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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  Love It - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By JB - June 18 - 5:16 am

  I cant say enough about my Frontier. I do a lot of beach driving and can say I never have come close to getting stuck. The V6 265HP has surprising pickup. Rides great on the highway and its comfortable too. Mileage could improve but I get around 21MPG on the highway so I cant complain too much. I drove the Tacoma and it cant compare.

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  Was great, now headache - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By young max - June 18 - 1:36 am

  This car was a dream in the beginning, It had great acceleration, high text gadgets that all worked, heated seats and Xeon head lights and a wonderful sound system. I brought this car with 30k miles back in 2007. Now in 2009 I have replaced 3 wheel bearing, A Bose sub woofer, (by the way the Head unit isnt a BOSE unit), a drivers power window and a very costly transmission. My advice is to stay away from this model. It looks great, but the cost of up keep will disappoint you. For a car that was once over 30K isnÂ’t built better than a car you can buy for 10K. Go with a higher quality car, maybe the Infiniti. Nissans flagship is a joke. My 1996 Honda Accord was a way better investment!!!!

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  good - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By micmkc64 - June 17 - 10:03 pm

  I have had no problems with my vehicle

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  Great Car - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Kashif - June 17 - 9:06 am

  I bought this car at 70,000 miles and have had it for about a year now. So far it has not given me any problems at all. I get about 26 mpg, with a lot of city driving. The front brakes are starting to make a grinding noise now, and I am guessing that I will have to replace the rotors. It seems that this is a common problem with this car.

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  Awesome performance - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Gene - June 17 - 9:06 am

  I was amazed of the performance and pleasantly surprised with the fuel economy. The ride is a little harsh on the rough wintery roads of New England but I am happy to sacrafice the ride for the handling. So far I love it.

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  I love it! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By tatoo60 - June 17 - 5:00 am

  We just purchased the Cube in March 2010. We love the handling, the comfort, and leg room for my husband who is 6ft. The mileage at 29.1 mpg is soooo.. much better than our Town and Country at 19 mpg. We get many stares but dont care!!! My husband was a little skeptic about the "look" but he laughs every time were on the highway and people point at the Cube. It has enough pickup when were trying to merge onto the highway as well. And its great to maneuver when changing lanes.

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  2005 NISMO 2WD - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By ras1500 - June 17 - 1:20 am

  This is my second Nissan product and both have been extremely reliable. The NISMO is a great truck with plenty of acceleration and fun to drive. Fuel mileage is around 20 MPG combination city/highway. The build quality of this truck is not as good as my Japanese built 99 Pathfinder; sealant in the pickup bed is sloppy and theres some glue on the headliner.

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  cube is sweet - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By joe - June 16 - 7:03 pm

  The best car in its segment! It has the most interior space, rides great, good power and CVT trans is awesome. Everyone loves it once they get in it! Would buy more if I needed another family car

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  Great update from 2014 SV to 2016 SL - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Mikey 2 - June 16 - 5:40 pm

  The lease on my 2014 SV was about to end, I had about 6.5K over the allotment and was not sure if they were going to charge me all of them if I purchased another Nissan. I test drove several cars 3.5 Altima SL and 2.5 as well as Maxima SV. After the test drive I made my mind up on a 2.5 SL with Moonroof and LED Tech package. Nissan addressed all the shortcomings of the previous model...IE: transmission, road noise, interior plastic. Dont get me wrong the 2015 SV was a good car but the 2016 SL is so much better. The dealer worked with me, gave me a great price didnt have to pay for the extra miles either on the purchase. The SL come standard with Michelin tires which are relatively quiet so Im not sure about other reviews that complain about road noise, mine is pretty quiet.

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  Touchy brakes, spongy cornering - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By richardh - June 16 - 3:00 pm

  I bought an 09 with 26k on it. Brakes were touchy from the start but thought they would wear-in. No such luck. Minimal foot pressure feels like youve slammed on the brakes. Had dealer check them out. After he test drove it, said thats normal. If it is dont know how they keep selling the model. Other complaint is extreme body roll in corners. Maybe its just lack of seat support. Really liked the looks and power of the car but could not live with brakes and cornering. Sold it after six months.