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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  My path - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By chasrkim - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Excellent vehicle in all respects

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  MAXIMA IS GREAT - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By SCOTTIE - December 7 - 10:00 am

  THIS CAR IS GREAT. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU COULD ASK FOR AT A GREAT PRICE. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR OVER 2 YEARS NOW AND HAVE LITTLE TO NO PROBLEMS. MY CAR HAS OVER 125,000 MILES AND RUNS LIKE IT IS BRAND NEW. THE CAR CAME WITH LOTS OF GOOD AMMENITIES - CAR LOOKS ASTONISHING.

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  Excellent Choice - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By APMX - December 7 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Pathfinder in January 02, and have had no problems. Fit and finish top notch. Great stereo. Love those steering wheel controls.

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  Not so sporty - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By James Mitchell - December 6 - 9:20 pm

  This is a decent all round car which Nisson likes to advertise as sporty. The styling is so/so but the thing that really holds it back is the dreaded continuously variable transmission (CVT) While having just shy of 300 horses the car is a major dog off the line. The CVT makes a loud howling sound but it lacks the snap of a normal tranny. Additionally, handling is mediocore at best. I only kept the car through 20,000 miles but had no mechanical problems.

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  A front-drive Bimmer - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By David Jones - December 6 - 1:40 pm

  Ive always wanted a Maxima and finally found a great deal on a 5sp GXE. obviously the nissan V6 is well known and i can feel all 222hp and 210lbft of torque in any gear. The clutch took awhile to master and the shift throws are a bit long and notchy but the power makes shifting largely optional anyway. Interior build quality could be better in places but the overall design is just right. Interior room and fuel economy are excellent, although the latter is balanced out by the need for 91 octane fuel. Exterior design is unique, though not quite beautiful. After driving 7000 mi, the car now has 52,500 mi and has needed only a reflash of the catalytic converter (covered under warranty).

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  Transmission problems - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By cardenasj2038 - December 6 - 11:05 am

  I bought a new 2005 Nissan Maxima and recently I have had some transmission issues. The gears have been sticking and slipping and so I took it to the dealership and was informed that I need a new transmission and that my warranty expired 890 miles before I took it in (my warranty on the transmission was until the car reached 60,000 miles). The dealership then informed me that it would cost $5300 to replace this. I did some research on the internet and found out that I am no the only person with this issue, and I also noticed that it is a widespread issue for the model year I have.

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  Quality - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Mitch - December 6 - 10:50 am

  I use the Xterra for work and play. It handles anything I need from towing a flatbed trailer, loading gear on the roof rack and getting to the most remote trails for off roading. Gas mileage is decent for a midsize suv and power is adequate at most. The Xterras up side far outweighs the bad. It is the most solid vehicle I have ever owned (6) and I would recommend it to people of all ages.

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  Looker - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By KingPiper - December 6 - 9:26 am

  I have had the car for about a month now and I love the performance. The CVT trans makes it accelerate like it is in one gear the whole time while you hit 70 mph. Nice smooth feel driving around town. The bump are noticeable but what do you expect from such a sport susp that will hug a corner like a smaller car. Car seats fit well in this model with the anchor. Every time I take off with my kid she says WhooOOO, my thought exactly.

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  What a disappointment - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Mark Moreno - December 6 - 8:10 am

  Why was this car my first ever lemon Ive ever owned. Let me just say I had to replace the front left bearing 4 times. Thats right 4 times and Nissan treated me like a you know what. Lets just say the regional manager says she called me 3 times and never did. Be careful buying this cars. You need to fuel the car with 91 octane or better. There is no 40/60 split. The tail rattles after taking the abuse of the NYC streets. Do not replace the tranny fluid. I had to replace the tranny. When everything was working properly, the car was amazing to drive, great performance drives amazing for a FWD car. I will miss the 6-speed tranny. Watch out for Nissans customer service, its bad.

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  Nice car, but.... - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By FC - December 5 - 2:50 pm

  Overall, a very nice car, but it has some quirks/issues. Dual panel moonroof very noisy when open and no deflector available. Climate controlled drivers seat doesnt get hot like a regular heated seat. Have to purchase Premium package to get satelitte radio (extra 3K). The ride is not smooth, tires feel like their not balanced even though I have been back to dealer for road force balance - disappointing for a 34K car.