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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  Love my Z - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By hornet59 - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I love the pull that the Z has from a dead stop. Acceleration is outstanding. This car is definitely a head turner no matter where I go. Overall interior layout is good, but the materials used could be of better quality. The exterior body design can be summed up in two words mmmmm mmmmm

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  Lovin it so far! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By bbfan97 - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I use to own a Lexus GS 300 and the lease ran out so rather than purchase that car at $22k I looked into buying a new mid size car. Im sure glad I did because my new Maxima has greater acceleration and more front and rear leg room. I had bought my lexus new back in 1999 and remember had great I thought that car was fun to drive but this car will pin you to the seat if you hit the gas. I did have great luck from a quality stand point from my Lexus so Im extremely interested in how this Nissan will hold up. If it holds up over time I think I will have made a great decision. I will have also saved a ton of money.

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  2.5S Review - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Roksupastar - September 29 - 4:53 pm

  Power-Band is that of the 350Z. The 2.5 is smooth and has power throughout each gear. Granted, it doesnt have the horsepower of the 3.5, but it makes up for that in MPG. 175hp is plenty while city driving, and it performs excellent on the interstate. The styling speaks for itself, as it is a great looking coupe. Not very many cars today are in its class. Very well priced for what you receive.

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  Bigger and better than it looks - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By SA Nismo - September 29 - 2:43 pm

  Traded my truly excellent 2005 Tundra TRD 4x4 for this smaller truck. But dont let it fool you- the bed is quite nearly the same size. Acceleration is better and my max noted MPG was 21 on the hwy the other morning. Avg MPG seems to be 17.5 to 18.5. The NISMO 4x4 drives like a car- the suspension is tight and accurate, low center-of-gravity for a 4x4 but has enough clearance for most Jeep trails in TX. WAY more power than the Tacoma with more features for less money. Had a Titan before the Tundra and it was junk but Nissan has been making compacts much longer than they have been making full-sized. Give the Titan another couple years. Enjoy the Frontier today.

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  2005 Nissan Murano SE AWD - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Charles - September 29 - 12:23 pm

  Excellent quality vehicle which is also fun to drive. The 6 disc in-dash sound system is outstanding and extremely simply to program. Wonderfully designed interior and a real head turning exterior style. Best investment for the money,

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  Do your shopping well! - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By Happy Mom! - September 29 - 10:00 am

  We just purchased this vehicle 2 days ago. I am very pleased with it! Tons of features! Test drove just about all of them out there, this is best ride! Test drove Honda and Nissan back to back. Honda had too much road noise! For all the features we got with Nissan we would have paid $7000 more for Honda! Haggle on phone and e-mail. Less stressful! Good Luck!

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  Nissan Pathfinder 2002 LE - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By lms5574 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I cant complain about the car itself, I know it would consume a lot of gas. Dont buy an SUV if you think you will compete with a Corolla. Nissan Sales and Service is not the greatest, but hopefully you wont have to spend much time with them, the less the better. A great car for a little too high price, but I am still happy with it.

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  Other than gas milage, a great car - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By kgcy - September 29 - 10:00 am

  A very fine mid-sized SUV. The only significant flaw is the poor gas milage which is worse than my big old Dodge 3500 van when loaded down.

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  The Best SUV Out There - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JS123 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I have driven many different SUVs and this is by far the best overall vehicle out there. It is the best combination of on-road and off-road capabilities. The new engine in 2001 is FANTASTIC! It is easy to see why the Maxima engine is consistenly rated one of the best and Nissan did a great job converting it for an SUV. The Pathfinder has a very smooth and quiet ride on the road (even at highway speeds) but you can make one turn and it is equally comfortable on demanding off-road situations.

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  rollovers - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By D. Faaborg - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Please visit this site to see the safety record of this vehicle - www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002SUVs.htm l. We loved our Xterra but were recently involved in a rollover accident caused by road/weather conditions that sustained the driver with serious but not life threatening head injuries. We wish wed known the safety issues prior to buying. We loved this vehicle but would never have bought it had we known it was one of the lowest rated in regards to safety.