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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  Nissan has done it again!! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By JON B FAN - May 27 - 10:00 am

  Best SE-R that I have owned yet!! I had a 91 and a 93 and this one blows them away!! Excellent 4 banger!!

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  Maxima SE 2001 - Not So Good - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By JeffT in Texas - May 27 - 10:00 am

  I know numerous people that love their Maxima, but Im not one of them. Heres why: 1) CD was bad when purchased and had to be replaced 2) O2 sensors were bad and took 5 trips for the dealer to fix. 3) Paint on front bumper doesnt handle road debris well. Looks like its peeling and very unsightly. 4) Alternator just replaced at 55K miles (car isnt 3 yrs old yet). Contacted Nissan about covering it (warranty)anyway - they asked a bunch of useless questions to determine if I was worth bothering with and refused to help. 5) SE model tires are very expensive. OEM tires (Michelins) perform bad in moderate rain. I will NEVER buy another Nissan again.

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  Long term update - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By kward - May 27 - 10:00 am

  We bought the first new Altima sold in our city in the fall of 2001. We have owned Hondas and Toyotas previously, but fell in love with the new Altima. After a year-and-a-half of ownership, we couldnt be more pleased. The car has been 100% reliable, it is very comfortable to drive and to ride in. It remains solid and the interior doesnt even show any wear (the seat fabric does collect some lint and hair, but a sticky lint brush cleans it up quickly). If I had to replace it I would buy another one just like it. We are very happy we chose it over the new Camry.

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  Go with Honda, not Nissan!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By MoneyBags - May 27 - 10:00 am

  This is an ok car. not all that great. Reliablity is very questionable... I would go with a Honda Accord over this car anyday. Better performance, handeling, features, and RELIABILITY!! The Honda Accord is the car that the Altima wanted to be.

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  BEWARE of Premature Rusting of Rogue - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Concerned Customer - May 26 - 6:22 pm

  Do not let sales staff convince you otherwise. do your homework and Google it... Nissan hid behind the letter of the warranty and not the spirit of it.. --shame

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  LOVE IT! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By the king - May 26 - 5:26 pm

  Got it brand new in 05, it runs great extremely quick and very fast and the handling is awesome. Had to replace the struts once but was under warranty so there was no problem there. there is a lot of room in the back and front seats so you can fit 5 people easily even with the front seats all the way back. i would recommend the NISMo air intake adds about 15HP and you can really feel the difference. AWESOME car!

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  Transmission blew after 30 miles!! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By wils424 - May 26 - 5:20 pm

  After 30 miles of driving the car (2.5 Special Edition, brand new), the car began jerking and chugging all over the road, revving up to 5000, and was very loud! The dealership claimed it was only a small computer chip that needed replacing. It happened a second time, and then a third time, and when I finally got to 900 miles, the entire transmission blew and needed total replacing! Nissan replaced the transmission but denied my claim for a new car. In the one month Ive owned it, its been in the shop 3 times and Ive been in a rental 3 times! Never once did Corporate Nissan offer me any compensation for my terrible distress. Im now forced to pursue legal action. Its been a nightmare!!

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  Value your money Dont buy a Nissan - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By mavis nvodjo - May 25 - 4:40 pm

  After a month of the car,I started having issues with the car> it started with just the radio resetting itself while driving am driving> the LCD screen begins to flash and my car eventually slows down and stops. The first time it happened,I had to call Triple AAA to come help me. The second time the same issue happened,I was in my neighborhood and the radio starting resetting on and off and again my car slows down and stops. After turning the car off for a good hour, the car started perfectly with no issues for about 10 days. Then,one fine Saturday this car ruins my whole day by deciding not to start at all. I took the car to Nissan and they told me, the car is not the problem it my phone. Apparently, my Samsung galaxy note Edge is so brilliant it can mess up a car. I didnt know phones could actually disabled a cars function. Is Nissan,trying to do anything to fix this car,absolutely not.Apparently since I bought a new car,I have to buy a new phone,If I believed the phone was the problem I would go a buy one. It my first car purchase and I regret ever buying a Nissan,I should have stuck to buying a toyota or a Honda. Yes the people are nice but I would stay away from Nissan from now. I wouldnt even recommend my enemy to buy a Nissan.

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  2006 king cab titan - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By neil bradford - May 25 - 12:56 am

  I would like temperature in mirror, easier radio to understand, of course better mileage.

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  Good Crossover - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By EJO - May 24 - 4:23 pm

  The SL comes with some great amenities, great Bose sound system, hands free calling. Comfortable ride, pulls small boat trailer fine, fun to use steering paddle "shifters", not bad mileage, shoulder belt height adjustment to low, HVAC controls indicating lamps (yellow) not bright enough or need different color in sharp daylight. Overall a good SUV.