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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  Great Truck - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Bruce - November 11 - 12:43 pm

  I have driven this little truck for 98000 miles with no problems. One set of tires and windshield wipers. Nothing else. Great in the sand at the beach. Has some issues puling and seems to be a little gutless on hills or with a big load and gets about 19 miles to the gallon. Not great but this little truck is as dependable as they get. I even push a little snow in the winter.

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  So far so good - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By prodigy1 - November 11 - 3:14 am

  We have a 2013 sentr sr with 600 miles. So far everything seems fine. A couple of things Ive noticed is the cvt transmission takes a lot to get use to. Its either slowing down or speeding up. It just took time to get the feel for it and learn the cvt. the Mpgs are okay. I drive about 8 miles a day and Im getting 250 miles a tank. Im sure on the highway Ill get the full 350-400 miles my wifes gets. The performance is blah which is to be suspected, its not a sports car. I like it for what it is. I liked it more then the corolla I test drove and more then the civic. You get more bang for the buck with the Sentra in my opinion. I will update later.

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  Awesome - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Andy in Indy - November 10 - 7:20 pm

  I didnt get a chance to test-drive the 3.5 until I picked it up and wow can you tell the difference. So quick and very smooth acceleration. Really love the car and cant beat it for the price. Everyone whos seen it comments on how great it looks.

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  A good car at a great price - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bstern92 - November 10 - 4:03 pm

  I bought the Versa from the original owner and it now has 84,000 miles on it. All in all it was a great buy. You cant beat the price of the Versa. Since I have a bad back it was hard to find a car with a seat that was super comfortable besides my friends Volvo, but obviously I couldnt afford that and the Versa is the only other car that gives me complete pain relief. Has more interior room than my dads Acura TSX. Gas mileage is great, but the gas tank is small so dont let the gas gauge fool you. Some negatives are the acceleration and has lots of body roll. The thing I hate the most is not having a middle armrest. Cup holders are awkward. Cruise control isnt standard. No trunk button

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  Love my Murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Love this SUV - November 10 - 1:33 pm

  I bought my Murano new in 2004. I have had zero problems with it after 93,000 miles. All service was done at my local dealership, and their service has been excellent, but perhaps a little pricey. I drive mostly highway and consistently get 22.5 to 23 miles per gallon, which was as advertised. I comfortably fit 4 men and 4 sets of hockey equipment in it. Recently, Nissan extended the warranty on the drivetrain, to 10 years 100,000 miles (transferable). There were two or three recalls which I did not experience personally but were performed on the car.

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  Bad auto mechanic - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Hi - November 10 - 12:20 pm

  This van is huge. It has a lot amount of space for all seven people. then theres the problems. Fist two days after buying the van the service light went on. We take it to the dealership and the catalytic converter is bad. We leave for a ten hour trip the next day. They gave us a rental for a month! Then just couldnt fix the van. When we got it back it was making some weird noise. Take it to the shop, They cant here it. Thats only the start. This vans been in the shop over 13 times, in 9 months. The next problem is the cheap booty materials. The worst part is how low it is. We live in the boondocks and we always bottom out. Although it has a smooth ride when its not broke.

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  being Green is fun - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Barbara - November 10 - 10:10 am

  I have had None of the problems listed in other reviews. Car stays in electric mode even over 35/mph at times. No brake noises. Fits even the tall people in my family. do not have high tech package but the regular stuff is fine. Comfortable seats, ride etc. More gas is used if needed heat or air conditioner otherwise It sips and I can go more than 2 weeks before needing gas.

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  Disappointing Fuel Mileage - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By jimbo - November 10 - 7:10 am

  Most of my driving is around town. The fuel mileage I am getting is very disappointing. On average I drive 270 miles on 17 gallons of gas. The equates to 15/16 miles to the gallon. Whether I drive the car manual or automatic I get the same results. The manufacture states 23 miles around town. Highway I am not sure of. I bought the car thinking the milage around would be good. Disappointed.

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  Dont judge a book by its cover. - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By nwryuber - November 10 - 6:46 am

  Ive got to say that this is an absolutely incredible car and I would definitely say it is the best in its class. I looked at all of the coupes at this price point including Tiburon, Eclipse, Solara, etc., and this by far is the nicest. The only thing that would be nice, would be a nicer interior. The interior isnt that bad as compared to the sedan in my opinion, but could definitely use work. But other than that, Ive had no problems and absolutely love this car!

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  Great little car. - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By jim - November 10 - 4:50 am

  Recently bought the car for my wife. Have taken it on a few short road trips. Car is fun to drive, fuel economy was out of this world, powerful beyond belief.