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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  Problem Free - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By jeffh - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car new in 1999. Drive 100 miles a day to work and back. Absolutely no problems at all. Cruises nicely at expressway speed (or slightly higher.) Comfortable ride that seems to get better as you add more passengers. At 6-4, Im definitely at the upper limit of who the cars was designed for. Engine has been great! With 112,000 mi, Ive replaced the front brakes once, the tires once, the serpentine belt, and a $.99 hose clamp. Not bad. Interior is the epitome of conservative, which is nice because I havent gotten sick of looking at it.

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  a pleasure to drive - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By marcus4564 - March 23 - 2:00 am

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  very satisfied - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By ccrick43218 - March 23 - 2:00 am

  my second sentra good value great car, dont forget to compare this car with others in this class.

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  Transmission failed in 9500miles - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By arazak - March 22 - 3:45 pm

  My car nissan altima 2.4s 2014 model transmission failed and its was in nissan garage for two weeks but repair not yet completed. I feel bad for my wrong choice, i supposed to buy toyota.

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  Nissan Titan Best Built Truck in America - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By John Lechuga - March 22 - 12:40 pm

  Despite the seatbelt recall, everything else on the Truck is superb. Original brakes lasted over 80K. Will surpass 100 miles by Dec 2009. Now that it is broken in, I cant wait for the next 200,000 miles. This truck is my quad. The vehicle is in excellent condition. Love my truck.

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  great handling, fun to drive - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Pete from Houston - March 22 - 5:03 am

  Had it for 3 years and have driven it hard. Two sets of tires and one set of brakes in 83K miles. You cant ask for more. Would have liked to have gotten better MPG (avg of 24 combined), but hey its a performance car. Nissan did their homework on the handling, and the engine is very responsive.

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  4 doors for two labs. - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By main-ah - March 22 - 12:53 am

  This truck was a purchase for our growing family. A LARGE male lab now has a LARGE little sister. The back doors were to be used by the dogs for easy in and out. They do not get in or out using the back doors. They use the same doors as the people do. The center console has held up very well with dogs walking on it almost every day. They enjoy the extra room compared with the extra cab Toyota we had.

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  ambivalent - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ambivalent - March 21 - 10:00 am

  the car is fun to drive and handles great. mine had a host of problems almost immediately after the warranty expired , no speedometer/odometer, transmission failure at 90,000 miles, new brakes (not pads) three times already as well as shocks. this car has primarily been used for highway driving. probably wont buy another Nissan pathfinder at least. oh, and it cant tow anything.

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  electric car - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By j e - March 18 - 4:50 pm

  The range is limited by cold weather. Takes out about 35% of range, if temperature below 30. In the 2016 model range is increased by 23 miles so this will help. I still love the car but you need a second car for long trips. Fast charging is a problem for long trips. Only Tesla has the infrastructure. However, for a commuter the Nissan works well. And best of all the only maintenance is to rotate the tires. Thats it. Now that Nissan has a car with 150 miles range the commuting ability is much better. And in 2018 model the range is said to go beyond 200 miles. Tesla has cars with range of 350, but who can afford them at $130,000 for the Model S. The Model 3 will be under $50,000, so they are getting realistic for most of us. But Nissan still best value.

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  First Impression - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By George N - March 16 - 3:00 am

  Have 2008 350Z, very impressive. Only minor issues in 30000 miles. Obviously went to see 2009 370Z to compare. Gone are the leather door panel trim for left over seating materials. Gone is the rear storage, which was huge for this car. Gone is the accessible 2nd power point. Now located inside the armrest?????? Gone is the hideaway cup holder, replaced by an ugly hole in the center tunnel. Gone is the blended center dash flip up door. Replaced by an ugly covering of leatherette with white stitching that stands out and constantly grabs your attention. Gone is the rear wiper?????? Question: A tow hitch port in rear bumper??