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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  AVOID THE 2.5L, Youll love the 3.5L - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By caseyh1 - February 28 - 2:47 pm

  Nissan quality has went down hill since the 90s. The 2002 -2005 2.5L commonly has the head gasket go bad, before 100k miles. Mine went at 98k miles. If you pay someone it will cost you $1,600. Also it is possible that the forward catalytic converter will go bad, blow debris into your cylinders, and ruin them. WIth cloth seats, the drivers seat is rock hard. The seat doesnt support my thighs, causes pain. The Altima is supposed to ride stiffer and sportier than other cars, but on a really bumpy road it is just torture. The throttle is touchy it just lurches forward in stop and go traffic, I have to put the automatic into 1st or 2nd so I dont get whiplash. Wind noise on sunroof.

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  Average - Miss my Ford - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By igcc - February 27 - 11:00 am

  Not impressed with build quality... Drive train is great, interior rattles n shakes. Have had numerous small issues with gas gage and rattles. Dealer service is absolutely the worst. Tried multiple dealers and all provided the worst service I have ever seen. Mechanics were poorly trained, and management had a "go away" attitude. This is not the Nissan I have loved in the past. I sold an F150 to get better gas mileage in the city, and I miss it.

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  The worst car ever... - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By ramo1 - February 12 - 9:45 am

  The build quality of this car is really poor, the lens of the transmission console fell off (?), the front driver side splash guard came off on the road, the decorative cover of the driver side door lock came off for no reason, and the entire exterior door handle itself came fell off a few months later. These are items that hardly ever break down on any car. I addition I had to replace oxygen sensors at just 50 K miles, and exhaust pipe at just 56 K miles. After being a loyal Nissan customer (I owned Stanza, Quest, and Sentra in the past) I will never buy a Nissan again. I wonder what happened to the Nissan quality...it is not there anymore.

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  Wouldve been a 5 if not for 1 thing - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Nicko - February 12 - 8:28 am

  The car handles nicely for a 2.5L and the entertainment is nice. The only thing i absolutely hate about it is the seats. They are really uncomfortable and push your head forward if youre trying to rest your back on the seat. The bottom part of the seat is ok and holds you in place, id rate the back but the headrest restricts me from resting comfortably and the head rest sucks.

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  Horrible Car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By SM - February 6 - 8:10 pm

  I cant believe after owning this car for two yrs i have so much problems. It first started with the engine mount having to be changed, then came the jerk when going from reverse to drive, then the a/c stopped working had to change the expansion valve. Whats gonna happen next...I wld not recommend anyone to buy a 2004 Maxima, alot of my friends with the same car have had similar problems. My next car will def not be a Nissan!

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  My first and last Nissan - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By unleaded - February 5 - 2:00 am

  My first Nissan and last Nissan. Problems with itermittent flooding, build quality, rattling panels, harsh transmission, mediocre mileage for a 4 cylinder, terrible stock Continentals in the snow, oil consumption and awful dealership support. Dunno, maybe I received a lemon but at least it is beautiful.

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  X is ok - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By xguy - February 5 - 12:56 am

  I couldnt wait to buy an Xterra. Now that I have, I think I should have waited for a newer vehicle. Its just outdated and sucks gas like its free. I havent had one mechanical problem with it, but lots of little things that show lack of attention to detail (glovebox, molding, etc.) Still, its a good reliable car and you cant go wrong with Nissan.

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  After 36,000 miles, watch out! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By David F. - January 27 - 1:33 am

  The first year with this vehicle was great. It ran well, acceleration was effortless, and it was somewhat comfortable. At about 10,000 miles the engine began to accelerate sluggishly. Now at 37,000 miles the car now has an annoying loud metallic rattle under the hood everytime the car is accelerated or shifts gear. The dealer has attempted to repair this 5 times. Also, the right front strut failed, costing over $700 in repairs at 37,000 miles. The engine is beginning to sound like it has valve (ticking sound under hood) problems, and it also now has a service engine soon indicator on with emission system codes. I am not impressed with this vehicle. I will not purchase a Nissan again.

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  dont buy a nissan - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By ron - January 22 - 11:26 pm

  Nothing but problems with the z. Front end problems that nissan didnt repair because they couldnt get the tires to fix the problem.( P.S. dealership sells tires) Air conditioning problems that they temporary fix by recharging the system not stopping the leak. ( they get $90 from me to recharge the system ..nothing if they fix it) Squeaks and flex noises that will drive you insane. And now a fuel hose recall that will need the whole rear end to come off for a fix! Would you take it up to 100 after nissans mechanics got done with it?

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  Rogue S 2016 review - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By Karen - January 20 - 10:32 am

  This car presents really well on the exterior. I was given this car as a rental while my 2015 RAV4 was being repaired. I received the base model. The engine in all the 2016 models are the same. (I believe) Acceleration in the Rogue was poor. The gas pedal felt spongy. I would step on it and not get immediate acceleration. In order to pass at highway speeds (60mph) I would step on the pedal only to have it sink down until it finally kicked in with some pick-up. I understand this is because of the CVT transmission. (I now know I dont care for CVT transmissions) The steering felt heavy to me, and the Rogue SUV sat lower to the ground. More car like. The entire vehicle felt heavy to me with most of the weight being toward the bottom of the car. (If youve ever driven a snowmobile youll know what I mean. ) at first I thought the vehicle was front wheel drive only because it felt like the car was being pulled along. But no its awd. So why this heavy feel to the drive train? The ride is okay. The interior is nice. The ac seems to work okay. I can only compare it to the RAV4. The steering is smooth and light but still tactile. The car feels evenly balanced. I dont feel like the front tires are pulling the vehicle along. Acceleration is immediate when I need it. The gas pedal is responsive. The RAV4 sub/seating position is higher than the rogue. I like that. Maybe I had this driving experience because the Rogue was a base model. I wouldnt purchase this vehicle.