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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  New Rogue Owner - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By rogueman41 - August 8 - 4:09 pm

  At the 500 mile mark, Im happy to report Im enjoying it so far. Comfortable ride for the most part....may be harsh for some. You do hear most imperfections in the roads and its kind of noisy on wet pavement. Decent acceleration. Sharp handling with speed sensitive steering. Easy to maneuver and move in and out of traffic. CVT is cool, but takes some getting used to. SL Package added a lot of great features, although the Nav system data is way out of date. Intelligent key is cool, but beware if Nissan installs an aftermarket remote car starter for you. The engine will shut off if you open the doors after starting with remote starter.

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  This car is impressive - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Denis - August 8 - 8:13 am

  I am very impressed with the clean look of this car, especially the shape of the hood and the side. The color of my car is white and this color also improved the lines of the car even in the snow. The car has excellent traction in the snow because of the very good traction control and the Toyo winter tires. The handling both on highway or back roads is very precise and solid. The acceleration is amazing for a front wheel drive. I can not see anyone that enjoy driving sport car be disappointed with the 2009 Maxima. I highly recommend it to anyone that just like me, wants a classy look with the serious performance of a sport car. Bravo Nissan superb package.

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  Z has a rumble of its own - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By dinola - August 8 - 6:43 am

  What a car. The car turns heads. The convertible top is well hidden when down. The rumble of this car is very distinct. Its a fun car to drive and its styling is all its own. The 2006 model has improved the suspension and the interior. Because of its low profile you need to be careful on roads with potholes.

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  An ok Vehicle with challenges - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By Kevin - August 8 - 4:53 am

  Our Xterra gets 15 MPG city and about 21 MPG highway. At 36060 miles the gas tank level sensor died and I refuse to pay the $450 dollars to a dealership to fix it. The plastic Xterra logo on the rear has fallen off, so I glued it back on. The plastic cover on the windshield wipers has a tendency to come off at a car wash.. beware. The AC has started leaking into the passenger side floor... so gotta fix that now. Weve replaced the battery after 28000 miles, and new tires too. Currently the mileage is at 45650 after a recent 2500 mile road trip we made without incident. Overall, its an ok vehicle but lacking in quality parts. The mileage stinks too in my opinion.

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  Bumpy - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By RAS - August 8 - 2:00 am

  This was my first suv. In the begining it was great in the snow and nice sitting up high. Then I noticed that the front driver and passenger windows vibrated when down an inch or so. Was told this was normal by 3 dealerships. After about a year the suv novelty has worn off. This is a bumpy, gass- guzzler with cheap interior plastic. Dont get me wrong it looks great, just drives like crap. If your looking for an suv around $25,000 and need off road prowess, this is probably the way to go. If you dont plan much off-road actvity, can spare the room and want decent mileage, comfort, and handling, try the Excape, CRV, RAV4 or Liberty.

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  Cheap original parts - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By kievguy - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I am the original owner, soon to be 4 years. The car is good, no questions about it. Main source of the problems - cheap and low-quality original parts that owner is responsible for. Tires wore out in 30K, clutch in about 48K of highway driving!!! A lot of people I know have the same problems: Nissan produces Maxim cheaper by pushing extra maintenance over owners. Beware!!!

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  To the max - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Scott D. - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I work within the car industry and drive a great deal of cars from various makes and models ranging from all prices. For the price this car blows away all competition.

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  I love it!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Jennifer Holbrook - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I love my Altima. It has new styling that I love. It is fun to drive; I dont mind running all the errands for our family business because my husband bought the car for me. Everyone looks at it and other 2002 Altima drivers I see give me the thumbs up sign and have big smiles on their faces like me. It has a lot of pickup when I need it and a lot of people mistake it for a Lexus. I always get great compliments from people and they always ask if it is as fun to drive as it looks. I say Hell ya!

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  Great Little Compact - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Erin in Indy - August 7 - 8:13 pm

  I bought this car new in 2004. I was downgrading quite a bit, so it took some time to get used to it. But other than my snobbishness to it originally, its been a great little car. I have over 100K miles on it, have driven it from IN to TX and to FL a couple times, plus a 60 mile commute for work everyday. Ive had very little trouble with it mechanically. Had an engine issue a couple yrs after I bought it, but that was covered under my warranty. Otherwise only normal things like new tires and brakes. Its been comfortable on long road trips. I wouldnt want to sit in the back for very long but then I again, I dont have to. :)

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  Awesome Van - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By mrsv - August 7 - 3:03 pm

  Sold my 05 Altima and bought the 06 Quest at a BARGAIN and love it. My family is growing and we needed more room and comfort, and thats exactly what we got. My husband had the front windows and windshield tinted and that really made a difference on the interior "glare" that I have heard some complain about. The center mounted gauges take some getting used to but overall no complaints. Dual sliding doors and power lift gate are wonderful. DVD player is excellent and fun to have. I have read many unfavorable reviews but I have had no problems and I LOVE IT.