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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  the long life of my Maxima - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By Helen Bean - February 16 - 10:03 am

  I drive my Maxima no less than 500 miles a day to work and back. I have had to replace only the basics, tires, brakes and muffler. I now have 279,000 miles on my baby, it is the best car I have ever owned. Plan on buying another one if this one ever wares out!

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  I like it - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Vahhab Emami Namini - February 16 - 9:59 am

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  Ilove my Z33!! - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By billy30stm - February 16 - 8:03 am

  ihad an 06 nissan sentra 1.8s, and iused to think it was pretty fast, but as soon as igot my 350z, ihavent driven my sentra, and that was over 2 months ago lol

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  Fun, sharp smooth driving - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Donna - February 16 - 2:36 am

  This is my 2nd, 2003 traded, love the drive, smooth, handless effortlessly, inside comfortable, roomy, plenty leg room in back, easy read instruments, large trunk with fold down seats, excellent sound w/o paying more, looks like expensive sports car if good color chosen, tires nice looking, paint job excellent, easy to use dials for a/c, sound, cruise, fast speed pickup if needed smoothly, breaks well, just love the car

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  Great SUV - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jondee - February 16 - 2:00 am

  This is the third SUV weve owned. The last one was repurched by GM under the lemon law. Have only owned this one for a short time but love every thing about it so far. Ride is a little stiffer than the last SUV which seamed to roll on corners. Hope we have better luck with this one.

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  Nice car -- shaky maintenance program - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By ncjoe - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Purchased Nissan New 8/2001. Overall Nice vehicle. peformance, comfort and reliability. Had one major problem during the first winter -- car wouldnt start in cold weather. Vehicle sat in dealership for 2 months as they couldnt trouble shoot problem. I had to escalate to Nissan HQ before problem got resolved -- faulty computer chip.

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  WOW - I LOVE THIS SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By SOUTH-TEXAS - February 16 - 2:00 am

  WENT TO DEALER TO CHECK OUT THE ARMADA AND IT GOT US HOOKED. WOOOW, ITS BIG BUT FITS IN A STANDARD GARAGE, NICE INTERIOR, UNBELIEVABLE PERFORMANCE, NICE RIDE, DID I SAY UNBELIEVABLE PERFORMANCE, GREAT STEREO, EASY TO GET IN AND OUT OF, LOTS OF CUP HOLDERS, REAR AIR, 2ND ROW HAS A LOT OF ROOM, THE CLOTH SEATS ARE VERY NICE, THE FIVE SPOKE RIMS ARE IN MY OPINION THE BEST LOOKING, AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HAPPY WITH OUR PURCHASE.

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  Nice Mini-Van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By drlamp2000 - February 16 - 2:00 am

  An excellent vehicle with all the bells and whistles. I have found nothing yet that is disappointing. Peppy and stylish for a minivan!

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  Great Car only 1 fault - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By OzgurK - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Great Car, lots of space, fun to drive. Premium stero with XM is a blast. Only negative is the turning radius. This took me by surprise. I have had larger cars that could turn around much better. THis needs to be improved. I looked at cars that were twice the price and they did not match up to the Maxima.

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  Good - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By suhail - February 15 - 3:40 am

  2009 Nissan Altima is a fun ride You get a lot for the price