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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  At 60K miles I need a new transmission - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By Nupsie Exantus - May 19 - 11:42 am

  When i first started car searching for a pre owned car, my dream car was the Nissan Rogue...which was completely out of my price range. I was, at the time, looking for a 5k-8k car....after many failed attempts at purchasing a liable car, I decided to finance a car at Napoli Nissan in Milford CT. Of course, I purchased the Rogue. I was estatic! Loved my choice... A few months into it, it was driving a little weird so I was told it may be my tires. I bought 4 Brand new tires....No big deal. Not long after, the weird feeling came back...brought it back to Napoli...they told me it was my TRANSMISSION....at this point my car only had about 60k miles....Napoli told me it would be costly and advised me to reach out to NISSAN Headquarters for support. MY NISSAN ROGUE IS A 2012 WITH 60K MILES. I reached out to Nissan on several occasion, asking for any financial support - I was turned down because my car was a few miles off of warranty and BECAUSE they said, I never brought my car to NAPOLI for any services... so I was not a "loyal customer Sorry mam, theres nothing I can do. 25 year old female with a Nissan Rogue for about 6-7 months and in need of new TRANSMISSION... for the record, I got my new tires at NAPOLI, bought it back and left it on 2 different occasions for service needs but SHE CLAIMED i was not a "loyal customer" and therefor, could not be helped.... NISSAN used to be my dream car, not its just a headache sitting in my sisters driveway because a new transmission will cost me about $3500... I work with under served High school students who read at a grade 3 or 4 level...$3500 is a lot of money that I do not have... especially when I just spent nearly $500 to get new brakes. I bought the car back to Napoli a 3rd time, begging for help...they told me all they could do is trade it in....I have student loans already...they trade in value was crap...they ran my credit 11 times without my permission and I left there with my car and no solution. I have no intention of going back to NAPOLI INDOORs nor do I ever plan on buying another Nissan after getting rid of this...thank you so much.

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  Buyer Beware - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By S Cantino - May 19 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this car with 56,000. Soon discovered what others have been talking about. Prepared myself for the worse and at 90,000 the catalytic converter self destructed. Caught it in time and replaced with new. Shortly thereafter the head gasket problem surfaced and the transmission needed to be replaced. Far more repairs than one would expect from Nissan. The engine problems should be addressed. There are better cars out there.

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  We call our Quest "the money pit" - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By A Sienna Next Time - May 19 - 10:00 am

  The maintenance costs of a Quest are unbelievably high. It is the first car Ive owned which needs a brake pad & rotor replacement every year, and new tires every year and a half. (None of previous vehicles have chewed through these like the Quest!) The car rattles, and we had to take our to the dealership for engine noise multiple times before they *finally) believed us based on a new service bulletin that went out. Too bad - its a stylish minivan, and we had high hopes for it. Its functional for our family, but we just wish it was lower-maintenance.

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  Terrible Drive - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By TD - May 19 - 5:20 am

  This car is a wreck waiting to happen. Maybe its just my Xterra, but the steering is jumpy, it doesnt hold its line in Hi-way driving and be careful if you think about taking it off-road. Ive taken mine several times into the hills and mud of North Carolina and if you take a bump or a rut too hard the jolt the car gives you can easily put you in the passenger seat. My 1993 Jeep Cherokee handled the terrain with ease...even though I am going to get destroyed on my trade in....this car is going back and Im buying something else. Good Luck

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  Love my Murano - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Dube - May 18 - 8:26 pm

  Ive had my Murano for a year and a half. Love the ride, room and reliability. You must rotate tires ever 5000 miles, I learned the hard way. Little hard on gas 15.5 in L.A. 21-22 on the hyway. Like the back-up cam., great for parking. Heat and air great with the hi speed fan. Great radio, love the sunroof. Leather nice, but I hear the 09 is much better. Brakes do squeak in reverse,I knew this when I bought it, it is annoying. Headlights dont seem to be to bright on low beam no matter how you adjust them. Ride is good a little hard, but still not bad, handles great. 4wd works great and will go threw some deep snow, Im from Maine. Love unlocking the car without the key and starting it.

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  Fun with Compromises - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By phranc68 - May 18 - 7:07 pm

  I love my Juke. I was looking for a unique, sporty, AWD for my new car and found all that and more in my new Juke. We already have a minivan, so the small spaces of the Juke are not an issue. Fun, responsive, eye catching. Most of the controls are intuitive and the "manual" CVT option actually works pretty well, giving the driver real control over the power.

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  Love My Sentra - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By Denise - May 17 - 9:13 pm

  I test drove Nissan Sentra and just fell in love with it. It handled the curves well and had great pick up and go. I really liked how comfortable the seats were and how smooth the ride was. Having an auxiliary input jack for my MP3, Trip computer with outside temp, distance to empty, and steering wheel mounted audio controls was just extra icing on the cake.

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  Awesome 4x4 with Loads of Features! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Hypnosis4u2nv - May 17 - 6:20 pm

  I looked at the Honda Pilot, Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Murano. None had all the standard features this truck has. I was sold on its powerful 270HP V6 engine, 5 speed auto trans, 4 wheel limited slip, traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution, ABS, selectable 4WD Hi-Lo, independent front/rear wishbone suspension and 3rd row fold flat seating. Whew! And thats just a few of the features that it comes with, all STANDARD! No extra packages to buy. Since Ive never been a fan with leather/moonroof/DVD navigation, its comforting to know I didnt have to buy any of those packages to get the extras. Look into this car if your in the market for an SUV.

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  Good truck with some flaws - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By 07 Fronty - May 17 - 5:56 pm

  I love this truck, its very capable off-road and hauls it all around town and on the freeway. I have just under 7k on it and I get the occasional squeak/noise from under the dash, paint chips semi-easily and does GREAT on the freeway, but badly around town. Gas pedal takes a bit to rev. Interior shows scratches like mad. Otherwise, love the looks, features, power.

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  Poor/defective pearl white paint job - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By klis1 - May 17 - 2:13 am

  Purchased 2013 Altima in Pearl white, the day after I discovered a paint defect that was evident in low light and shade. Defect listed as mottling, shadowing or zebra/tiger striping. I was able to return the vehicle to dealer a month later after a bit of drama (too much to fit in this review) due to clerical errors that prevented the financing from going through and saved me the time of a Lemon Law case. Tried Nissan by creating a case but was stalled by rep that kept needing additional time for “review”. Defect was evident in showroom of another dealer for a car assembled in Smyrna,TN. Other issues consistent with reviews for heated seats, trany and steering noise. Maybe time for Accord