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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  Scene Stealer - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Dean&deLuca - October 12 - 7:50 pm

  Ive been driving it for almost a month now and my love for this beauty grows deeper and deeper everyday. Not to mention the fast acceleration, the high seat (yeah, i can see the rooftops of the most common suvs), but what made me love this car more is the attention that im getting from the other drivers/pedestrians. Just cant figure out what they think though but the fact that their heads turned in my direction is enough for me.

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  2010 Nissan GTR - 2010 Nissan GT-R
  By gtringa - October 12 - 11:52 am

  What an absolute dream car. Super car performance at a fantastically low price (relatively speaking) Despite the massive horsepower and torque the AWD system keeps it planted firmly on the road. They hold their money too Its a dream come true.

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  Lots of car for the money - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Swerver - October 12 - 11:10 am

  Weve had our Versa for about 7 months and we LOVE it.We looked at all the others, and it was no contest.Classier and more substantial looking than the Fit or Yaris, almost identical in dimensions and capacities to the Vibe/Matrix but costing thousands less, the Versa is great bang for the buck. The fact that it drives and feels nothing like an economy car is icing on the cake.The interior is amazingly roomy and comfortable for a small car and a lot quieter than I expected, almost a Mausoleum compared to my old Neon. Incredible room in the back seat and more than enough cargo space. The Versas space efficiency is truly amazing.

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  Worst Decision Ever - 2014 Nissan Sentra
  By never_again10 - October 12 - 5:39 am

  I purchased this 2014 Sentra SR a few months back and within minutes of leaving the dealership I noticed the Shutter/Shudder/Jutter whatever you want to call it. 3 Nissan Dealerships and 200+ technician driven miles later and they still cant come up with a fix. I contacted Nissan North America about a month ago and have been going back and forth with the rudest, most incompetent customer service agents ever. Not only are they impolite and discourteous, but they actually have the nerve to talk down to you like youre some kind of idiot. Anyways, Ill keep everyone here in the loop as this process plays out. In the meantime, AVOID NISSAN LIKE THE PLAGUE!

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  Questionable Nissan Quality - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By ablit - October 11 - 11:43 pm

  After 51,000miles, my 2001 Frontiers AC would not blow cold air. i had it checked out at the dealer and the low end hose was leaking and was replaced,at my cost. After a few days, hot air was blowing again. Now, its the evaporative cooler behind the dash that is leaking. This, I think, is a highly unexpected problem to occur on a car this new. I thought Nissans were very reliable, that is why I bought it, in the first place.

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  2010 3.5SR update - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By nissanboy - October 11 - 10:40 pm

  Great Car when Brand New! Currently have 11500 miles and now I have plenty of rattles along with road noise. Engine performs well without any problems, but it struggles to meet my performance(speed) expectations. Had previous VQ35DE engines and loved them all, but this one is not performing as I hoped. Hit the gas from a stop car takes off, give it gas @ 60 mph the car creeps to 80 mph. I noticed that this VQ does not require 93 octane maybe thats the problem. Car works fine and all of the gadgets seem to work as designed i.e. Navi, Bluetooth, HID lights, AC. I strongly suggest nissan improve the paint because it scratches and chips easily. No way did these cars go through 5000 test as advertised.

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  Ideal choice for Singles and Small Family - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By supragya - October 11 - 7:12 pm

  Bought Nissan Rogue 2012 S AWD Special Edition. Requirement - Looking for a crossover which could address the requirements for small family (couple and an infant) and it fit the bill perfectly. - AWD - We get lot of snow here in Phily and AWD became a necessity. Rationale and Decision Making. - Special Edition provided very good value esp with the reverse parking camera (and 15" aluminium wheels, steering mounted controls, privacy glass, decent audio system) and fog lamps; a must for this SUV which huge D Pillars which limits visibility.

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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Raymond - October 11 - 5:53 pm

  Ive had the Pathfinder for 3 weeks now and I love it. I did have a rattle that took a couple visits to the dealer to get it repaired. The problem was a rattle coming from the front passengers floor/kick panel area. And the fix was the body mount behind the frontside passenger side wheel, that was missing a shim. It sounds wired but it is fixed. The Pathfinder has been great other than that problem. It is very fun to drive comfortable and quick, easy to speed in. The third seat could be allitle bigger and in my opinion compromised the second seat abit. But, I wasnt interest in the third seat. My gas mileage has been slightly better than advertised(17.5) and this all in town driving.

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  titans are the best trucks - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Skylor - October 11 - 12:30 pm

  The handling and performance of the nissan titan are flat out amazing. I love it. The stereo system and dual climate control and all the bells and whistles are amazing. I love the truck and plan to keep it for a long long time.

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  Nissan Leaf - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By ronokuda - October 11 - 8:19 am

  If you can afford it, this car is fun to drive. Plenty of pick-up (we drive home over 80 mph). It is a commuter car for going to work and coming home. Approximate round trip distance is 100 miles on one charge. If you use economy mode, it can get more miles, but no pick up and go, I mean none. When you go down hill or even flat (not up hill) it can make more miles instead of using up miles on economy. Approximate cost to charge from empty is $2.50. Dont get ripped off when getting your home charger, (see suggested improvements). Go see Gina or Ken at Performance Nissan. I can honestly say you will get an up and up deal, and not get ripped.