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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  A powerful and reliable car - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Kennth Wang - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I had my first 96 Maxima GLE at 96k and it has not brought me any trouble. I runs perfect and very comfortable. I love this car so much that I decide not to sell it.

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  Great for the money - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Monty - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I have a desert runner with v6 manual trans. This is my second Nissan truck. The first one was an 1988 HD long bed v6 that had 225000 miles. That truck held up so well I had to buy another. I love my new one, its so smooth and drives great. Everyone complains about the gas mileage but mine is no different than my old truck. I think the gearing is to low,the engine runs at 3000 RPM at 70 MPH, but it has 4x4 gearing.

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  Nissan Spec V - Bad Manual Tranny - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By nissanfan1639 - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I like the looks and engine has decent pep. The manual transmission leave a lot to be desired. Had nothing but problems with the manual tranny. The gear ratios dont seem right and shifting gears is problematic, hard to do and often caused grinding. Ive driven stick for 20 years and never had this before. The Audio system is overrated, for the price. The dealer turned into a #@$ after the sale, when I complained about the transmission.

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  Good Handling - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By Marshall - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Rides like a sports car - stiff ride. gas mileage 21.5 city, 26 highway. good trunk space and fold down rear seat works well to increase carring capacity. Four cylinder has plenty of power to pass or climb hills.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By skelly - April 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th SUV and By far my favorite. Driven a 4runner, wrangler, and 2 Grand Cherokees and none of these even comes close to how much I enjoy driving this Pathfinder. Just wish that I had test drove one sooner. Also able to knock $4800.00 off of the sticker.

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  Cool SUV for the price - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By gcguzman - April 25 - 2:00 am

  After test driving 8 or 9 SUVs, I ended up purchasing the Xterra because its overall quality is great and it was the most affordable. The gas consumption is a bit high, but I can live with it since Im happy with everything else about the Xterra.

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  Nissan Murano Review - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By easydriver - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven nearly all of the vehicles in this class: Mercedes M Class, Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, 4Runner, RX300. Pilot, Envoy, Trailblazer, Grand Cherokee, Rover, etc. and rate the Murano the best overall vehicle in this class regardless of cost. You owe it to yourself to drive this one if you are considering a civilized SUV that is beautiful, functional, gets great fuel mileage. Its a roomy as a Pilot, drives more like a car and sets a new standard for this class of vehicle.

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  Great Buy - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Justin - April 25 - 1:00 am

  Great SUV. It is tremendously smooth and it has a ton of power. It certainly ranks up there with all the other luxury SUVs out there without being priced as high. The interior is roomy and comfy while the exterior is just flat out hot. Love the fact that it has a back up camera without actually purchasing the navigation. Push button start is nice but I dont like the fact that I cant listen to my music after it is off. The traditional turn key allowed me listen to my music even with the car off as I can turn the key about three forth of the way. Also wished the aux input was not located behind the center console. Cant comment on the fuel economy as my Murano still needs to break in.

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  Do Not buy worst car ever and sevire like no other. - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By carman106 - April 24 - 5:53 pm

  I purchased a 2012 Rogue used. It had about 28000 mile. At 32000 miles the transmission acted up one day on my way to work. I try to take it in for service and was met by the rudest people ever. Nothing was done to fix it only excuses was made. I called Nissan Costumer Service, I was told that the dealership are not corporately owned and nothing they can do. As far as fixing the car they were not interested. At 40000 mile the car did the exact same thing. I was then told by the service manger " If the transmission only acts up ever couple of months, Its not considered a problem worth fixing or looking into fixing."

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  My 2.5 S w/ Conv. Package - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Lynz - April 24 - 4:06 pm

  I purchased my 05 in Jan. of 05 with 60 miles on it - today I have 99500! And it is still going strong, it does have road noise, and i find that it doesnt ride all that smooth. I had a battery problem 3 winters in a Row - Nissan replaced the battery each time - nothing really determined except needed new battery. I agree, tires from Nissan are awful on set # 3 (first 2 from Nissan) and need new brakes/rotors - GREAT gas mileage approx. 425 miles per tank! I do alot of highway driving...Wonder how much longer it will last?