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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  Decent car until things start breaking - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Joe - July 24 - 9:10 am

  Weve owned our Murano for 6 years now and have had quite a few problems. The alternator failed at about 20k, one of the speakers has cut out randomly since about 40k, and I have gone through many sets of tires since I bought the car. I now have 100k on this vehicle and it has been in the shop more times then I would have liked. Fuel economy is unimpressive at 17-18 city and low 20s on the highway. I recently had the timing belt and front wheel bearings replaced. Noticed a burning smell inside and Nissan dealer said everythings fine. Probably wont be buying another car from Nissan.

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  Great Ride! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By CajunMaximaCpl - July 24 - 7:20 am

  The wife and I took delivery of our 06 Maxima SL (pearl white, tan leather, and functional sunroof - LOADED) after driving numerous family sedans. Came close to deciding on the 06 Altima (V6) UNTIL we drove the Maxima -- it sold itself! Awesome looks and drives like a dream. Our deal was 2% over invoice, which came out to be approx. $560 over -- very pleased with that deal! Our salesman was never, ever pushy and let us make our own decision about buying a vehicle and the time we took to decide.

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  All in all, not bad. - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By KMP - July 24 - 2:30 am

  Power steering fluid leaks. I have to keep checking and topping up when necessary. Makes a squeaky noise on the drivers side, front end as I drive over bumps (speed bumps). Makes a squealing noise under the hood, mostly on wet days. CD player didnt want to give back a CD. I had to take it to the dealership. They replaced the CD Player but didnt return my CD. The trunk release no longer works from inside the car nor does the remote control open it.

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  i do not like it - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By clarkoii - July 23 - 9:48 pm

  my first car was a 98 maxima GLE, not a big fan. it had trans problems every 2 or three years. my ford now is the best car i have ever had. still have that maxima for some reason i cant throw it away

• 

  Solid SUV - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mattm - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Nice style and reliability. Lacks the engine power and gas mileage is very poor. The truck is good for someone with a short daily commute or longer highway trips. This is not the truck for you if you commute 40+ miles a day. Youll end up spending a ton on gas money. Im trading mine in for a better fuel efficent Nissan.

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  Whats not to like. - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By epedal - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The car performs well, corners and accelerates proudly. People look at and like to look at this car. You will be the preferred driver for going out to lunch though.

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  Truck Perfection - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By ArmyinAtlanta - July 23 - 7:33 am

  Wife bought me this truck for Christmas...have studied the entire truck market for nearly a year...reading, driving, etc...this may well be the closest to truck perfection you will find...still new so I will wait a while but initial impression is awesome...it kinda looks like Nissan looked throughout the market and then did one better in virtually all areas of design...wife got $7,000 off MSRP...

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  First 6k miles - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By hcanismo - July 23 - 2:40 am

  This is my third Nissan pickup. #1 was a 2005 Titan that had terrible mileage and many squeaks, rattles, and vibrations. #2 was a 2007 Frontier NISMO 4x4 which was very reliable, avg mpg was 17.5-18 with a best of 24mpg and a worst of 11mpg towing. NISMO had lots of great features with an excellent stock radio (with the upgraded radio package- the base stereo is terrible). This 2009 Titan Pro4X is a bigger version of my great NISMO 4x4- very flexy suspension, locking diff, great stereo, powerful Hemi-eating engine (yes the Frontier can beat a Hemi), tows well, rides very nice, very reliable, factory spray-on bedliner with rail system, etc. 14.5-15.5 mpg avg before first oil change.

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  Much Bang For Your Buck - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By g6leaser - July 23 - 2:18 am

  Although we just picked up our 2011 AWD SV Rogue with SL package (leather seats, nav, bluetooth,usb, sunroof,backup cam) from the dealer yesterday, I wanted to share a few words and will give a more detailed review after 1,000 miles. The Rogue drives more like a car which my wife enjoys - quiet, comfortable, safe (steering wheel mounted features) and classy design. I was skeptical of the CVT Transmission but so far it has performed flawlessly. If you are looking for an economical upscale SUV, I would check out the Rogue - but it is too early to comment on milage and durability - will update after 1,000 miles.

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  Good used vehicle - 1999 Nissan Frontier
  By syclone - July 22 - 11:43 pm

  No problems so far except for an automatic transmission overdrive switch.