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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  Nice for the price. - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By value_driven - August 17 - 3:33 am

  I bought my Altima new, 13 months & 6200 miles ago. I have not taken it to the dealer for anything but 2 oil changes. This is the first car or truck that I have owned that had no defects! I car shopped for 3 years[2007-2010]. During that time period I drove Accords, Camrys, and Sonatas. I almost bought a 2011 Sonata. My Altima was exactly as I wanted; color, options, price. I got a big discount, $0 down, and 0% financing for 60 months! The V-6 is nice! The controls are easy to use. The speedo and tach are easy to read and nicely illuminated. I enjoy driving it. I would drive it more but my main ride is a 1993 T-100 that I bought new and now has 200,000 miles. I like my Altima a lot!

• 

  Great comfort with economy - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Ben - August 16 - 8:50 pm

  Before this Altima, I had an Infiniti Q45 and I am glad I traded it in. This Altima has plenty of room, it performs on the road with plenty of power considering it has only a 4 cylinder engine. I get great gas mileage (22.5 mpg city driving: short trips, 5 miles or less). I love the keyless entry and start. I dont have to look for the keys to enter the car or start it. The only drawback I see is the engine noise when accelerating. I have had this for 5 months already, and I have not had any problems with it. I compared the Altima to the Camry and the Accord, and I consider you get more for your money with the Altima. I love the dual exaust pipes and the exterior look.

• 

  Fun car to drive - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By shad82 - August 16 - 10:23 am

  Ive had my car for almost 6 years and it is still a fun little car to drive. And it handles very well. My biggest problems with it was the faulty pre cat failure and I had to replace the ignition coils a few times as well. Another thing that I dont like about my car is the gas mileage, its a good car for local runs but I dont think its good car for long distance trips.

• 

  Great Initial Assessment - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Archman - August 16 - 5:20 am

  My wife and I were looking for a midsized sedan since we have a grandchild coming in a couple of months. We considered the Altima, Camry, Legacy, Mazda6, & Sonata. It must have the following: good comfortable ride, quiet, good fuel economy, & roomy. That was the dilemma. All of the cars that we considered as noted above can meet those requirements. So we dug deeper. We loved the CVT and the quietness it brought. So it was down to the Subaru and Nissan. Then July 4th weekend sale sealed the deal with the Nissan with up to $2k off with your own financing was great. Additional feature that we love is the smart key and push button start, absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended.

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  Lack of quality - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Danny - August 16 - 5:16 am

  If this is Nissans flagship vehicle, I hate to see the quality of the rest of the line! Rattles in front, rattles in rear, deck lid had to be repainted,radio doesnt pick stations very good, chrome coming off of all 4 wheels. I took car back to fix the problems, I was told no problem found with the rattles??, radio problem is SOP. I was told the wheels would have to ordered, finally got them two and a half months later. After the wheels were replaced, car now has a shimmy they cant fix!! I would not reccomend this car to anyone!!!

• 

  so far, so good - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By bob payne - August 16 - 3:10 am

  After 1000 km, my Murano has lived up to the reviews. The drive position is very comfortable and it is a dream to drive. The new color, Merlot, is a real plus. There is not a single rattle, buzz or hum and the CVT transmission is first rate.

• 

  Get the sports pkg... - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By ndry_06 - August 16 - 1:37 am

  -Try the sports pkg and then the base. You will notice the difference. The sports hugs the road adding better suspension and sports tires and rims. - This car will get the "you drive a beautiful car" from the girls. - This car will cause cops to slow down or pull to the side as soon as they see you...turning on every bell and whistle to give them a reason to give you a ticket. - Dont buy this car if you are going to be looking at the mpg gauge.

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  Nice Murano - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By cmurfree - August 15 - 10:26 pm

  This is the best vehicle Ive ever owned. I had a Maxima, Rodeo, 626, RX7, B2200, 68 T-Bird. The performance and handling are great, but the comfort is outstanding. I love driving it. The only concern Ive ever had was when making a tight turn at slow speeds the steering wheel seemed to tighten up.

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  Mixed Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Jon - August 15 - 3:53 pm

  I always liked the Maxima and when the new design came out in 2004 - I had to have it. This was my first "brand new car". I enjoyed it for a while but problems developed early on. I had both front struts replaced at 10K miles. Two headlights (requires removing the front fender). Front brakes at 22k miles - I had to pay but I feel that should have been covered by the dealer. The glass roof has been replaced three times, a brake sensor was replaced, two tires and one rim (pot hole). I feel I have gotten to know the service department much more than I would ever want to.

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  Would Buy Another! - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Valley_Val - August 15 - 1:13 pm

  We are very happy with our Armada and in fact are thinking of buying another when this lease is up. We also tested the Toyota Sequoia, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade at the time of purchase -- the Armada was best due to styling, comfort, interior/exterior amenities, and most important, the ease of changing the seat configuration! Car has performed great, gas mileage is not super but acceptable compared to other similar-sized SUVs, and I would (and do) recommend the car to others in the market for a larger SUV.