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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  Few Rough Edges - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By JimL - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Armada for 3 months and have driven it 3400 miles. Love the design, engine transmission. Real comfortable. My friends rave about the roominess of 2nd row seats. Great dealer experience.

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  Altima 3.5 SE Manual - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Jw - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had the car for two months and the car as been great so far except for the tires seam to wear fast. You cant help but lay into the pedel making the car it the 60mph mark in around 5.9 seconds. I would recomend replacing the stock air filter with an after market air filter with a K@N filter charger. You can expect a little savings at the pumps and a bit more throttle response as well. Heated seats are a plus.

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  Best Full Size Truck of 2004 (compare) - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Tommy Hatfield - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Well I first whent only to look. Then after driving it I was in Love!! I had to have it. The power this truck has is awsome! I would pic this truck over and of the rest! It handles like a dream and sits up so you feel taller than all the comp. All in all this truck cant be beat. Just look for your self. Do a comparison on the rest and you will see..

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  why did I buy this thing ??? - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By PUNISHER7 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had to take this car in twice to have the d/s window serviced in the first 4 months of owning it. I have been affected by almost every recall on this thing and there have been about 5. The road noise has gotten to be unbearable and now the d/s window causes this reverberating sound when I drive at speeds above 60mphs even though the window is all the way up. I will never buy another Nissan product after I dump this damn thing. I should have bought the 03 cadillac CTS instead

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  great car... - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By dragonmax - December 19 - 2:00 am

  love the car. has been trouble free except for: a new radiator (original one leaked slightly, not enough to drip), noisy front pwr windows when going down in cold weather (30s), a few annoying "plastic squeaks"/ rattles inside, dealer "could not" fix...fixed them myself... expected Nissans flagship car to be tight as a drum with absolutely no noises. (I tend to be picky about this). Otherwise, it has been a wonderful car to own. Lots of comments on its great, different looks. Its really is quick and handles very well for a sedan of its size...couldnt expect too much more unless you spend a lot more. The 5-speed sportshift is a lot of fun.

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  Luve our new Juke - 2012 Nissan Juke
  By robbie30 - December 18 - 7:37 pm

  Dont think the Juke is for everyone but for us it was the right car. Just my wife and I now so did not need a lot of room and wanted a fun car. Not a week goes by that someone does not approach us and ask about the car. I think it handles great and lot of options. For the price dont think you can beat it.

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  Loved my Rogue.. - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By Katherine.roth@hotmail.com - December 18 - 2:15 pm

  I bought a 2011 Rogue sv in April of 2013. It had 80,000 miles on it when I purchased it and im not sure of anything that happened with it before I purchased it. I love my Rogue to this day! I recently sold it in December 2017 because the transmission went out at 176,000 miles. I was quoted $5,000 to get it fixed and it was only worth $3,000 to $5,000 in great condition with the amount of miles on it so I sold it to a friend.there are so many wonderful things about this car. Im only going to talk about the few negatives so just assume everything else is awesome because it is. One negative is about a year ago the paint started chipping off the front bumper and within about a year of it chipping Id say about half of the paint on the front bumper is gone. Another negitive is it was only 6 years old and there is now rust inside the door on the back passenger door and around the license plate holder on the back and everywhere that gets little nicks. Bad quality of metal Id say but I do live in Wisconsin so location location location. Theres a super tight squeeze between the two fron seats and the center council so if anything ever falls down in there its gone forever.. Im just kidding. But your hand will not fit to get it out. You will have to get out and menover the seat and get all up in there. Another negitive is there are no heat/ac vents in the back for your passengers. The only other thing I can think to add is the trunk is too small for my liking and thats just a personal preference and I should have bought a bigger vehicle. For every negitive you just read I would have 38474838375 positive things too say about my old Rogue, just remember that. Ive been car shopping now for 4 weeks and Ive decided to just upgrade to a newer 2013 Rogue with all the bells and whistles. Im going to have to leave things behind when vacationing again but I loved that car and Im so snappy to be getting another one. Hopefully this next one does me well too. Ohh yeah and one more thing.. Biggest glove box ever GARENTEED! You could fit a 12 pack in there in the box I swear.. its huge.

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  Great 2006 Sentra - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By MGD - December 18 - 9:06 am

  I am very pleased with my purchase. I have only had it for 1 month, but its a great car, fun to drive. stylish yet economical and after dreading a new car purchase for a long while, I am happy with all aspects of my purchase.

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  Great truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Romiesmith - December 18 - 6:16 am

  My family and I love our Titan no problems

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  Second Frontier - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Dayve - December 17 - 3:00 pm

  So far so good, about 16.1 MPG, but that is driving the speed limit, and trying to get good mileage. I wish they had left the gas tank on the passenger side, few cars have it there, never a line as the pump. Good build quality, really nice seats for cloth, like all the cup holders, and the small storage area under the back seat. Seats are comfortable, wish Nissan offered leather and auto seats with the Nismo.