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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  Great Truck - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By Rich Soto - May 30 - 12:00 am

  Starts up nice. Drives like a full size truck. Step on the gas and she goes nice for a v6. Shifts smooth and stops on a dime. Turning radius is great. Has a little bit of wind noise around door somewhere. I will figure it out sooner or later. Had to trade a manual transmission vehicle for this cause I could not use right shoulder to well and this truck has everthing easy to reach. Pulls a 2 place quad trailer very well. I forget its back there. That is how well it pulls and rides back there. Hope I dont have to get rid of this truck for any health reasons. This truck could last me forever. Bought it with 54 thousand miles, clean as a whistle. Got a full 60k service done at dealer. Top shape!

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  Had it for 5 years, still love it. - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By chris - May 29 - 6:10 pm

  Im this cars first owner, and all Ive ever had to do was change a battery. Incredible reliability, a fun drive with great cornering, a sharp look (this was the first model year with the redesign), value. This was the first car I bought on my own and it was a solid purchase. I didnt get many fancy options (cloth interior, vinyl) but it still looks quite nice inside.

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  Stay away from Nissan - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Miguel - May 29 - 5:06 pm

  Extremely disappointed - first and last Nissan. Vehicle initially worked fine for first month than began to shake violently when going into EV mode. Dealer "fixed" it but now it will not drive in EV Mode. Been back to two separate dealers both of which say its normal. First said it has "learned" my driving habits so it wont drive in EV the second claims EV does not work when the air conditioning is on (doesnt seem to work with it off) 6,000 miles on it and am ready to unload it.

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  Cant Go Wrong - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Tim - May 29 - 5:00 pm

  I dont have any regrets or complaints after driving the Altima Hybrid for 2 months. The best mid-size exterior styling, pretty nice interior. MPG is right inline with EPA estimates. My only beef is that it does seem a little heavy. Adding several hundred pounds of batteries between the rear wheels makes the back end a little heavy when corner, but hey, its a hybrid, so dont expect a sports sedan. Great car.

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  06 in hind site - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Bob - May 29 - 2:43 pm

  This was my 3rd Maxima. No real issues. Have a 3 year lease and turning it back in and lease an 09 Had to replace OEM (Continental) tires at 26K even with Nissan dealership rotating at 5k intervals. Front brakes are ready to be replaced at 34K. Cruise control is very inconsistent especially on down hill situations. Engine is starting to run a little rough at 35K. I have no regrets with the vehicle. It was a very safe and reliable car for my wife to drive.

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  10.7 Inches Ground Clearance! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By J. Williams - May 29 - 10:53 am

  Only disappointment is that I could not order an Armada with 5 speed manual transmission. Had dealer swap tires from the Armada "Off Road" vehicle to the LE model in order to have 10.7 inch ground clearance. Back seat legroom is more than any other SUV. In my business, I cover highways and ranch roads and farm fields, often with three or more folks who need room for comfort.

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  Pathfinder - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Godwin Duru - May 29 - 6:16 am

  This SUV is compact and seats 7 comfortably. The drive is smooth and comfortable. Handles well on curves. The instrumentation is very visible and within reach. Excellent driver visibility.

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  Great car for the price! - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By kawh - May 29 - 5:56 am

  I sold my Prius to take advantage of the ca hov sticker value. Bought the versa as a "bridge" car until the electric hybrid comes along (hopefully). Am not disappointed. Am getting about 30 mpg combined, which is good as I drive a lot of country and hilly roads. Quiet ride. Love that the seats go flat for hauling items. Got it loaded for under 12,000. Did well in the high mountains on a recent road trip - enough power to feel confident on a crowded freeway. BASIC interior inoffensive. Negatives - need more storage spaces in front and cup holders are cramped. Radio is difficult to tune to new stations. Thats about it. Wish it got 45 mpg... Ah, well.

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  Davids review - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Bowhunter - May 29 - 3:06 am

  Fantastic truck put 130,000 on a frontier..Xterra is nice, roomy and perfect for my business

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  Trusted and Reliable - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Clyde in Chatt Town - May 29 - 2:00 am

  We have owned our Xterra since 2000 when we bought it new. Now, just rolling over 180,000 miles, it has never been in the shop for more than a check-up. Routine oil changes and new plugs, wires, and fluids at 100,000 miles is all that has ever been done. Recently had the air go out, but after ten years and 180,000 miles I have no complaints with the build quality on this one! If youre looking at buying one used, I would not be intimidated by high miles. Certainly mine has been super-reliable so far, and I would not hesitate to take it on long trips. Super reliable!