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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  Overall it seems good - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By stella - July 18 - 9:53 am

  Our biggest disappointment is that there is no key entry on the passenger side. It is a safety concern for us. What do you do when you are trying to get an elderly person, child or pet into the car at a curb and have to go into traffic leaving the aforementioned person alone. It is inconvenient if not downright safe. What if you have packages? You leave them on the sidewalk and have to go to the drivers side. Down right stupid feature... feature???? it is just a stupid cost cutting measure.

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  We Love It - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By andreaken1 - July 15 - 8:09 am

  Havent used the shift paddles yet. Blind spots. road noise, wind whistling re cross wind. 32 mpg hwy with a/c heater off. Same brakes at 89,000 km but lot of hwy driving but reconditioned for $400.. Low tire indicator on and off. Love the bluetooth, miss a GPS, Rear door plastic hand grab keeps falling out. On the small size though.

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  Great Value - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By machaan - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned this car for 60000. Repair costs? Front brakes, 2 wiper blades - thats all. Incredible build quality, no rattles/buzz after 5 years. Sufficient power. Plenty of accesories and hence great value with GXE limited.

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  1999 Sentra - 1999 Nissan Sentra
  By TWill - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Great car, requires little more than an oil change and tires. NEVER have had mechanical repair in FOUR YEARS. The brakes are not even worn down yet! It is a small car though .... thats my only gripe, cant really complain about that!

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  great value - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Not2bad - July 15 - 2:00 am

  This is my first suv,and this truck is very well rounded.It has a good solid ride,and it handles well.The build quality is very good,and it has lots of comfort.the cloth is very high quality and even though the driver seat is not power,it has a lot of adjustment options.Stereo/cd sounds good ,but could use a subwoofer.Heater is a little weak on floor setting.

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  good design,poor engineering - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By woodchuck - July 15 - 2:00 am

  poor gas mileage,noisy interior! lots of annoying rattles too many excuses from dealer. nice looking and fun to drive we get many comments on styling of body

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  Titan04 - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By 7forever - July 15 - 2:00 am

  good,good,good, really good, good ,good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good

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  My new Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Steven Szabo - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Excellent Space Design and overall Value! traded in my 1993 Maxima and have the same interior space with 15 more horses under the hood! The only downside is I have the 2.5 S model which is not as powerful immediately when stepping on the gas. I get about 24 miles to the gallon city and 32 miles highway! Good job Nissan!

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  Nothing special, just a good little car - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By Micha B - July 14 - 3:46 pm

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  Disappointing in the end - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Lex - July 14 - 1:53 pm

  Bought the van new with the full nav and entertainment system. Has been a great people mover for family and friends. During the annual safety inspection the mechanic mentioned I may want to look for new tires due to balding and dryrot. I thought this unusual for tires with only 29,000 miles so I went to get a second opinion and was introduced to the Michelin PAX run flat tire ripoff. $1500 tire bill every 30,000 miles with service available in limited facilities (some Honda dealers or Michelin). Even if I would replace the tires and rims myself Nissan allows no options to replace with other tires without voiding the warranty. Customer service you can believe in. Last Nissan for me.