love it or hate it interior styling (I love it). Good quality materials used in seats, dash, etc. All in all an excellent used car buy.

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  Mr. Bugs - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By cygnus - January 21 - 10:56 pm

  I purchased my SE-R 7 weeks ago and it has been in the shop 4 times, it makes a strange sound similar to hissing or a shaking a filament in a light bulb when the car travels over any street that is not newly paved. At this time the dealership as not been able to pinpoint the problem. They have replaced struts and strut mounts so far. My driver side door froze and would not open. The car is due back in the shop to replace a broken positive battery terminal connector that is on order. I love the engine power and styling but my car seems to have a lot of bugs and problems to be only a year old.

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  Absolutely awesome sports car - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Ryan - January 21 - 10:53 pm

  My last 3 cars have been sports cars, (Mustang GT, Subaru WRX, 350Z) and this trumps them all This car pulls beautifully, runs great, is super reliable, amazing performance. Just love it. I recommend it highly

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  Excellent so far - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By HyAltimus - January 21 - 9:43 pm

  The gas mileage is excellent. So far, I am getting 42+ miles per gallon (75% hwy, 25% local). I had my son drive the car. He could not achieve the high gas mileage, but he has really enjoyed the performance of Altima Hybrid. The vehicle dynamics, in my opinion, is more European than Japanese. My son and I agree that its behavior is closer to my Audi than my Honda Accord. The Altimas new chassis, which has an European origin, definitely gives this planted and secure feeling. Finally, not having a unique shape of Prius is a plus.

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  Love my Car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Love my Car!!!!!!!! - January 21 - 9:13 pm

  I just purchased this car last week. This is my first car and so far it has done well. I will have to let you know how it is after I have it for a while.

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  Great New Crossover - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By todd - January 21 - 3:33 pm

  We traded in our 2002 GMC Envoy to purchase a crossover with better gas mileage. We test drove the Honda CR-V and the Saturn Vue. Fell in love with the nissan rogue test drive. Very comfortable on the inside, dashboard layout is clean and simple, very peppy four cylinder and corners well (have the SL which comes with 17" tires). The stock radio was surprisingly powerful.Wish the vehicle had an adjustable center console cover. Slso wish the vehicle came with colored body side molding. Affordable and smart looking.

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  Did Not Last - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Lisa - January 21 - 1:30 pm

  My 2008 Nissan Rogue was great the first 2 years I had it. Into my second year of owning this vehicle, the transmission died. There was a 60,000 mile warranty on the transmission originally, but Nissan upgraded the warranty to 120,000 miles due to the problems these transmissions were having. Nissan replaced the transmission, but the car was never the same. The car couldnt handle a 40 mile trip without losing power. After driving about 40 miles and exiting the freeway, the car did not want to accelerate. After that, the air bag light began blinking. found out that this repair costs about $1600. This car seemed to have problems every couple months. I ended up trading my 2008 Nissan Rogue for a 2013 Ford Edge.

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  solid truck lacks a little power - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By hecatomb - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I can handle a little less power for better MPG. I purchased an extended warrenty but it hasnt broken down. Its as solid as a rock! the ride, preformance, etc.

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  Not what I had in mind - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By TNLady - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I leased this vehicle and had it during my last two years of college. The not so good: It stalled in the middle of an intersection while running after I owned it for 2 or 3 months (that was fun), the side mirror fell off (not under warranty), driver and passenger window motors went out,and I bought 4 new tires bc the original were rather crappy. The interior is also very cheaply made and the engine makes it hard to keep up in traffic sometimes. Keep in mind this is a "compact" car and Nissan takes that literally with very little leg room to go around.

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  Good car for the price - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Tdubby23 - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Have had my Altima almost 2 years now. I paid $17,000 brand new. For that price I got a really good car. I upgraded to a stiffer rear sway bar and 18" rims and a nice tint, and I have a really sweet ride! It handles great and I like the look of the exterior. The interior is okay, though some of the dash pieces are hard plastic and my shift boot fell apart. There is tons of room, so you get a sporty look with lots of room! I recommend this car, especially the new 2005 with its redesigned interior.