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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  Murano: A Great Car! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By John Clark - June 29 - 2:00 am

  From styling to performance this car is absolutly great! We have enjoyed it from the first test drive. We get 21.8 MPG around town. Weve only taken it on one trip and got 24.4 MPG. Considering the power and size of the car we feel the MPG is great. Several friends are considering buying this car now.

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  Shhhhh... Dad loves the minivan - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Gordom - June 29 - 2:00 am

  It had been monopolized by the wife and kids for a month before I snuck away with it for a 500 mile business trip. Loved every minute of it. The nightime departure through hill country showcased the handling, ride and responsiveness. Lots of power and was glued to the road cornering. No peering through the wheel to see if I might be speeding (I was) due to the new offset gauges. Excellent drivers visiblity and room. Audio system rocks. Quest is at home on the highway. Set the cruise control and enjoy the ride. Effortless to drive and astoundingly comfortable. Im thinking Titan for Dad for Xmas.

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  A van worth a look - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Nhan TTT - June 29 - 2:00 am

  We’ve recently purchased this van after looking at all the others. This one definitely caught our (the wife & I) eyes. The look is great, the engine is very able, the styling is sleek and very different from the others. We’ve had it for about two months now and it is truly fun to drive. The ride is pleasant and the handling on the road and around turns is awsome. This our first “loaded” (w/o DVD (decide we’ll install aftermarket) and navigation system (really don’t need)) vehicle. All those little extras are well worth it.

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  Reliable - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By crotch666 - June 27 - 11:53 pm

  Purchased this car in 2009 for $6,000 and it has and probably will be one of the best cars I will ever have. The only time it ever broke down once on me was in 2015 when the alternator went out. That was a quick and easy fix, and it was back on the road in no-time. I maintenanced this car regularly and it definitely gave back to me. I was in 2 wrecks in it, I would considered mild to bad. Someone rear-ended me extremely hard and the damage to the car was minimal. The other one someone pulled out in front of me and I t-boned them. The bumper was destroyed, but that was it. The other car was totaled. Extremely safe car and very reliable. The gas mileage could be better, but I love this car regardless.

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  Love My Cube - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By Bec55 - June 27 - 12:03 pm

  I have owned my Cube since October 2009. We immediately took it on a thousand mile trip from mid NC to Ohio and back. It was great. Lots of room for me, the hubby and 2 dogs. I wouldnt change a thing. Road noise is not an issue. It has no more road noise than my 2003 Corolla. It drives great on the interstate as well as in town. I am getting 32.5 mpg consistently. While in Ohio, my sister liked mine so much, she has since purchased one as well and loves it as much as I love mine. My husband loves the head and leg room.

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  Love it!! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By kate - June 27 - 11:20 am

  This car was purchased after my 97 Civic was rear-ended and totaled. My family owns 4 Nissans, and we have an 03 altima, so naturally i wanted what i was familiar with. This car was a no-brainer buy, and i love driving it. The radio is great, brakes, steering etc are also phenomenal. I recommend this car to everyone!

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  Excellent car for the money - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Aaj - June 27 - 4:30 am

  This car is an excellent value for the money! In special edition form it becomes even greater. The ride is supple and smooth. The styling is great for an economy sedan. Overall a very good car by an excellent car company.

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  Nissan Quest 2004 - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By J - June 26 - 11:06 am

  Quite frankly I am surprised by the negative reviews, because we love this van. Other than one recall issue that was rapidly fixed with additional new items installed, we have had no problems with this van. I have taken it on numerous 1000 mile trips and smaller 200 mile trips with no problems. The car handles extremely well, has great seating and storage capacity, gas mileage (21 city/ 28 hwy), good stereo sound, excellent DVD. Although different, the center console with controls at your fingertips is wonderful and the screen size is no problem for the over 40 set. The mirrors are the best I have ever had with respect to total driving visibility. Kids call it the "Space Mobile."

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  Rock solid thus far! - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By T Maynard - June 26 - 4:20 am

  Purchased used in August 07 with 98K miles. Firstly, the exterior of the car is simply beautiful, extremely classy looking yet with a sporty edge. The interior cabin feels overall roomy enough. The leather seats are quite adequate and all the controls are nicely laid out and easily accessible by either the driver or passenger unlike in some vehicles where you feel the dash is a mile away. The sound system is decent but not exceptional. The steering is crisp and precise and the power is exactly what you would expect 255 ponies to feel like from a big sedan, very exciting. Gas mileage is blah, but this car so far has been a very worthy investment. It leaves me wanting nothing.

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  Found the Dream CAR!!! :) - 2011 Nissan Versa
  By ylla - June 24 - 7:39 pm

  i love everything about this car!!! :) great mileage, great on gas!,Fun to drive and drive soooo smooth!!! suits for me coz im small,! my first car that ive owned! just got this yesterday and all i can say is im SPEECHLESS!!! my cars name is RAVEN :P you should get one today this car is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!