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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  This Car Stinks - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By xoOMGox - November 28 - 8:56 pm

  All weve had was problems with it the engine is terrible has no good features the head gasket blew at around 60,000 miles and all weve had to do was put extra money out for the car its a piece of trash and nissans customer service is terrible to they dont care about there customers at all i recommend dont get this car or any Nissan at all just avoid them at all costs just a month ago we were in an accident with it and i have to say it lasted pretty well but the airbags never went off so it could have been deadly its not a safe car and takes more money to take care of it and fix it then it actually costs and also when we bought it used it was in a huge hailstorm no one told us

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  Luvit - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Glent - November 28 - 8:13 pm

  So far, so good - after a bit less than a week and all is well! So, after reviewing both the Camry Hybrid and the Altima Hybrid, I thought that for the price, the Altima Hybrid the better deal and several days ago I bought one. Engine has a timing chain and not the belt that has to be replaces so often. My one concern is that the trunk is small and and will just barely fit all of my golf stuff, clubs, handcart, etc. Love the bells and whistles, moonroof and nav unit. I dont use the nav unit frequently and leave it off but love it when it turns on whenever I back up.

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  The big easy - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Maggie - November 28 - 3:06 pm

  Beautiful suv rides great and handles even better.. Our 4 yr old is so quiet in the back set watching her movies that sometime we need to check to make sure we put her in the car (lol). We just got the truck so no complaints so far.

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  A Real Disappointment - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Nathan - November 28 - 1:53 pm

  My wife and I bought the 6-speed Maxima because, while we needed a 4-dr sedan, I still wanted a performance- oriented vehicle. The Maxima fit this description and, aside from the Altima, had the most bang for the buck. In addition, being a Japanese make, we felt this would be a reliable vehicle that would be with us for many years to come. HOWEVER, in the 3.5 years that we have owned the car, we have been to a Nissan dealer no fewer than a dozen times due to problems. At least twice as many visits I have ever had to make to the dealer for problems with ALL of the other cars I have ever owned. Of note, we had to get a new transmission at 32K and finally a new engine at 49K. Time to trade.

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  Very Satisfied - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Susan - November 27 - 7:33 pm

  I wanted to buy an affordable car with good looks, comfort and decent gas mileage. I have been searching the web for 4 months. This is the one I have been waiting for. I purchased the 2.0 model with manual transmission. I wanted a Camry at first, but some reviews for the 6-speed were negative and the sticker price was about $3000 more. This car handles great, its peppy 2.0 engine is amazing. It is a lot of fun to drive. The interior cabin is designed nicely and has much more room than I expected, even the trunk is roomy and the back seat folds down for extra access through the trunk for longer items. The sticker price was reasonable for the amount of standard features in this car

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  So Far ... So Good! - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By KRIS - November 26 - 2:16 pm

  We compared this car with with the toyota - yaris - no comparison scion - xD - too expensive hyundai - accent - poor build quality and underpowered honda - fit - nice but way overpriced The Versa is a very comfortable car, enough power to get onto a highway, and quiet. I get 28 mpg around town. We purchased it with the power package which includes cruise control. This is a tight little car. I will let you know in a couple of years if it was a good value. But so far, we like it.

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  Reliable car - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Bill - November 26 - 9:00 am

  I purchased the car used with 13K. It replaced a 97 Maxima that had 165000 miles (still running beautifully until destroyed in accident). Altima now has 45K miles and given no problems. Average 27MPG driving to work and recently 32MPG on trip. Engine is a little noisy but not an issue. Has good pickup. Corners well, has nice tight suspension. Interior nicely styled.

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  Great car - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Mike S. - November 25 - 9:00 pm

  I bought the tech package taking advantage of the 2.9% apr Nissan is currently running. Overall, Im very pleased with the car. Its a enjoyable ride. Test drove Camry hybrid and came down to two. Gas mileage has been up to expectations and was surprised with amount of kick it has - no trouble climbing the Angeles mountains. With hybrid, you have to get used to the shudder when it switches between gas and electric. Overall, Im very pleased and look forward to claiming the tax credit as well.

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  Good Dependable Car - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By wingcomdr - November 25 - 5:10 pm

  Bought as lease return with 29K-now has 94K. Great window visibility over the Camry and is a big reason we got it. Plenty of power. Drives very well and holds the road. Replaced muffler at 59K & 74K, starter at 61K & 88K, otherwise regular maintenance-fluid changes at regular intervals-have kept this car relatively free of costly repairs. Gas mileage city is 21-24 and hwy 26-30 based on records of every fillup since we bought it. Replaced original tires at 49K and put on Michelin xOne and have 45K on them-they need replacing in another 5-10K. All accessories work well other than antenna. A good solid performer.

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  Rating - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By joe - November 25 - 3:16 am

  Not impressed with the Rust that appeared on rear lift gate oh it was fixed under warranty but guess what yep you got it it stared to Rust again we have it booked for jan 17 th to go to the body shop i wrote to Nissan and called but no one responded. i traded an Acura MDX which didnt rust BUT had tranny replaced after countless visits to dealer GOING back to North American vehicles