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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  Impressive first month! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jw7683 - October 24 - 2:00 pm

  I traded in a 97 Pathfinder (dubbed "old reliable") and I have been pleasantly surprised at the Pathfinders style and performance. The engine is powerful (Im saying this even though Ive still never taken it above 3500 rpm) and shifting is silky smooth. The interior styling is impressive and comfortable (SE Trim with comfort package). Entry into the vehicle is easier than typical SUVs - Ive got three kids who use the running boards to help (be aware - if youre not cognizant, you can easily soil your pant leg - as they collect dirt). Only negative is gas mileage - though the 21 gal. tank keeps refueling relatively infrequent. Storage cap. is flexible and I love the third row seats.

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  my 2004 beast - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Albert Chrost - October 24 - 1:06 pm

  I always feel funny vibration in the whhels, not the smoothest ride as I would like to have for vehicle over $40K. Also both front doors have strange clicking noise. Cant get rid of it. Its annoying!!! have only 2000 miles on it. During first service will make a list for correction. The car is hard to wash - even Embassy car Wash cant do it well; too many edges around the bumpers.

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  Great SUV - 1999 Nissan Pathfinder
  By johninflorida - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The only thing I have done to this vehicle, other than routine maintanence, is try to get the wheel shake out at speeds around 60mph. This is a rock solid SUV that looks great and just drives and drives and drives. If you want a vehicle that is dependable and does just what it should, I would highly recommend it. Plus they look so good cleaned up.

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  SE is the best - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By Justin - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I own a 2001 SE Sentra, and I absolutely love it. The performance is great, not to mention the handling which has been improved by the factory- installed strut tower brace. The ride is comfortable and the design is, to me, flawless.

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  Great value but minor issue with quality - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By vicviper - October 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is truely a great value, a similarly equipted toyota or honda cost at least $2000 more. However, I do have some issues with the quality of this car. My power window switch and the map light tend to get stuck and refuse to pop out quite often. Otherwise, I found this car a lot of fun to drive.

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  nissan altima - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By wwelch - October 24 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive. I like the “snarl” that exhaust makes. Very attractive design. Great brakes. Good excelleration. Comfortable ride.

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  07 Xterra - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By I3oyet - October 24 - 2:23 am

  Purchased my 2007 Xterra back in October 07 and its been great so far with the exception of the rattling noise comming from the rear cargo cover. I am yet to take the cover back to dealr and have them figure out what is wrong with it. Overall I would say this vehicle will not disappoint you.

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  Uninterested dealer kills the sale - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Gary Masters - October 23 - 11:18 pm

  Local Nisson Poughkeepsie dealers attitude was disinterest: wife wanted to test drive at a local, large, free from traffic malls back lot but salesman insisted he could not go there. So she really couldnt evaluate if the car was for her. Local Mazda dealer had no such problem so that is what we bought.

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  350z enthusiast 5spd auto - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By Alek - October 23 - 6:10 am

  I bought my orange 350s with 107k miles on it, now it has 114k and still running with no problems. A few minor things such as flex pipes for the exhaust and a door seal which the tab broke off need to be fixed. Other than that its a great car, quick, responsive, it corners tight and comfortably, and takes a lot of concentration to keep your foot out of the throttle, its clear this car was built to run on a track.

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  Not perfect, but is still Nissans 4DSC - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By stracer82 - October 22 - 11:15 pm

  I bought my 2011 SV Sport right as the 2012s were coming out so I got a decent deal. I was really looking at Infiniti G37s but those dealers werent negotiating. The sport package is the best looking version, IMO due to the 19 inch wheels and smoked headlights, and its equipped with some of the extra goodies I would have wanted anyways. As of 9/17/12, I am just shy of 7000 miles on the odo.