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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  2.5SL - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By milestoaspen - August 13 - 6:44 pm

  I traded my 2011 Altima SL for the 2013. I fell in love with the comfort and the drive. Big difference from 2011. Now that I have had the car 5 weeks and 1800 miles there are a few things Ive noticed. The heated seats(which Im having looked at 1st oil change) dont work correctly. When on high only the butt heats(hot) and when you hit low switch only the back heats. They dont work in tandem, nor do they regulate heat high to low. Ive noticed the CVT rumble which was not present in my 2011. I also notice you hear the gas rolling around in the gas tank sounds like a thump when you stop and the tanks half to full. Not sure if the used any baffles.

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  Disappointed - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Jack B. - August 13 - 3:29 pm

  This car has a droning noise at 1800. - 1900 RPM. I find it to be annoying. Nissan says it is an exhaust tuning issue that is normal. I drove a 2003 Murano SL for 165,000 miles and never had to listen to it drone at highway cruising speed. I am sorry I made this purchase. The only improvement over the 2003 is the back-up camera.

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  I was wrong - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Josh - August 13 - 2:33 pm

  I wrote a poor review on my new off road X back in December. I had a couple of rattles but Nissan fixed them. The rattles in the dash are only when it was cold and the dealer came through. The more I drive my X the more I love it. The power of the v6 is great and you really get use to the stiff ride. It actually handles great for a truck and very sporty. Overall a great vehicle. I have to admit me first impressions were way off. I really enjoy my x and it was good choice.

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  Fun to Drive and Withstands Abuse - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By randy1099 - August 12 - 12:56 pm

  My girlfriend purchased this car new and it now has 102,000 miles on it. Being a die-hard American muscle car guy, I hate almost all FWD 4 cylinder cars, especially the imports. I was truly shocked by this one. The engine makes way more usable horsepower that I expected and coupled with the CVT, is able to perform well above its pricepoint. Somehow, Nissan managed to make this engine smooth and eliminated the torque steer associated with high power FWD cars. Girlfriend did almost no maintenance to this car for the first 90,000 miles. Car still runs great and gets low 30 MPG. CVT did die at 98,000 miles but Nissan replaced it for free. I do the maintenance and car is easy to work on.

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  Almost there - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By P-R.B. - August 12 - 10:00 am

  When I set out to buy my first news vehicle I knew one thing. I was getting a truck. I researched everything I could about recently produced 4x4 mid-size trucks, and was hoping to find and American made that fit my criteria. After all was said and done I bought my 07 frontier brand- new with 205 miles on it. I was spoiled for a few years owning a 78 international scout ii. I have put this Nissan through the same paces that I was able to put old Betsy through, however. At 37,000 mi. I needed to replace the clutch, and now at 78,000 I am needing to open the transfer case because the 4x4 wont disengage all of the way. So I ask, "what the hell?" why are these things breaking?

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  Easy to maneuver. - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Cube control. - August 12 - 10:00 am

  My 80-yr-old mother bought a Cube. She loves it. Easy to maneuver, super simple to park, fits nicely in the 2- car garage. Back door opens from the side - easy for her to open/close as she has shoulder replacements. Although not much storage room, it works for her lifestyle. Gets lots of compliments, an eye-catcher. I drive it more than she does. We took it from TN to FL, had a wonderful trip. So far, its been reliable. Wheel covers are plain. I would like a sunroof, although the car gets hot in the sun, lets a lot of sunlight in through those big windows. Window visors are huge, not to my liking. Overall, I love it.

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  New to Nissan - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By Carla - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my new car a week now and so far I love it. I put a lot of miles in every week and find this car very comfortable and am getting the 34 mpg hwy. Woo Hoo! Lots of interior room - I didnt have a lot of money to spend so got the basics - wish I would have got power locks - there is no key for passenger side so lots of reaching across to lock and unlock doors. Otherwise its a 10!

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  Perfect Mate :) - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By cars_geek - August 12 - 9:31 am

  I had this car for more than a month, and I did cruise till now about 2500KM, compared to its main competitors (Camry, Mazda6, Accord), it is overall having the magical formula that those 3 competitors couldnt mix perfectly. It is Stylish, high performance, comfortable, excellent cargo space, fantastic 9-speakers Bose sound, and great fuel economy. And add to all that, it has a very very good dealer here in UAE. If you are looking for a family sedan, or a stylish young car, Nissan Altima has the perfect blend.

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  Great handling much improvements, but... - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By 09Zed - August 12 - 2:20 am

  The 370z is a great handling bang for the buck sports car. The interior is really comfortable and has fantastic styling inside and out. No other sports coupe comes close in this price range. Synchro rev matching is fun but does get old after a while.

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  Maxima Fun - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Peggy - August 11 - 8:53 pm

  Folks, this by far is one of the best cars I have had the pleasure to own. What a dream in performance and the power under the hood makes it a fun car to drive. I love the interior space, I am 6" tall and can move the seat all the way back and another 6" person can be directly behind me with plenty of room; You do not give up trunk space for this either.