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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  Very Nice Car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By DK express - April 24 - 1:10 am

  I am very pleased with this vehicle. I traded in my 2003 Mustang. This car gets great gas mileage and is sporty. You get alot of car for under 15,000 dollars. Its a great commuter car! Plus I get free car washes and oil changes for the life of the car! I looked at other cars in the same price range but nothing came close to the Nissan Sentra. In price and in reputation.

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  My favorite car!! - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By bill - April 23 - 10:30 pm

  This is the first car I bought that allowed me to sell my Ninja 1200 and still have fun on the road. Since no auto could give me the power the Ninja had, I can drive to enjoy the trip. I normally put on 300-400 per day on trips-I am 61/195lbs and still very comfortable at the end of the day. Since I dont abuse the throttle, I average 24-25 mpg.

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  The Devil is in the Details - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By angelbane - April 23 - 10:13 pm

  First 40K in first 2 years. Has always gotten 12-14 Highway MPG. Not a fast machine. First problems at 98000 ... electrical system Alternator, distributor, entire ignition system, Exhaust Manifold cracked. Passenger compartment seals started shrinking and having issues after 2 years and are now all but gone but no biggie it is a truck after it is gonna be noisy. roof liner completely fell out ofter 6 years. It prefers dry weather. Nothing has stopped me on or off road ... when I have seen other vehicles stuck

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  Former Jeep Guy - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By tiger2312 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  When i got tired of my loud,hard to deal with jeep wrangler I was looking at the grand cherokees but fell in love with the style of the nissan Xterra! I love my 2000 Xterra. Get one equipped with V6 and 4WD. Also be sure to get the power package, I noticed some have the manual roll up windows (like my wrangler did) I do not miss my wrangler like I thought I would. I love my Nissan Xterra (solar yellow with over sized tires and greay leather seats make it my dream vehicle!) Test drove a 2000 jeep grand cherokee which cost $4,500 more than the Xterra and had basic cloth seating. Very happy with my purchase so far!

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  mini suv - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By bob - April 23 - 7:50 am

  have 6k miles now and car is fun and comfortable. average 30 mpg city /hwy not bad. this car is a mini version of the murano suv. twice the mileage and half the price.Good ride if you let tires down to 28 psi ( has no effect on mileage but \ improves the ride drastically}. great buy for the money. has more room,power than all cars in its class. Its the largest sub compact. its so ugly its beautiful.

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  Great off road vehicle - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By jp - April 22 - 2:43 pm

  Great SUV. This Suv can handle any conditions. I love driving in the snow and the stability control is great. The ride is great in town and off road. Its a bit bumpy on the highway but accelerates great when passing. The arm rests are very poorly placed and you really have no where to put your arms. My gas mileage is horrible but the dealer says the engine is still breaking in. If anyone else has an off road, please tell me it actually gets 15mpg when it breaks in? I am getting like 13mpg city/highway right now. I am not sure if they tested the off road package accurately with the bigger tires? I wish they would do away with the plastic cargo area. It scratches and is worthless.

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  End of a Legend - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By tonio - April 19 - 1:03 am

  I wrote the same review dated 03/13/07, and just wanted to give an update. The frame rusts/rots on these vehicles. Be careful when looking for one. Check the frame behind the fuel tank. Also check under the rear seats (lift them up and check for rust). 94 models may not have this problem, as the frames are made from a different source, however this year model (1995) are prone to frame rot. In 2007 I had very little rust, when I wrote the previous review. In 2008, lots of rust, and my rear bumper, along with fuel tank wanted to leave without me. I am decreasing build quality, down to a 1.

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  Armada 2006 - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Mohamed Almarzouqi - April 18 - 11:53 am

  it is a nice car but if they can work on the exterior design (rear door handl & roof shap, bigger size wheel, bigger hood "the engine is squeezed in, back roor flat, tire to be held on back instead of underneath,..etc).

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  beware of gas economy - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Alan Mcsavage - April 17 - 9:03 am

  DO NOT BUY! I cannot even get 350kms per 50lt tank. My 1995 Toyota Corolla still gets over 450kms on a 40lt tank. How can a 4 cylinder with all the new technology get worse mileage than most 8 cylinder cars. I was totally deceived into believing I was getting a fuel efficient car. From now on I will stick to Toyota! DO NO BE DECEIVED!!!!

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  murano - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Shane Ramroop - April 16 - 9:20 pm

  good reliability, fuel economy