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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  This Vehicle Rocks! - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By James Alexander - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I have to say for being a part of the Nissan family for a long time. I finaly stepped up to the plate and bought the best. Black on beige it has been an eye stopper, road grabber, and the most fun in driving I have had in years. The back seats flip down at a stroke and it becomes my mulit purpose car of the century. Yipi is all I can say!!!!!

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  awesome - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By chris shirley - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive Excellant Handleing Great exhaust note!! Great power band

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  Good Value - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Tikijojo - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the Honda Accord and was pretty much set on leasing until I drove the Altima. The 05 Altimas new interior is very sleek, and not to mention comfortable. The 175hp 2.5 engine is very responsive both off the line and at highway speed.

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  Best Little Car BANG for the BUCK! - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By djohn - May 6 - 4:30 am

  This is one of the best cars Ive owned, owned a lot. The exterior design, and color (tent green) I know... The orange leather interior first concerned me but now like it a lot. Ive had a lot of lookers at this car, great gas mileage, bigger car for the mileage, 28-35. I drive almost 150 miles a day and its very comfortable and easy on the gas. Id recommend, and have, this car in a heart beat. Never a mechanical problem. Just rotate the tires every 5000 miles and change oil at the same time.

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  Very Nice upgrade. - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By royrose - May 6 - 2:33 am

  We traded our 03 Murano SL for an 09 LE. Only the LE has the memory seats which were part of the leather package on the old SL. The new Murano has a much more luxurious feeling interior with some nice new features such as dual moonroof, power liftgate, backup camera, intelikey and bluetooth with voice dialing. The suspension and CVT seem improved a little. Minor gripes are that the outside temp display has been switched from the center display to the drivers instrument panel and the drivers seat cushion is not independently tiltable. This is the first time that my wife and I have bought the same model vehicle again, so clearly we are happy with the Murano and like the new one even better.

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  Excellent choice, best vehicle Ive had - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By BryanDMC - May 4 - 10:00 am

  The 2001 Pathfinder LE 4WD has power, a smooth ride, and is extremely fun to drive. The Bose system sounds excellent and I cant stop putting miles on this excellent vehicle. Build quality/workmanship has been great. My only issue is the milage, but that is even great compared to other SUVs. A small price to pay for an excellent vehicle.

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  A winner - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Lynda - May 4 - 10:00 am

  A lot of fun to drive. Finally.... enough power for the L.A. freeways! This puppy can get out of the way in a hurry! Provides a comfortable ride. A little noisy (wind noise and road noise). Great size- easy to get around in (great turning radius) and can haul a fair amount. Quick and easy to flatten rear passenger seats for more storage area. Great sound system (although the CD player takes a while to kick in).

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  Great overall truck - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By JNegron - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this truck. The aggressive styling and performance in this truck is impressive. The fact that there are not that many supercharged Frontiers on the street make people really acknowledge the better look of it.

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  Mud Slingin in Style - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By McFack - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Great Truck! Easily $3k cheaper than Toyota or Ford Sport Trac w/ comparable options. I purchased for looks, options & $price$. Options:4WD,Automatic,Long Bed,Under rail bed liner w/ rail caps,Rockford Fosgate 6-disc.CD,Tow Hitch,Leather Package(Includes Sun Roof & Security System) Added Options:H&H Tool Box Nit Picky Complaints: (1)Clicking noises under the hood when putting the truck into gear. I think this is typical of Frontiers, but IÂ’ve never heard of this before. (2)When I turn on the AC the compressor makes a noise like one beat on a drum. I hope this is not the sound of future repairs. Otherwise the AC works great!

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  A Great Car For the Money - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Nat - May 3 - 11:03 pm

  The new 07 Altima looks great, has a very nice SL option package, and the 4 cylinder engine is surprisingly quick and responsive. It is a lot of car for the money.