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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  Titan Impresses Thus Far - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By kenitzer - November 6 - 11:56 pm

  We purchased our 05 Titan 4x4 3 mo. ago with 72K miles from a local used car lot. I looked at over 40 4x4 trucks and had trouble finding one that was well cared for and had reasonable mileage. When I saw this truck I was impressed, but some online reviews made me worry about quality and reliability. Since correcting a CEL issue and doing some minor deferred maintenance, it has been a great truck. We only use it for hauling and towing so its not a daily driver - good thing at only 13 mpg. So far so good. We pulled a 12 UHaul trailer moving my son to OH a few wks ago and the trip was great. I am loving this truck more and more each day. I hope it provides years of reliable service.

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  Reliable, economical and not bad looking - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By silverelan - November 6 - 9:35 pm

  Wife and I bought our Sentra new and have been very happy with it after 85000 miles. Just change the oil, follow the maintenance schedule and slap on some new tires as needed. I love the smooth CVT with no shift points, the engine power wont win any drag races but gets the job done. I have taken the Sentra on several West Coast road trips over mountain passes and even fully loaded we make it thru just fine. Good gas mileage on the freeway though I struggle around 23-25mpg in the city. Newer cars will do better in town but thats to be expected. Plenty roomy inside and the interior has held up well over the years. Overall we have been happy with the vehicle.

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  Great truck - 2011 Nissan Titan
  By pianotunertech - November 6 - 5:17 pm

  For a 5.6 the truck pretty muscly. Good acceleration. The drivetrain/ride is pretty smooth like all Nissans tend to be, a level of civilized smoothness. I like the fold up seats in the crew cab back, which by the way are far more comfortable than Fords and others. I tended to put tools and groceries inside the cab with the seats folded up. I like the looks of the truck too. Toyota had a great thing with the Tundra before it went panda looking, I think the Chevy Silverado has it in the good looks department but the Titan looks aggressive and cool. I think the Titan bed is a little cheap though--seems plastic liner covers places where there isnt sheet metal underneath which I didnt lik

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  Drift Issues - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Strick - November 6 - 10:30 am

  Ive written one review already after owning the car for a couple days. Its now been 2 months. I have to say overall not a bad car but having driven it 2000 miles now I am concerned about drift. Even with no winds the car tends to drift especially at higher speeds (65 plus). And the drift is sudden left or sudden right. Sometimes it can be quiet alarming. Ive never owned another car that did this. Could be just mine. Going to the dealer next week to get suspension and steering looked at but be careful and pay attention to the test drive before buying and if you already bought like me then pay attention and get it looked at if needed

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  Burning oil in a foreign car??? - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By klr4isu - November 6 - 4:16 am

  Ive had this car for just over a year and enjoyed it until I started burning oil for no reason. No leaks, Im actually BURNING it! I went through a quart of oil in about a month. I thought the hype of buying a foreign car was how reliable they are mechanically... go figure. Oh, and theres some weird rattling noise under the hood that my mechanic described as a "loose shield" that I have to get fixed. Sounds like a can with marbles shaking in it when Im at about 2-2.5 RPMs. And I guess I figured the whole point of getting a 4-cylinder was the awesome gas mileage. I average 26 and I guess I figured it would be more since 80% of my driving is highway. Go figure. No more Nissans for me.

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  Fantastic Maxima - Best in the Market - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By MAX2004 - November 5 - 11:33 pm

  Usually I do not give review unless I like the vehicle 100%. The 6th generation maxima is best in the industry. I purchased the vehicle in Aug, 2004 since then I put on around 18500 miles. No major problems. Only problem I had initially was with balancing. That was resolved with in 2 months after I purchased. Since then till today, I have no other issues. I always use premium fuel and getting consistent 25 miles per gal. Till today my car looks beautiful as new. Excellent performance and very comfortable. Before I used maxima, I used Toyota and Honda vehicles. They never come closer to the 6th generation maxima. I love my maxima. Thanks to Nissan

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  Could not be better - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Nieves - November 5 - 3:40 pm

  Excellent vehicle quality. Very fun to drive. High visibility and very stylish. I use to drive a Jetta which is very compact. Before that I had a Ford Excursion, very comfortable, but terrible gas mileage. I am very happy with this vehicle so far.

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  07 Versa - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By DNClark - November 4 - 10:06 pm

  Only 2 complaints. Car has no pickup when using the AC, and the shift from 1st to 2nd feels like a manual tranny even though its an automatic. Other than that its a great car.

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  "Smooth Car" - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By TomB03 - November 4 - 1:43 pm

  This car is smooth. Abundant torque, loads of space, plenty of amenities and four doors make for a very fun ride indeed.

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  One to Keep - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By judger21 - November 4 - 1:24 pm

  Bought our 98 Pathfinder LE new (back in the day) & have loved it ever since. Basic & expected maintenance only & rolling strong at 189,000 miles & counting. Does everything & still is the backbone of the family fleet (Altima & Juke) in terms of usability, versatility (boat, dogs etc.), safety, & confidence in bad weather. Will drive it until either I or it give(s) out.