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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  Love the Altima - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Nathan - January 30 - 3:20 am

  I bought my Altima on lease through the great lease special that was on the Altima. Its been a great car. I love the huge trunk, audio controls on the steering wheels and I can squeal tires with the 4-cylinder. That is crazy. I love the features for the price.

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  This SE-R made me a car lover - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By icingdeath88 - January 29 - 4:16 pm

  I bought this car after popping into the dealership to check out the Altimas. Once I found out that the Sentra had zero-percent and came in the SE-R style I was all over it. A year later, this car has made me a car lover, because I never before realized how fun it could be just to drive. Also, it out-paces my friends highly modded Mazda3 hatch. Cant put a price on that. My wife and I like this car so much were getting her a 2007 one.

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  Just purchased - initial reactions - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Ryan - January 28 - 7:36 am

  Id been casually shopping for a 2003-2005 Xterra for a few months. I really prefer the body style of the 2005-2009s so Ive been looking for one within my budget. Now that I have it, I couldnt be happier. I read a lot of reviews on the model so had a good idea of what to expect. The "get up and go" is fantastic. Im coming from driving a VW GTI, so I needed something with a little "oomph" that I was used to. I really like all of the clever compartments throughout the car (2 glove boxes, roof rack storage box, floor storage compartment under hatch bed, etc.). If you have a lot in your car, It helps to stay clean and organized.

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  this is the coolest vehicle ever - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By wolfy - January 28 - 5:16 am

  Fuel economy for me with a fwd has been a consistet 22-23mpg. Not sure what others are saying about cvt sluggish in traffic, as when stomping on the gas you could get whiplash...awesome get up and go. ALso a very smooth ride with great handling ,not to mention a gorgeous vehicle. In my 25 years of driving and after 15,000 miles on my murano, this vehicle is an A ++ !

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Burt - January 28 - 1:20 am

  I looked at all competing makes and models and it came down to the Pathfinder LE and the Toyota 4-Runner Limited (V8). The Pathfinder won but the Toyota was not far behind. Plenty of power, Great styling, excellent choice of options and layout. It also gets great gas mileage for a SUV of this size. I bought this Pathfinder with 15 MPG city and 21 MPG highway on the window. I can get 20.4 highway and 15 to 16 around town and average somewhere 17.4 allover. To me thats excellent. My previous Explorer Sport Trac got 16 highway and 13 around town and had a hard time passing a bicycle. I have added the (factory) XM radio and (factory) Ipod interface. Shocks are next for a tighter ride. Buy one!

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  "A lot for a little" - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Mr.Mag - January 27 - 6:43 am

  Considered a Toyota Yaris first, then a Honda Fit, but both were thousands of dollars more than the Versa. A fantastic buy for the price with AC and CD, radio player. Just like Nissans TV add says, "A lot for a little".

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  Amazing!! - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By I Love It - January 26 - 11:33 am

  We have had our Maxima for a while now. I was originally looking at the Accord, but after test driving my friends, I scrapped the Honda idea. I had no idea it had that much power! The car is a rocketship when you want it to be. It is approaching 100k, and I have never had any problems with it. I am looking forward to having many more years of fun. It is a great car that can easily fit 4 adults and has a ton of trunk space for all of your stuff. I absolutely love my Maxima, and would buy it again in a heartbeat!

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  White knights first review - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By white knight - January 26 - 1:50 am

  I just purchased this truck within the past week so please keep this in mind when reviewing this score. This is an impressive truck with a quiet and smooth ride (could feel no vibration from the 4cylinder engine). this is a 4x2, with manual 5 speed tranny. Shifts smoothly. Great outward visibility. As soon as the artic conditions moderate here I plan to drive this vehicle a lot. Right now truck and I are hibernating. I will review this truck once a year.

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  Wow! I love my Maxima - 1999 Nissan Maxima
  By Jon Strand - January 26 - 12:53 am

  I bought this car at 83K miles. After about a year and a half it now has 120K miles. This car is amazing and I love it to death. Reliability is fantastic as I have had virtually no maintenance costs w/the exception of oil changes, etc. I get a lot of compliments about how smooth the ride is. Some people dislike the styling of these Maximas, but I love the car inside and out. It is fully loaded w/every option but traction control and everything still works perfectly and in tip top shape, despite being a 6 year old car. This is the best car buying decision I have made and its a blast to drive. I plan to keep my Maxima until at least 200K miles, when I will likely go buy a new one.

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  Nissan Murano Solid Car - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Anthony F - January 25 - 11:43 pm

  Have done all sorts of driving with this car, long and short trips very comfortable. One of my favorite cars.