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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  Buy This Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Vic R. - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Ive only owned this car for 2 months but feel it will be a car I will fall in love with. It has all the features of a expensive vehicle with a attractive cost.(If you negotiate)I paid $20,207 for the S model with the Convenience Plus package. I feel the price was very fair for me. Great sales staff at Waikem Nissan in Canton.

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  Great Car!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By all4bama - August 31 - 2:00 am

  It came down to 2 cars for me..the 03 Altima and the Volkswagon Passat. Although I liked the Passat more physically, i felt that both cars were very comfortable and drove well. In the end, I bought the Altima because I didnt feel the price difference was worth it. I traded in my 1993 Nissan Altima GXE and bought the 2003....Love it so far.

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  Loved and Lost - 1998 Nissan Altima
  By Lucky7 - August 30 - 11:33 pm

  My 98 Altima GLE was killed in a crash, and I miss it so much. Its been 3 months, and Ive tried to replace it wit the same style (98-2001) and trim, but theyre hard to find. So no luck so far. Ive gone 3 months without a car just because I cant bear to own something else. This really was a tremendous car. Not only did it keep me safe during the rear-end that totaled it (airbags didnt deploy, though), I never had a major problem with this car. The drivers power window went out after a couple years but it wasnt too expensive to fix. It had 130,000 miles on it and I would have gotten another 130,000, I think. Cant go wrong with this car.

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  Owned since new - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By admiralforever - August 30 - 6:53 pm

  I have owned my Pathfinder LE since new when I bought it in early 07. I have not had any problems with it. It currently has 52K and change miles on it. I have not had the radiator failure like most people have, the brakes are still good. I did get the TPMS sensors replaced because the dealer broke one but they paid for it. I am glad I have this SUV and the fact that is is a 2006 it has more horsepower and torque than the later models, since Nissan detuned the 4.0l V6 so they can sell the V8. I have driven it cross country four times and it never gave me any problems.

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  Great Car - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By X - August 30 - 6:06 am

  I found this vehicle very fun to drive and quite capable both on road and off road. I used the car for everything from road trips, to LA commuting, to Rocky Mountain offroading and it did great. The gas mileage left a bit to be desired, but to be fair, mine was lifted with oversized tires. I was recently in a 20+ car pile up that unfortunately totaled my Nissan, but let me tell you, that car crashed incredibly well. My girlfriend and i were both able to walk away from the accident uninjured. The car took several high speed impacts from other vehicles and even a few walls quite softly. We both believe its safety features saved us. It really was an great car both in driving and in crashing...

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  Not Missing My G35x - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Jon - August 30 - 1:20 am

  With the lease expiring on my 2007 G35x, I replaced it with a new 2010 Maxima SV with Premium and Tech packages. The G was a great car, but, especially given its much lower "real world" lease price, the Maxima is better in every way except for higher speed handling on curvy roads. The Maxima is a smoother, quieter highway cruiser that is just as fast as the G, and has far more luxury features for the money.

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  What To Expect After You Buy - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By paul_ss454 - August 29 - 10:29 pm

  To those considering this car, I suggest you do a search on 2013 Altima CVT problems. You’ll find a wealth of detail on what buyers are experiencing. For me, the widely reported vibration problem surfaced near 1000 miles. The dealer keeps insisting that it is a normal for a car with a CVT and refuses to repair. That stance is deceptive because the problem didn’t develop until the car had miles. None of the documentation for the car discloses that this is expected to occur. The repeated response Nissan Customer Care is “work with your dealer to resolve”. The car offers some compelling features. It’s unfortunate this flaw combined with poor customer support makes it a very bad purchase

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  great car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By demonhunterfan - August 29 - 10:10 pm

  I love my Nissan Sentra. Fun to drive. Has grate pick up and moves real smooth. Got the Rockford fostgate audio and that sounds sweet. My only real is the front cup holder. And the fuel pump needs addressing. But for the 10K that I paid for it is worth every penny. The transmission went at about 29k dealer ship said that it was a fluke. Probably the previous owner. Just put a new belt on look worn and did not want it to go when I was driving would have caused more problems. Great car. Hope to keep it for a very long time.

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  Nissan Maxima Brakes, ABS, Floorboards, Sunroof, Nissan Corporate, Faulkner Harrisburg, Star Nissan Greensburg - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By lilliasea - August 29 - 10:54 am

  I purchased a 2004 Nissan Maxima after extensive research as a left over in January 2005. The car was garaged 95% of the time and serviced by the dealership until the warranty expired. Traveling from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, the ABS and Brake lights illuminated. Standard brakes were still operational subsequently I drove the car to the Faulkner dealership in Harrisburg. Here the mechanics determined there was a fault code indicating an entire ABS replacement. They also found rust on the floorboards under the front wheel wells. Add this to a sunroof motor failure just days prior to the ABS brakes failing. Stranded in Harrisburg I did a little research and quickly identified a TSB on Maxima brakes. Nissan owners posted on this subject frequently as well as rust under the floorboards and sunroof failure. I shared my findings with the dealership when they called to announce the nearly 5K in repairs needed for the Maxima. The Faulkner dealership then directed me to call the Nissan Corporate Customer Assistance. I explained the situation and that the car was indeed 8 years old but had merely 60K miles most of which were highway. The interview process was consistent from the dealership to the customer service representative to the final mediator. I realized I was repeating information on the car for three days. The global narrative included; • The car received regular maintenance from the Star Nissan Dealership (I would not recommend this dealership) • The Star Nissan Group sold and maintenanced the car until warranty expiration. • The Star Nissan mechanics failed to notice any of these issues even though they had the car on the rack for 10 days repairing the air conditioning just five months prior. • I personally detailed the car four to five times a year—washed the undercarriage as well. The day before Thanksgiving the corporate mediator, Glenda, called to announce Nissan would not be providing any repair assistance. Unfortunately, I was also very ill and lacked the energy to pursue the matter. It was essential to repair the brakes so I could make it home and get to a doctor. It is important to know that I loved this car. I selected every option and waited until I found a black on black fully loaded Maxima. This car was serviced more than any other vehicle I have owned. From the 261 lb/sqft torque to the responsive engine this car made me happy…..until it didn’t. As it turns out, we had a dysfunctional relationship. I gave and gave and Nissan left me sitting. If you have read this and still purchase a Nissan and especially a Maxima remember you were warned.

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  Dont be deceived... - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By cheermom3 - August 29 - 10:16 am

  I drove my Rogue for two years until I just couldnt take it another day. The "drone" is annoying, every fast excelled action and hill you climb you wont hear the radio. The "premium" package features stink! Visibility is tough with huge blind spots for highway driving and backing up. The Bluetooth lags so much that I was always talking over the person so I ended up still holding my phone while driving. The GPS setup was worse than the Tom Tom I had for 5+ years, it didnt recognize streets that have been around forever and does not give street names in 2012! The interior cabin has little to no room, road trips are very uncomfortable. Clear coat does not stand up to bird drops.