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 - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By charles - November 15 - 9:23 am

  Bought it last year, I was between the Jeep Rubicon (which i have always wanted) and this. I had to go with the better of the two, the Xterra has definitely proved a worthy truck. The manual transmission is great, the engine has a lot of power, and for off roading, its amazing. I bought some All terrain tires, stock ones were a little dull, performs amazing in the snow. Always find an excuse to go driving, close to 10,000 miles already and planning a 700 mile road trip soon. The handling is just what I expected, it drives like a truck because it is one. Fuel I am averaging around 19, I drive fast though and with OR tires. I have had some minor problems, but nothing serious.

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  NV 200 perfect for small business - 2014 Nissan NV200
  By Don Berg - November 14 - 6:53 pm

  I own a small cable/satellite company and needed a small van for service calls in Colorado. Found the NV200 had plenty of pep going up and down some of the larger mountain ranges. Used the overdrive a lot going down. 25 MPG fully loaded at 8000 feet plus. Hands free cell calls, XM radio and Navigation worked really well. During VERY cold days, left drivers food froze...Needs work on floor heater. Had problem with tire wear and had to replace in 14,000 miles. Right rear tire required shim to put in alignment. Also talked to a "Tire Whisper" (A friend that is the alignment business for 40 years) and he told me to quite rotating front to back, but to go a X pattern for 5 times then the 6th go back to front to back one time. Tire problem went away. At the present time, you can only get tires from the dealer, so its best to stay on pressure. Overall the NV200 is a solid van for small business

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  Decent - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Jason Fritz - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I got bored with this truck fast. Its cool looking, and can take you off road, but dont expect anything to happen when you step on the gas.

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  Nice Truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By thedingo - November 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Nissan and so far I am happy. Good Power....great ride....good amount of room. Moved several people and even with the short bed and a tonneau cover had a substantial amount of room.

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  15 months w/my Frontier - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By DB - November 10 - 7:10 am

  I have had my Frontier for almost a year & 1/2 now. I use it for personal/family, not really as a truck. I love the bed for carrying things I would have to squeeze into a car trunk, like Little League equip. I purchased an aftermarket locking bed cover, so it makes it much more useful. I love everything about this truck except large turning radius & poor gas mileage (about 14 mpg in local driving). It feels comfortable & looks great.

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  Not Bad - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Vertifly - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Right now I am approaching the end of my first gas tank at 250 miles. That says a lot so far. This thing is, no doubt, a gas gusler. Other than that, it seems like an intelligent purchase for someone who needs a truck but does not want to sacrifice a back seat. The truck is stylish enough to be proud of driving and gets the job done. I can see myself making the following changes, such as a Tanneu Cover, to help gas mileage.

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  Not Bad...but not Good - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By honest abe - November 9 - 9:56 am

  Good car. Freezing AC. Gas mileage is not too great. Steering tough to turn in parking lots. Very reliable. Good engine. Could be smoother and quieter. If you are looking for a nice "USED" car then this is your pick. I would rather have gone with the VW Passatt

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  Cheap, Fast, Cool - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Josh - November 8 - 12:43 pm

  Car has good acceleration, and the CVT is nice. At cruising speeds, if you need to pass somebody the power is always there. The one thing that I found very odd: there is no radio in the base version? Dealer had to install one for me. Car looks good (minus the wheel covers... I dont get that either). Engine noise is present, but its a 4 cyl so its expected. Push button start is cool. Display is cool. Overall its a nice ride for the money.

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  Good off-roader, slow highwayer - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Noli - November 8 - 4:50 am

  I own this vehicle just for my game pursuits. I beat the most forbidding trails in the mountains of Mojave and in some other rough trails in Southern CA, drove as fars as texas without problems except speed limitations. maybe due to my off-road, aggressive oversized tires. Some problem with braking, it seems it slips in dirt road. Had a hard time with using low 4 wheel. Got stuck twice in the soft desert sand and noticed that not all four wheels are turning.

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  Rattle at times - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Fjl - November 5 - 11:27 am

  Road test car for noise over bumps I have a high pich rattle sound over bumps at times might be struts ,take car for long ride before buying over different roads and compare against another car of the same type.