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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  Lemon??? - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By kehaunani - March 30 - 1:56 pm

  Well within the first year and a half, I had to take van back to dealer for quite a few fixes. There was a missing piece in the braking component, they replaced it, they had to replace the seals for the sliding door and hatch, the visors broke off just by opening them, they were replaced. My van was bogging while driving,check engine light came on with that,car had to be towed back to dealership, they had to change out the cylynoids. The a/c came on when it felt like it.they changed two major components for the a/c. went to p/u van after a/c repair, van would not start. end result, could not lemon law. didnt have 3x for the same problem.traded van in for a 2009 altima.wish me luck! :(

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  nissan rogue failure - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By funissan1 - March 30 - 5:25 am

  Unfortunately I cant use profanity because all that comes to mind when i think of the 2009 nissan rogue i bought my wife is a 4 letter adjective starting with the letter F. Bought the car brand new november 2009 for my wife her first new car EVER. 8 months after buying it service engine light came on car started jerking every time she tryed to excellerate. Trip 1 to service department Transmission had to be completely replace. 6 months later car had same symptoms. Trip 2 to service department #2 cylinder missfire whatever that. Computer replaced. 5 months later same symptoms Trip 3 to service department same computer replaced AGAIN. Trip 4 same symptoms out of warranty $1700 repair.???????

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  enjoyment - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By Mikol - March 30 - 2:00 am

  this has been the best vehicle purchase I ever made , even though its used , it has out performed some of my friends newer cars

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  Fun Little Truck - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By Offroadin Guy - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have had my truck about 2 years and love it. 62,000 miles. It has the 4 cyl., 5 spd. manual, which is a little weak, but has enough pep to be fun to drive. Have had no major problems. Only problems have been small stuff like buttons on stereo popping off, and handle to drivers seat adjustment coming off. Also, the drivers side window has just started to give me problems. Very reliable truck. The 4WD has gotten me into some really cool areas, but it does not have the clearance of say the Toyota. There are no cheap fixes for this. But great for just piddling around in. Hope I never have to sell mine.

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  The 99 Altima GXE - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Fast Car - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car for about 4 months now. This car is more impressive than the 99 Maxima. If you rarely drive on the interstate, then this car is perfect. The cars cooling/heater unit works fast. This car is the best 4 cyclinder car ever. The only drawback is road noise, Slight vibrations when braking at high speeds and terrible stereo. The mirrors are bigger than the Maxima. There is no power seats which is what I like because it takes forever for the seat to adjust if it had one. If this car is great what is the new body style like? Oh one more thing! Weaving in and out of traffic is easy.

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  Great Buy!! - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Nikole - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Altima used after looking for over 3 months. I was pretty open to about anything but I loved the features of the car. I also loved that going from an old Subaru that got 35 miles per gallon that the Altima was not far behind.

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  Love it so far - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By plane95330 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I have had our Altima 3.5SE for about a month now and have enjoyed every minute so far. We both find excuses to go out and drive it.

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  Will buy another - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Shelfish - March 29 - 5:53 pm

  Very nice car in general, not overly fancy, but still a good looking car. I never have wondered if it was going to start. I will buy another Nissan next year, and the only major thing I will change is the addition of leather seats.

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  Great Used Car - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Cincy Runner - March 29 - 6:20 am

  I bought this 2006 Maxima SL as a used car in 2009. It was a lease turn-in with only 11,000 miles on it and bought it from a dealer for only $19,800. After driving it for 2 months now, Im really impressed with it and have nothing negative to say. I have not seen or experienced some of the problems that other reviewers are reporting, so maybe they just got lemons. I commute about 35 miles a day, both stop and go traffic and highways, and get a very satisfied 23.7 mpg. The drive is smooth and the engine is powerful, not to mention quiet. Its a fun car to drive! I love the interior, with the leather seats and sky view roof. This is my second Nissan and would buy again no problem.

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  4 by 4 - 2017 Nissan Frontier
  By Robert Lentz - March 29 - 1:55 am

  Great truck. The truck rides and drive more like a car than a truck. The seats are very comfortable, easily adjustable and they are covered in leather. The engine is very responsive but a little thirsty for gasoline. Instruments, radio and navigation screens easily readable. Overall it is a very nice truck.