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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  Towing with a Manual Clutch - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Deb Milo - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought a new Pathfinder SE 4WD with stick this year. Next I bought a horse. With 240hp, I knew I had plenty of power to tow a double horse trailer with two horses. Not true. Did you know that the manual transmission is rated at 3500 lbs. towing capacity while the auto is rated at 5000 lbs. ? Go figure ! What can I do ?

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  Check out the 2002 Maxima - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Dodgers - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I fully researched this car before I bought and found very high reviews from Consumers Reports, Edmunds, and others. I had previously owned a Maxima and a 300Z. This car was everything I expected EXCEPT the rough ride with 4 passengers. It tends to "bottom out" when going over a dip in the road. With two passengers it is not a problem exept it does not take rough railroad crossings very well.

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  OVERPRICED - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By RAUTRY72 - May 7 - 10:00 am

  THIS VEHICLE IS VERY OVERPRICED. IT IS 24 GRAND AND DOESNT EVEN HAVE MIRRORS ON THE BACK SIDE OF VISOR. IT ALSO RIDES LIKE A LOG TRUCK. VERY ROUGH. THIS VEHICLE MIGHT BE WORTH 19 OR 20 GRAND. VERY DISAPPOINTED.

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  Worst Car EVER DRIVEN - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By SteveJ - May 7 - 10:00 am

  From day one this car has been a problem! It was delivered with an outward ding (factory installed), that the dealership happily fixed, then it was stalling every other time I put it into reverse, the dealership fixed after three visits, then there was the locking problem, that was fixed but is now back again, it has also been repainted on the bottom sills because the paint was just flaking off of the car, the blinkers often dont work and now there is a headlamp problem. I traded in a 99 with NO problems, I wish I had been as luck with this car.

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  350z - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By Tony - May 7 - 4:53 am

  This is the ideal sports car for its price. The handling is very in touch with the road while body roll remains minimal. The unique exhaust note, long legged 6 speed transmission, and scare your girlfriend power under your right foot make this car a fun drive.

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  A Fun Car Not to be Missed - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Angel973 - May 6 - 10:23 pm

  I luv this car. Its compact and cute - IMHO its the most eye-catching compact cross-over SUV in the market right now. Before we bought this car, we had test driven Honda CR-V, Subaru 2009 Forrester, RAV-4 and Matrix 2009 AWD. Rogue provides the best balance for what we are looking for in its segment. Its responsive, beautifully designed inside and out. The gas mileage is reasonable. Best of all, you get the best value out of the money you spend. Highly recommended.

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  Blown head gasket 110KKM, 5 years old - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By bjinqc - May 6 - 10:13 pm

  Seriously? I have never blown a head gasket on 5 other vehicles that I have taken over 250KKM., two past 400 What modern car maker can fail to prevent such a potentially serious design flaw or to correct it once it becomes generally known? The old style school of denial just does not work in the internet age. Fool me once, shame on me... anything but a Nissan the next time.

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  Titan problems - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By wayne casey - May 6 - 7:00 pm

  Truck runs great. No problems on the highway. Had problem getting a electrical brake added to the truck. Company would not help at all with the electrical brake. Had to go to a after service to get the brake added. Own a 24 ft travel trailer, towes the trailer with ease. Had to have the brakes replace 3 times or until they got the proper roto for this vehicle. Great vehicle for offroad. Ive got about 34,000 miles on this vehicle and have own the truck since July of 04.

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  Altima 2.5 coupe - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Joe5speed - May 6 - 11:26 am

  The good: fun to drive, CVT great in auto and manual, more mpgs then epa states, 4 cyl plenty of power even on hill with a/c and cruise on! The bad: owners manual and dvd are vague on some operations, trip computer cumbersome to operate. Uses time to mileage rating that is grossly inaccurate unles reset each time you start moving! Psgr seat does not reset to preset back position when tipped forward, resets to an uncomfortable 90 degree position requiring manual reset. Initiate XM radio directions are non existent, user left on own to figure out. The ugly: power steering is over sensative, subject to wondering and oversteering at highway speeds but handles great otherwise. Smart key=big $

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  Not Bad - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By altimaowner - May 6 - 6:20 am

  I bought 07 altima 2.5s, it is actually not a bad car! I love the exterior much better than 06 altima, and interior is also better I think.I think nissan really steps up this time, but I think they should maybe do a little better job in the back exterior look :)