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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  It was a keeper - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Paul L - July 22 - 1:43 pm

  Fell in love by the time I pulled out on the test drive that lasted less than 3 minutes. Fantastic in the rain and floods we have here. Too bad I could only get 3 tanks of gas into it before I was broadsided and totaled. He hit me doing over 60mph. Thought I was going over, but the stability controls and such kept me pointed and landed safe and sound. RECOMMEND the side air bags. It was the one option I didnt care about and turned out it saved me from major injury. Next one will be yellow so even another "vision impaired" driver can see me. Just waiting for Farmers to get me a check.

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  STALLING ISSUES - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By plogan97 - July 22 - 11:21 am

  my sentra sr is stalling on me when i start my car in the morning,, i always warm it up for 10 min, and lately it has been stalling on me in reverse,,idles below 1 and makes a real weird whinning noise kinda like a old honda...when i come to a stop the idle just drops below 1 and then it dies like it ran out of gas,,electric is still on brakes dont lock up but seems to be getting worse,,going to the dealer tomorrow.

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  Best SUV on for the price - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By T-roy - July 22 - 10:43 am

  The Best SUV on the market. The price is right in the range of an average car but all the luxurys of an SUV.

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  Looks + Performance + Gas Mileage.. WOW - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By FIshiman - July 22 - 9:06 am

  I saw an Altima and liked the looks but it was when I drove the car that I fell in love. The cherry on the sundae was the gas mileage of the hybrid. I live in the hills and get 34 mpg or more and on the freeway I averaged 39 mpg. Pretty awesome to say the least.

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  Lots of Power - 2009 Nissan Titan
  By RHW - July 21 - 9:10 pm

  Have used this truck for business purposes since I bought it new 7 months ago. I use it to pull a tandem axle trailer weight approx. 6K pounds 90% of the time. The truck pulls this trailer flawlessly! No complaints at all. The crew cab w/ long bed allows me to take the family along with tools, trailer, and a good size load with no worries thus far. Fuel mileage is to be expected for a truck of this size and power, but well worth it. My only semi complaint is that the exhaust noise occasionally wears on me by the end of the day. It is a sharp looking truck, plenty of space, comfortable, and can be used as an office on wheels. As a contractor, I am completely satisfied with this truck thus far

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  Navigation, Radio, Electrical - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By randall17 - July 21 - 3:10 am

  I started having problems with the 2014 Nissan Altima about three months into the lease. I took it to the dealership and they finally said they will replace the navigation-radio when one comes available. I told them about the car just turning itself off and how many times it did it. They took it on a SHORT test drive and said they couldnt find a problem. I called Nissan Corp and told them I wanted out of the car because it was NOT safe. Three weeks later I got a call from Nissan Corp and they said NO WAY will they either buy the car back or even help on a replacement car. I traded the UNSAFE car off today for a Hyundia. NO MORE Nissans for this country boy

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  New Owner - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By bmilburn - July 21 - 2:03 am

  So far jury is out. Several issues I am concerned about. Gas mileage averaging 23mpg. At this point lower than advertised. Today took vehicle to dealer for cargo rattle. Set up appointment and leaving dealer gas gauge dropped to zeroe flashing and check engine light came on. Vehicle is at the dealer now and it will be interesting to see how dealer/Nissan handle this. Fun car to drive but I am a little concerned. I will respond with feebback on how this turns out as I am a major airline pilot and focused on the technical side of things. I am hopeful this is a minor bump in the road.

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  Very Reliable - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By joe - July 21 - 12:06 am

  I have had my v8 pathfinder for 2yrs and it has been great! The power and performance is amazing! Great options and no problems. I test drove other SUVs and there was no comparison. The pathfinder had more power than any v8 out there. The gas mileage is better than expected. It gets about 15 in the city. Well worth the v8 for 1 or 2mpg difference.

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  Uncomfortable seats - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Debbie - July 20 - 9:56 pm

  Has anyone else had a problem with the seats. I love the car except the seat is so hard after 1/2 hour I am in excruciating pain and cant drive it at all. Ive never had this experience before with a car. I test drove it but had no problem on the limited test drive that I took at two different dealerships. Back pillows havent helped and the car is leased. Any suggestions to remedy problem would be appeciated - also just curious to know if I am alone in experiencing this problem.

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  After 4 Months and 5000 Miles Later - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By 5HOLZin1 - July 20 - 9:50 pm

  For your money, the best 2-seat sports car on the market. Great styling with close to 300hp to back it up. The last 4 months and 5,000 miles down the road, I enjoy getting behind the wheel each and every day that my wife lets me. We are both very happy with our purchase. We bought the Z and Murano SUV at the same time. The service at our dealership is excellent and we dont regret our decision on either vehicle. The Z leather interior is comfortable and the Touring package seating is fine for 2-4 hour drives both in the city and on the freeway. The Z gets plenty of compliments from lookers and the only thing I would add would be a 19" chrome wheel package.