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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  Hats off to the Nissan Titan - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Brian Yoder - June 23 - 2:36 pm

  This truck is unbelievable! The power, looks, handling, interior, exterior, chrome, and the stereo rocks. I test drove all other makes and models, and none came close to the Titan. I recommend the Titan if you are looking for a large truck. The price and the quality you get makes it even more appealing. I suggest black with chrome wheels, and chrome step sides.

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  Now this is a truck - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Eddie - June 23 - 12:43 pm

  This is one of the best trucks i have owned.The power is awesome you can realy feel the torque it puts out. Steering is tight handles like a dream and stops on a dime.Seats are comfy with great support.Stereo is the only bad thing in the Frontier.New Hu fixed that.

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  Titanic Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By JJ ARRIOLA - June 22 - 1:46 pm

  This truck is awesome. Crisp and responsive handling. The engine has some serious factory juice. This is not a toy...The interior is very ergonomic and just makes sense. I would say that the only missing touch would be rear quarter windows that lower ala F-150.

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  my baby - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By rachial - June 22 - 9:43 am

  die hard toyota fan...wanted a camry, too much money! I love my altima. there is nothing i would change about my car. great ride comfortable, stylish, great gas milage, and very dependable. looking forward to the next five years! MAYBE MORE

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  Love my Altima - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By sam - June 22 - 2:13 am

  Here in Canada the model is an SL. This car has outstanding fuel economy, I recently achieved 42mpg (imp. gal.)to and from work. This weekend we traveled through the Laurentian mountains and got 38mpg. This car is way better than a Camry and its lousy shifting transmission, fit and finish the Altima beats it hands down. Anyone shopping for a midsize should put this car on the list, youll be pleasantly surprised.

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  commuter car - 2015 Nissan Leaf
  By EddieInUtah - June 21 - 11:35 pm

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  The best in its class.... - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By NISMO - June 21 - 3:46 pm

  Fantastic SUV for its price!!! And it has excellent steering and cornering for SUV... Much better than some of the sports cars and sedans. It has powerful silky smooth quiet engine but CVT takes some powers away from it.

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  Very Big Disappointment - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By truecarchat - June 21 - 4:56 am

  Sorry to report that after 40 days of ownership, I have been able to drive my new Rogue less than 600 miles. Car wasnt properly prepped so it spent one day in service. Air bag control module and sensor went bad, 9 days in service awaiting back ordered part. Average city and highway mileage is about 19 MPG but cant be addressed according to dealer until 1000 mile break in period. Adage "looks arent everything" certainly applies here.

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  This year is should have been skipped - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By eganrac - June 21 - 3:19 am

  Ill start off by saying that I absolutely ADORE my armada. Its an awesome, beautiful, powerful, comfortable vehicle that I enjoy getting in every time. That being said, the 2004 model is an absolute failure when it comes to reliability. I have had a magnitude of issues with this car since about 6 months after I purchased it. Here are my problems and my actions The 06 model would be your best choice as i have heard of limited problems with this.

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  ugh - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By steven - June 20 - 10:10 pm

  CD player has static noise in it, 3 cd players later still the same. Outside noise can be heard in back like window is rolled down, very noisy. Also 22 mpg on hwy I use Chevron gas too, advertised 26-33 not even close.