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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  My Pathfinder 05 - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By marty quihuis - April 8 - 8:56 pm

  The Pathfinder has been very reliable and so so on the gas. The power is always there when needed. The off- roading has been pretty comfortable. The design could look a little sleeker but looks very beefy. The comfort of the ride has been great on long trips.

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  WoooooooooooooHoooooooooooo! - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By Dale - April 8 - 3:20 pm

  Fun to drive and powerful. Excellent quality and great lines. Tested the BMW Z4, Mazda Miata, Honda S2000 and Mercedes SLK 280. The 350Z looked and felt better to drive than the others. Great buy for the money and it turns heads.

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  2015 Altima- new transmission at 10k miles - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By dendy - April 8 - 9:52 am

  Purchased a new 2015 Altima SV with convenience package. Had to have the CVT transmission replaced at only 10k miles. Nissan does not offer new transmissions, only remanufactured units. Nissan consumer affairs offered me some free oil changes, something I was already getting from the dealer, as compensation for my inconvenience. Will not buy another Nissan.

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  Surprise! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rick - April 8 - 4:43 am

  We bought 2004 Armada new. We loved the room for the family. Soon we noticed lots of noise and was told with in normal limits. Then squeaky brakes again told normal. The ride is rough. The DVD player ruined our DVDs. The interior is falling apart. While driving down the expressway (no overpass) our sun roof exploded! We were told again this was not a defect and we had to pay for that to be fixed. Sunday we were in another state for my grandsons birthday and the car quit. Had it towed to Nissan dealer hip and told engine blown. Something came loose & hit the engine.Waiting to hear if they will cover it. The cost will be $8-9000. So now I have a $16,500 loan on a car that is worthless.

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  Maxima should be Minima. - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Gino Piscopo - April 7 - 8:36 pm

  Drive an Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW and you wont even consider a Maxima. I drive professionally and this car is simply lethal. Terrible roadholding especially if roads are wet, useless in snow even with 4 snows, wonderful engine but simply overpowered when considering its inept chassis, the CVT is atrocious, lazy, and then overwhelming. Hang on if you need to pass quickly on a narrow road, torque steer will send you off into the weeds. Regarding the transmission it failed yesterday and needs to be replaced...20,000 miles! Front seats are exceptional, especially the drivers side as it is fully adjustable. The front passenger seat does not have a height adjustment so your passenger will be sitting on the floor. $40,000 and the power seat doesnt raise? The interior is spacious and of high quality. Exterior styling is quite unusual, Nissan needs to hire new engineers and stylists. The paint work and finish is terrible. My car is the poster car for orange peel. Goodbye Nissan, good luck to you if you purchase one.

• 

  Maxima should be Minima. - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Gino Piscopo - April 7 - 8:36 pm

  Drive an Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW and you wont even consider a Maxima. I drive professionally and this car is simply lethal. Terrible roadholding especially if roads are wet, useless in snow even with 4 snows, wonderful engine but simply overpowered when considering its inept chassis, the CVT is atrocious, lazy, and then overwhelming. Hang on if you need to pass quickly on a narrow road, torque steer will send you off into the weeds. Regarding the transmission it failed yesterday and needs to be replaced...20,000 miles! Front seats are exceptional, especially the drivers side as it is fully adjustable. The front passenger seat does not have a height adjustment so your passenger will be sitting on the floor. $40,000 and the power seat doesnt raise? The interior is spacious and of high quality. Exterior styling is quite unusual, Nissan needs to hire new engineers and stylists. The paint work and finish is terrible. My car is the poster car for orange peel. Goodbye Nissan, good luck to you if you purchase one.

• 

  Maxima should be Minima. - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Gino Piscopo - April 7 - 8:36 pm

  Drive an Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW and you wont even consider a Maxima. I drive professionally and this car is simply lethal. Terrible roadholding especially if roads are wet, useless in snow even with 4 snows, wonderful engine but simply overpowered when considering its inept chassis, the CVT is atrocious, lazy, and then overwhelming. Hang on if you need to pass quickly on a narrow road, torque steer will send you off into the weeds. Regarding the transmission it failed yesterday and needs to be replaced...20,000 miles! Front seats are exceptional, especially the drivers side as it is fully adjustable. The front passenger seat does not have a height adjustment so your passenger will be sitting on the floor. $40,000 and the power seat doesnt raise? The interior is spacious and of high quality. Exterior styling is quite unusual, Nissan needs to hire new engineers and stylists. The paint work and finish is terrible. My car is the poster car for orange peel. Goodbye Nissan, good luck to you if you purchase one.

• 

  PCB Nissan - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By John D. - April 7 - 3:56 pm

  I had planned to buy an SUV but the salesman told me that I would be missing out if I didnt try driving a Maxima. I told him I wasnt interested, but my wife said why not. So we jumped in and took it for drive. WOW!! I was impressed! We drove back to the dealer and I told them there was a shimmy in the steering wheel. Two days later they called and said they found a bad flat spot on one tire and fixed it. We went back for a second test drive; kept it over night and decided to buy it. I never thought I would ever purchase a 4-door car again until I drove the Maxima. What a fantastic vehicle Nissan has made. Speaking of performance, Im a retired Navy Pilot; I know about Performance!

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  Low mileage - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By ty_parry - April 7 - 8:16 am

  Traded in Honda Accord that got better mileage than the 24 mpg for the 2007 Sentra. Fun to drive with a big cabin and large trunk. The keyless starting and smooth quiet ride, make it a great car except for the low mpg.

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  Pathfinder LE 2 WD drive - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Charles Bosworth - April 6 - 11:43 pm

  Car handles well, more like a car than a truck. Appointments are luxurious. Even the basic LE model has all the bells and whistles except navigation and DVD systems. A standard 1st aid kit is nice. No available rear window deflector is a turn off. Two glove boxes is different. This is a new version of the old pathfinder. It has 3rd row fold down seats. Because it is newly redesigned it might be hard to get a good deal (no specials). Bose speaker system, multi-control AC and memory system for drivers seat, mirror and pedal height are all nice touchs. There is a big difference, appointment/accesory-wise between LE and other models (SE, etc..). We had a 2002 LE. Not much interior storage space.