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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  Great Ride - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By VeryHappy - February 12 - 7:23 pm

  We were in the market for a 4Runner and test drove a few. But in the meantime my company offered a decent discount on Nissan. So we bought a Pathfinder LE. We have had it for about 3 months now and we love it. No rattles or squeaks, it is built very well. The only complaint is the gas mileage. I am currently getting 17 mpg. You will feel every bump, it does ride like a truck. Overall, it is the best vehicle we have owned so far at this point.

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  Great car for the Price - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By sluguy - February 12 - 6:23 pm

  Bought Versa Hatchback for my wife and found the car to be such a good deal I bought one for myself 2 months later. Currently have 12,000 miles on each car and only problem we have had is a nail in one tire on wifes Versa. Took trip to St. Louis and found the Versa to be quiet,comfortable and great gas mileage. Got 36 MPG on the highway. I would highly recommend the Versa for the consumers who are looking for a great car for a reasonable price.

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  Nissan Fan - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Heath Webster - February 12 - 5:56 pm

  This is a well built truck. handling, comfort, and quality are are tops compared to the other trucks i have looked at and driven. I have heard the news about chrysler and nissan getting together to build a new truck in 2010. Im glad i got mine now. Anyway, I love my Titan, its a sexy beast.

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  Traditional Midsize SUV - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By creepers - February 12 - 8:08 am

  If you like the traditional SUV then you will love the 2011 Pro-4X. 4.0 liter V6 is high output engine is more than enough power. Great ride with they Bilstein performance shocks. Good looking tires (had the car a month - do not know how the tires will wear yet). Traditional SUV exterior styling. Leather seats are super comfortable. Rockford Fosgate head unit sounds great. The auxillary interface is nice. The IPOD interface is also a major plus. Nice big side back windows. Looked at a new FJ and used H3 but decided agains because the size and or lack of windows.

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  Lurching/Acceleration Delay - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By whynissan1 - February 11 - 9:40 pm

  After taking the vehicle to both the local Nissan dealership and trusted tranny guy - neither could find any problems. Yet when the car is warm and you run into stop & go traffic (I live in So. Cal.) which is a regularity,you will experience the lurch/delay. Luckily no accidents! However, putting it into park and restarting the vehicle seems to "reboot" the problem and it will be okay for a while & then resurface when you least expect it.

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  So far so good!!!! - 2008 Nissan Frontier
  By stuclen@hotmail.com - February 11 - 6:16 pm

  The vehicle has been very good. No issues at all. It has been very reliable. Starts and runs well in all weather from 100 degress to -60 below. I live in canada and the truck gets used but not abused and has held up well. Still looks and feels like new. We have alot of bush roads up here and they are hard on vehicles. This truck does not have a squeak or rattle anywhere and thats impressive. I have driven all makes and models of trucks over the years and this is a very good truck. Mileage is good for this type of vehicle. I get around 22-24 mpg in four wheel drive on our snow and ice covered roads. I think this is pretty good.

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  Great SUV, better than the rest - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Teamfee3 - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Just bought this the day before a 700 mile trip and love it. Drove it in all weather and roads including on the beach. The kids loved the rear seats which recline and have tons of leg room. 6-0" + in the front and back not a problem. The acceleration is awesome, it is a brute but rides smooth. The gas mileage is horrible but so is all the competition. Nothing its size does better but they are slower and ride rougher. The interior doesnt look like a crappy pick either. No one gets car sick in the 3rd row anymore (had a Durango). We had 3 adults in the 3rd row and it was a little tight. Tons of features on base model. Drive on and youll buy it.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By cridout - February 11 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent car other than the tire issue. You have not traction at all in snow so dont even venture out. I bought this as a family car but seeing how it will not handle well in weather I am considering selling for something that handles better. Doesnt even handle well in rain.

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  Quest, Too Many Issues - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Keibie - February 11 - 10:00 am

  We are a month into our new 2004 Nissan Quest, and we are not pleased with the number of issues that have surfaced with this vehicle since the initial drive home from the dealership. 1) The Passenger Manual Door Rattles, 2) The Rear Pop-Out Windows Rattle when they are open, 3) The 3rd Row Bench Seat Rattles continuously when erected (not when it is folded down into the floor), 4) The vehicle takes too long to start after it has not been running for an hour or more, 5) The Front-End and Steering wheel vibrates at expressway speeds during both driving and braking, 6)The A/C Compressor makes a load bang noise when it intially engages.

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  review - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By shepardliz - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I love my Quest! It has so many great features, and it is so well laid-out, with lots of storage spaces. It is fun to drive. I love the 5 sunroofs, and my kids love the dual DVD screens. The biggest disadvantage is that the rear seat isnt split, so if you fold it down you lose 3 seats, on the other hand it does fold completely flat so you get lots of cargo room. The latch to release the seat to fold flat is extremely stiff, I have a very hard time using it. Overall, though, I love the vehicle and am extremely happy we purchased it!