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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  I love my Titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By WI White Titan - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Titan for a month and love it. Lots of cool features. Solid, powerful feel is incredible. Mileage isnt great but not unexpected. The only thing that bugs me a little bit is that I brush the electric seat controls when I get in, changing my seat position occasionally. Other than that, this thing rocks. I have the Rockford Fosgate package and it is awesome. I am looking for something to haul around, just to try out the Utili- trac system!

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  Fun but could be better! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By FlyinginRaleigh - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Great styling, power, handling, and better than expected fuel economy. Radio quit playing CDs after 3 months, but was replaced without hassle by dealer. Nav system is good, but was 2 yrs out of date at purchase and costs $180 to update from vendor - not Nissan. Tires wore very unevenly and cupped - lots of noise and vibration after just 15k miles and at $250 apiece to replace its a major annoyance. Tire places say it was because the alignment was not correct at delivery and so I went 10k without knowing. Any decent level of bass in the sound system causes all kinds of plastic to rattle in the interior. Nav system display and dash are dust magnets.

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  Never again - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Jerry LeCount - September 8 - 6:46 am

  The high price of fuel made it necessary to downsize to smaller vehicles. After owning 3 other Sentras I bought a pair of loaded 06s. The aluminum wheels and Firehawk tires are junk. I have replaced 3 rims and 4 tires because they are so poorly made the wont stand up to midwestern highways. This isnt just an expense but a danger. I am looking into the possibility of a product liability suit.

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  Worst Maxima Ive Owned - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By ABL - September 7 - 7:00 am

  There is no denying that this car is beautiful and fast, that is why I bought my third Maxima. I bought this car new (a left over) from the dealer on a Tuesday, Thursay it was back b/c of a terrible SHIMMY in the wheel. They balanced the tires, STILL NOT FIXED, changed all tires,new brakes, STILL NOT FIXED . Back to dealer four times, can not fix problem, basically told me I was crazy. Then altinator went, took them 1 mon. to get part. Drove a rental. SO VERY DISAPPOINTED with car and dealer. Now I read all of these reviews and I wish I read them before I bought this car because It should be fun to drive and IT IS NOT. I HATE MY CAR.. I hope this helps people...Nissan USA no help

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  Transmission Light - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Fakhir Parker - September 6 - 10:00 pm

  Can someone tell me what it means when the transmission Light stays on?

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  Coulda been great, but... - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By laslo - September 6 - 7:46 pm

  Bought in 2004 & loved it at first. Great pick up, good mileage & got compliments on the appearance. But too many reliability problems beyond usual maintenance... replaced coils, MAF, starter, front springs, shifter solenoid, and rear calipers so far. Afraid that O2 sensor and cat converter are next. Power seat motor died. Lots of rattles and squeaks - sounds like an aging taxi.

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  Best PU Ive driven - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Michael Bauer - September 6 - 9:30 am

  I have owned three pick-ups in the last 7 years. This pick-up truck is by far the best Ive driven. I have had no warranty issues so far in the first 6,000 miles of ownership. This truck performs like no other truck Ive driven in its class. It has more power and torque than my previous Ford F-150 4x4 and Chevrolet 1500 4x4. It gets OK fuel economy but I have a heavy tow package & low gears so I have to expect that!! This Pick-up has the best comfort features that Ive seen. I think that Consumer Reports is definetly dealing with scewed data when they report this vehicle with a poor reliability record. Somebody is in their back pockets!!

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  Total comfort - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mr. Ron - September 6 - 2:00 am

  This is my first SUV. I never really considered a Pathfinder in the past because I thought of it as an off road vehicle, which I really didnt need. Then I sat in one at the NY Auto show and thought, this is really nice! I bought one and I love it. Though the gas mileage isnt the best, everything else about it outweighs that drawback. Its extremely comfortable, great handling, and has everything I would every need. My local dealer is great also. Very accommodating. So far, Im very pleased.

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  Solid performer - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By fastalt - September 6 - 2:00 am

  The Altima 3.5SE is a solid performer. Its great fun to drive and fast as a shot. It handles great and has plenty of interior room. The exterior styling is hard to beat and much nicer than any of its competition.

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  2011 Armada SL - 2011 Nissan Armada
  By matthans - September 5 - 8:48 pm

  I did a lot of research before buying this vehicle. Bang for your buck you cant find a better large SUV. I went from a Nissan Pathfinder to this Armada because we wanted more room. My wife loves driving it because it sits up high and feels very safe with the kids. Our insurance went down $15/mo because of the size too. Gas mileage isnt good (12-13) no matter how I drive it. Its just a tank, but manuevers very easy. With two young kids and a large dog this truck was everything we wanted and more.