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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  Perfect match - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Nick - September 23 - 1:40 pm

  I was searching for a car that was a coupe, zippy, stylish, and unique. I found it all with the Nismo. Its a fun car to drive. Everytime you get in it feels like your going to an auto X. I test drove an STI, G35, and RSXs before I found this, and I beleive it is the fastest and best handling out of the 3. The performance is excellent, hands down. The interior is ok. Not fancy because things like leather and power seats add weight. The car has been purpose built. Its also very bumpy ride, because of the seam welded body. However if you like that feeling of being connected to the road like me you will love this. The exhaust roars FYI too. I tell people it runs on diced lions.

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  buy 350Z! - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By 350z rocks! - September 22 - 10:26 pm

  Proud owner of 2004 enthusiest coupe. just love this car so much, i think im going to keep it forever. i have some aftermarket parts on and turns head everywhere i go. built quality is not as good as toyota but pretty good, wish interior was better material. i had some problem with CD player but no other problems so far 16000 mls. great power and best exhaust sound car for under $50K car! im planning to put 400HP twin turbo sometime soon. gas mileage is fair, i drive at LA and avg 23mpg but require premium gas. handling is great but suspension is too stiff for some people, 6-speed manual is very fun but not so smooth. interior is very very roomy but trunk is bit small. excellent car!

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  great car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By RRom - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Nissan when I was moving to a big city and it has been a great and reliable vehicle. I would recommend it to my family and friends. It kept me safe in an accident!

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  Great Maxi!!! - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By kevdog - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned all foreign cars and this is by far the best ofthem all. Im in sales and drive all the time. I never get tired of hearing the engine or the awesome stereo. I have never had a single problem, even with 200,000 miles. I plan on keeping it to 300,000+ and then buying another one. I love my Maxima!!!

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  Not bad for a small pickup - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Gilitar - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Frontier new back in September of 1999. This truck has not let me down once! The trucks strong point seems to be reliability while its weak points seem to be lack of power, and a very harsh ride. If you are going to be doing lots of highway driving then I would recommend looking elsewhere. Overall this is a solid yet very basic vehicle.

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  MURANO - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By AnnMarie - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I love my car but think that all models should be sold with a sunroof and roof rails. Otherwise, the car is excellent.

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  On Z Road Again - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By thedudemd - September 22 - 10:00 am

  After much deliberation and comparison, the Z offered much for a reasonable deal...complete with fire under the hood, sex appeal, and rarity. Improvements can be made in the regions of more low end torque, a less notchy shifter, softer ride, and better interior materials. The benefits though are overwhelming...very stable even at blinding accelleration, stunning in appearance, taut, muscular, beautiful exhaust note, quick retractable roof and like most impressive physical specimens, gorgeous with its top off.

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  bumpy but ok - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By michael g - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased this car. Havent had any problems yet. The engine, altho only 4 cyl, is powerful. However, the ride is quite harsh b/c of tight suspension. It is roomy emough.

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  2012 Nissan Altima 2.5S - 57,000+ miles - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By whf1957 - September 22 - 9:39 am

  I purchased my car used from a rental car company in November 2012. It had about 32,000 miles on it. They did a great job of making it seem new. I have 57,500+ miles on the car now and besides replacing the tires and having the oil changed, no issues to report. I have averaged about 28.5 mpg between city/hwy driving. I did make a trip to Omaha, NE in May 2013 and when I filled up I had just over 34 mpg (hand calculated with a calculator 3 times). I was driving about 72 mph with the a/c on. The MPG listed on the dash board has never been accurate. Just because I am old school I do get the oil changed every 5000 miles instead of the 7500 recommended by Nissan.

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  Great SUV for the money!! - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By jeep53 - September 22 - 2:33 am

  Im writing this review after having just purchased this SUV today, but I just wanted to give my first impressions of it. After wanted to purchase the Murano, I decided to test drive the Rogue. After only a few minutes of driving, I was very impressed with the options and the way the car handled. It drives like a car, except with the height and comfort of an SUV. It has a very smooth ride. We opted for the SV with the SL options. It has everything we need, including navigation, and cost over $8,000 less than the Murano.