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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  Too much $$$ for so little sizzle - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Ed Bradley - May 21 - 1:50 pm

  Had this for a company car and disliked every minute in it. Terrible interior that featured poor display lighting (had to put duct tape over blindingly green colored "brights on" and "cruise activated" lights), back breaking seats if driving over 2 hours at a time, and sluggish performance with the awful CVT transmission. So many other crossovers have passed the Murano by that I cant believe anyone would pay near sticker price for this car. Interior is also noisy at freeway speeds exceeding 65 mph. Interior materials seemed like they were sourced from a Chevy supplier and dash display would be considered acceptable on an 80s era vehicle, not a car costing north of 30k.

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  Was this Quest a good buy or good bye? - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Judys Quest - May 21 - 6:16 am

  Trade in 1999 Mercury Villager (Quest clone) with 120K miles. Except for tach, everything still worked. We thought that the Nissan Quest would be as reliable and useful but now we are wondering if the extra cost of a Honda or Toyota would have been a better choice. Maybe we should have bought used. On the way home, the button that slides the seatbelt adjuster up and down broke and fell into the door post. This was after 30 minutes of ownership. Three days later, my wife tells me that the A/C does not seem to blow as cold as it did when we got it.

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  Only buy if its a steal!!! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By travisbeamon - May 20 - 1:20 pm

  The car itself has been good to me for the three years Ive owned it until recently. The transmission is garbage. Just like everyone else my Maxima bumps, randomly shifts, accelerates, and downshifts hard when stopping. Sometimes it wont even downshift when I stop it will stay in 3rd gear. Only 70k on the car. This car has been serviced on time by Nissan the entire three years Ive owned it so it has been taken care of. Its just a known defect with these cars. I thought I bought a Nissan not a Dodge! $4500 to repair the transmission. Whos going to pay that much for a car that is 6 years old? Im looking to trade it in and leave Nissan alone because they wont stand by their products!

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  Superb Mid Size Performance Sedan!! - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By jhatfie - May 20 - 11:38 am

  Having owned this car for a while now, I have to say that is still blows me away. It really has excellent power, on par with my tweaked 320HP Subaru Legacy GT I once owned. Gas mileage is averaging 25mpg in mixed driving, but have seen as high as 28mpg in heavy highway stints which is very good for a nearly 300hp V6. With the sport package the car handles very well with little body roll while still being comfortable. Interior is on par with entry level luxury model like the Infinity G37 and Lexus IS. Ride is quiet making it easy to converse with passengers or to hear audio details in the rather good Bose Stereo. Car is very handsome looking and muscular without looking overdone.

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  C my Z - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Charles White - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Nothing else on the road looks like a Z. A pure and simple head-turner. And the way it handles moving in and out of traffic, and mountain roads is agile as a cat. The rear suspension brace keeps the wheels on the road even in wet weather (within reason, of course) The manual transmission is quick and solid. If you invest in leather seats, you wont be disappointed. Mine had to have a fuel tank pressure regulator valve replaced at less than 10000 miles, but no other problems.

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  Light Light go away - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By kaaash - May 20 - 10:00 am

  A very good car overall, recently though Ive plaqued with a check engine light which the dealers mechanics say is a loose gas cap.. which I could have believed once... but 5 times!? Basically now a day or two after I fill up with gas, the light comes on and must be reset. This has been such a pain, Im seriously considering selling it. I dont have any complaints otherwise and its been solid mechanically other than that.

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  Love My SUV! - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Hands On - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I researched (edmunds.com) this vehicle prior to buying it. I tried several others SUVs because I was afraid of getting a premire SUV. I work as a massage therapist and I travel to my clients. Having a vehicle that accommodates my table. I literally took my table with me in trying out each one. The Xterra, besides accommading my table, has carried many loads of camping gear, groceries, shopping sprees, and so much more.

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  Pathfinder - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By lonewolfviii - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I have seen the up and coming models and if there like this then you should start including them i have had 3 models in my onwership and i want to say i have never had any problems with this suv i will buy the armada when it is released i am sure it will be the one all that beats all just like the 2003 pathfinders so watch out . this pathfind i have pre ordered for my company so do your homework and see the truth

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  Just bought a 4X2 LE - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By gem - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Pretty nice SUV. It has all the bells and whistles of a luxury car and rides rather confortably on long journeys/trips.

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  Nissan Maxima SE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Ridre52 - May 20 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I own a 1997 Nissan Maxiam SE with close to 100,000 miles on it. There has only been two things wrong with it (Belts broke ($36 fix) and alternator (Factory Recall). So far (knock on wood), its a great car. This is why we decided to spend the extra buck and go with a 2002 Maxima SE with every avaiable option including the navigation system (which rocks). I recomend this car to anyone. They truely are great cars.