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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  Built to last!! - 1998 Nissan Sentra
  By nismofan33 - April 19 - 3:59 pm

  I have had this car since 2004 for my 16th Birthday. Got it for around $3200 which was cheap considering it had 90,xxx on it. I have taken really good care of it and at 195,xxx miles it runs beautifully! Ive only had to replace the harmonic balancer and that is it! I have religiously changed the oil every 4k miles and done regular maintenance, and I am still running full synthetic with no leaks! I have never had a problem and this car runs like a dream! If you take care of it it will last forever!

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  Amazing!!!!! - 2011 Nissan Cube
  By stevenejb - April 19 - 2:39 am

  I purchased my Nissan Cube in June 2010 from Lees Summit Nissan. I have enjoyed the vehicle ever since bringing it home, but recently you have won me over as a lifetime customer! I live in Kansas City and weve had two major winter storms recently with the latest being a blizzard that dumped over 12" of snow in my area. Everyone I work with was getting stuck and calling for friends with 4x4 vehicles to take them home. I got in my Cube and drove right home, up hills, through snow drifts, over ice, and on roads packed with several inches of snow. The Cube was amazing! The traction was outstanding and the vehicle felt secure on the roadway. This vehicle is awesome all around!

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  Update after 1st service, 3500 miles - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Ralph - April 18 - 9:30 pm

  Update: Mileage has improved to 35.2 driving to work and around town. Zero fit, finish or operating problems to this point. Interior heating, a/c, radio, switches easy to use and convenient. Feature I do not like is charging port for my cell phone, it is inside center storage and not easy to see and plug in the plug.

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  Great car, Great Price, Make us feel Safe! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Abel - April 18 - 4:03 pm

  Ditto to what most have said about power, comfort and even the mileage isnt bad. Learn to drive with the flow and accelerate when necessary (not 20 feet from a red like most drivers!) and you can easily get 16-17 on street and I can get 24-25 on highway with cruise control from San Diego to LA.

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  Stranded - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Jennifer Wolberg - April 18 - 10:16 am

  Ive had my Nissan for 12 years and its a great car except for the fact that I have had it in the dealership twice because of some type of short in the system that causes it to shut off driving down the road usually at below freezing temps. Ive replaced the alternator and I have to replace the battery every year and the dealership still cannot figure out what the problem is. I would buy another Nissan if someone could figure why I keep having this problem. Very dependable in summer time!

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  Winner - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Majestic - April 18 - 8:46 am

  A great daily driver with the ability to become the weekend toy hauler as well. Power seems never ending, great looking exterior with very functional interior. The cab seems almost as big as prior truck, F250 crew, but the drivability is much easier. Ive seen complaints on cloth interior but it met my expectations. Cant complain about mpg, I get what I expected - around 15, mixed (60 hwy, 40 city). Tempting to use the gas pedal for fun though!

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  Buyer Beware!!!!!! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Chelsey - April 18 - 8:36 am

  Be careful about the reviews, this car starts giving you ALOT of trouble about the third year, crank shift sensor replaced THREE TIMES, fuel pump replaced in 2008 and again this week in 2009. Rotors went on back brakes at 42,000 miles. Two sets of tires. From what I have read this has happened to many owners of the Altima. This car is a major lemon! This was my first and last Nissan. I am trading it in this weekend as from what I read the catalytic converter and transmission are the next to go.

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  LOVE LOVE LOVE my car - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By jessikah0703 - April 17 - 10:44 pm

  There are a few things I would change about my car, like the light colored head liner, and maybe tint the windows but thats about it. The AC does take a a few minutes to cool the interior, but thats with any car in 100+ degree weather. My average fuel mileage is 27.5. Once I passed about 3,000 miles I started seeing an increase in my gas mileage. I am very rarely getting less that 29 mpg and thats in the city! I looked at every other option for a compact SUV and I really think I made the best decision. The rear AC vents are my favorite feature! My kids were actually complaining the other day about being cold and it was 98 degrees outside the car! Lifetime Chevy owner, turned Nissan Lover!

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  07 Titan - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Nick - April 17 - 3:23 pm

  Best built and best handling truck on the market. Great value for the price paid. Sport tuned ride and suspension not duplicated by any other truck maker.

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  versa - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By versucks - April 17 - 3:53 am

  I bought my versa new and actually liked my versa for the first 20,000 miles. Then my CD player stopped working, and was replaced, but now at 2 yrs the a/c compressor is fried, but no longer under warranty. I bought this car to save $ on repairs. I had a great car for 16 years until it became costly, so this is shocking to have to shell out nearly 2 grand for a car thats practically new.