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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  The X-terraThe Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By jjkrush - July 19 - 2:00 am

  The Nissan X-terra XE is the best value if you are going to invest in a midsize SUV. I personaly recommend this SUV to anyone who wants to go off road, Its the best one there !!!

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  GREAT SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Shawn Uda - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Great SUV. Good looks, ride and acceleration. Not a bank buster at the gas station.

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  Nissan Joke - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By consumerguy - July 19 - 2:00 am

  This car is overpriced. Corners are skipped everywhere. lift up the rear flap up and what do you find? Carboard! Seats do not lay down flat.

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  dnpos - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By frank - July 18 - 3:16 pm

  Thought I took a step up when I traded my f-250 for the Titan. Wrong! Brake rotors warped less than 5k Mi. Rear door latches work occasionally, even after replacement of both. Vents creak @startup &shutdown still. It drives like a canoe, will not go straight. nervous, twitchy. camber kit installed. 4 trips to dealer, realigned 4 times. told me dont come back. District ser. rep told me the roads have a crown in them, thats the problem. Ive been driving longer than hes been breathing, tell me something I dont know. I like the style, power, economy, even the sound. This is truly a d**n nice piece of junk. Thank you so much Nissan. I will recommend anything except Nissan to all listeners.

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  I Love it! - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Esther - July 18 - 1:40 am

  I Bought a Versa 6 months ago and found that was too small because I have 3 kids and 2 of them need car seats. I looked trying to find a car seat narrow but I couldnt find it so I decided to change the Versa for a Rogue and we love it! I have more space for the kids and I feel secure.

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  It makes car owner experience great again - 2017 Nissan Armada
  By LH in Pensacola - July 17 - 7:35 am

  I bought this SUV in Oct 2016, and its too new to give an accurate review. So far, its a great full size SUV. My wife loves it (technically, its hers). I took it back to the dealer a few days later for the wheel alignment because the steering wheel was off center. The dealer didnt have the wheel specs on 2017 model, but the Technician was able to use the 2016 Infinity QX80 specs to align the wheels. It has plenty of power and drinks lots of gas, but it has very nice safety features for the platinum package. I live in Pensacola, FL, but I bought the SUV in Mobile AL. We wanted to buy it locally, but the Nissan Dealership in Pensacola swapped the 2nd row captain seats to the bench seat after we agreed on the price. Good thing, I asked to see the SUV before I was going to sign the final paperwork. I went Mobile and got everything I wanted in the vehicle w/ the captain seats for $1300 less.

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  Cant drive very well over 65 mph - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By tauris2000 - July 16 - 11:26 pm

  I am having trouble driving my 2003 Nissan Murano over 65 mph on the highway. It revs really high and then engine sounds like it is going to explode. It seems like it is already in the highest gear possible and it of course wont shift any higher. I am afraid to take it out of town on longer highway trips because of this. I have an extended warranty but dont know what the problem is or if it would be covered. I have taken it to one Nissan Dealer and one Carmax dealer and neither have been able to diagnose a problem. They also arent allowed to take it out on the highway which seems absurd. Any input would be much appreciated.

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  2008 Sentra S 2.0 CVT - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By talisman - July 16 - 9:50 pm

  The new Sentra has 2800 miles on it and was purchased about 7 weeks ago. Vehicle has been completely reliable, as a new car should be. Its a very comfortable highway cruiser, with a smooth quiet ride and reasonably comfortable seats in a roomy interior. Build quality is good, but some of the interior plastic parts (like the dash top, sun visors and cubby holes) could really use some improvement. Styling is attractive to most people, especially in the "magnetic gray" paint. Interior is a charcoal gray, which is somewhat depressing color, but it hides dirt fairly well. It has plenty of space for 4 adults, but trying to put 3 adults into the back seat is not a good idea - not enough hip room.

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  BEWARE!! 10 RECALLS Already! - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By Mindy McNicholas - July 16 - 4:30 pm

  Our experience with Nissan and its main headquarters has been very poor. Our new Quest has been in the shop 17 times since we purchased it in October of 2005. (We own a 2006 Nissan Quest.) The mileage is very poor. It averages 15-18 mpg (half of the driving is highway!). Nissan has yet to fix all of the problems (rattling door, 10 recalls, broken automatic door, drivers seat loose, sound on the radio doesnt work when it rains...etc.) Beware of Nissans new tactic of not keeping parts in stock. This is how they save money. You can wait weeks before a part comes in and you have time to get it serviced. Nissan took the fun out of buying a new vehicle :(

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  Love Hate - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By dizizbex24z - July 16 - 3:00 pm

  I have a dark green maxima. I really love my car but it keeps presenting me with problems. One thing I really hate that ive found on at least 2 other maximas is that the back of the car always sways from side to side when I hit a bump. I dont like other people driving it because I dont know if they know how to handle it. I also added green lights in the footwell and they look Nice.