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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  09 SL AWD 9 months and rolling - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By sschrupp - February 11 - 5:40 am

  Overall Im pretty happy with this vehicle, but no longer quite as ecstatic as I was in the beginning. Within a couple months of driving the trans started making a chattering noise. Dealership replaced the trans. Now they need it for about 3 hours for various recall issues. The Bose stereo sounds like all the sound is focused on front center speaker. The headrest is uncomfortable, and doesnt stay down, always slides back up. The sideview mirrors whistle at higher speeds and gusts of wind. Gas mileage isnt great, but hilly area with 65+ speed limits accounts for that. On positive note, it rides smooth, accelerates nicely, looks great, handles like a pro, great in inclement weather.

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  2007 Nissan versa - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By rotty - February 8 - 11:06 pm

  Had problems with a squeaky steering wheel, they covered it under warranty. Also had problems with front struts clunking noise, they replaced the parts under warranty. Gas mileage is not that great. Also have problems with paint coming away in both back doors, have to take it to Nissan to have repainted. Also weatherstripping coming off back doors.

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  Cross country journey - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Mike Q - February 8 - 9:16 am

  Drove from west coast to east coast towing a vw golf completely packed, with the truck bed overloaded as well. Power to get up and over the rockies no problem. Reliable and rides like a cadillac compared to my previous audi tt. Never owned a pickup before, and Im not disappointed.

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  Best Bang For The Buck! - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By bharris - February 6 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 2000 Xterra one month after they first hit the streets (July 1999). So I probably have one of the most driven Xterras out there (About 48,000 miles). Its been a great vehicle. No problems what so ever. I love it!

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  New to Quest - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By New to Quest - February 6 - 2:06 am

  Great car. Been debating b/w odyssey, sienna, crossovers. Very happy with quest. Wasnt thrilled with a minivan but this is acceptable. Coming from an Audi so quality and road noise are not as nice but the amount of room is great. Kids love the van.

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  Good economy for the size - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By Scoot - February 5 - 9:26 pm

  Traded the 06 4x4 Tundra for this one. Just couldnt justify 15mpg after selling the camper. More power would be good but this 4cyl is a big upgrade from older versions of the Nissan 4cyl automatic, especially considering how much larger this truck is than frontiers of the past. Excellent handling, great breaks & smooth ride for a small truck. Would like to see Nissan incorporate their cvt technology into this 4 banger to maximize its power.

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  Good truck, poor service - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Chago - February 5 - 3:46 pm

  The 2005 Nissan Titan looks like my dream truck, with all those awards, but when you take it home and out the dealer if anything goes wrong is like pulling nails to get it fixed. My trucks spayed bed liner is bobbling up and I have tried to get my dealer to fix it for over five months with no luck, their service department needs to change, starting at the top.

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  Awesome!! - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By UnCwTwIn - February 4 - 1:26 pm

  I bought my Pathfinder in 07/99 with about 65K miles. With over 200K miles as of 07/07, its still going and runs as great as the day I got it! The engine refuses to give me any problems! I love this vehicle because it fits well with any lifestyle and looks good at any occasion. There is one small spot where the paint is fading on the hood, but otherwise, the exterior paint is still in remarkably good condition. Transmission was replaced (wouldnt shift to reverse) in 04 and front axle was replaced in early 07. Otherwise, no major issues whatsoever. Ive put very little money into upkeep. Regular oil changes, limiting off-road use, and taking it easy on the gas pedal worked for me!

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  Has Been Excellent, but... - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By - February 4 - 10:21 am

  We bought our 2005 Pathfinder LE 4x4 automatic new in January of 2006. It has been a great vehicle in every way, including reliability. The MPG has been between 8 off road in 4x4, 12 durring the worst winter driving around town in AWD, to 22 on high speed freeways in 2WD, to 24 on moderate speed county highways in 2WD.

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  Great Power - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By PTNLGR - February 3 - 9:03 pm

  I drove BMWs, Mercedes Benzs and the new ES 300 and for the money, you can not beat the Maxima. None of the more expensive cars had as much power, and the Maxima had all of the options, and more, that the big bucks cars. You owe it to yourself to drive this car if your in the market for a $30K or more auto. Not as much snob appeal, but easier on the wallet.