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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  Nissan Ultima - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By jim fillman - March 25 - 10:00 am

  This model continues to reinforce my confidence in Nissan products. After 19,000 miles now I have only had it back to the dealer for oil changes and a tire rotation. The car is wonderful to drive, very compfortable, sexy and beautiful...I love it...

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  04 Titan LE - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Jery - March 25 - 10:00 am

  This truck is awesome. I bought it to pull my boat and do honey-dos around the house. I have driven many trucks before, but this one stands out. I love my truck. Power is great under load as well. I had a Chevy Trailblazer pull up next to me and from a standing start ( I was pulling an 18.5 ft boat), I pulled away from him easily! The truck handles well too and was priced less than the competition equipped comparably.

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  Very happy and Not happy! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By gallig92 - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Back in 2002 I had an Se model with a 5 speed manual tran.,and I loved it. Now i go to buy a new one this year and they dont have a manual tran in the Se. Now I but the tran i wanted,but not the model I wanted. I got the Xe instead of the Se.Why did Nissan do this?

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  First Max - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By NEscooter - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I only own the vehicle for about 3 weeks so far but have been thoroughly impressed already. The "fun to drive" factor is very high with all that power under the hood with what seems to be a good match in the suspension as well. It corners flat, and the engine pulls strong at any speed. The interior is unique. The heated leather seats and suede pannels on the doors compliment each other nicely (classy and unique). The Bose stereo is great. The "skyview" roof is also a nice feature.

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  Pathfinder Fun - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By DWS - March 25 - 12:36 am

  Replaced a Dodge Durango with a Pathfinder. I enjoy having the same seating capacity as the Durango and a 4000 pound tow capacity in a vehicle that gets better gas mileage. Durango V8 was terrible on gas (under 13 mpg). The Pathfinder V6 is much better so far (averaging over 17 city but only have 900 miles on it to date. Also, I live in Arizona and the Durango air conditioning would not keep up. The Pathfinder has excellent air conditioning capacity. I find the handling and ride very similar in both vehicles. Pathfinder is a much quiter vehicle even though I have found more "plastic" in this vehicle as compared to the Durango.

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  No Help From Nissan - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By johnl - March 24 - 11:50 pm

  This car was a dream until Sept of 05 - since then it has been in and out of every area dealership for the same issue - which every technician and service manager "hears" but no one can fix. Nissan Corp has been absolutely no help - a case number means nothing. Never mind 3 recalls - a gas cap that wont open, a window that rattles, a clock that runs 5 minutes fast - stupid things that just show poor quality - and now they want $650 for an air flow sensor because I didnt have my last oil change done by Nissan? This is my third Nissan and my very last.

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  MPG and comfort - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jmciv - March 24 - 9:19 am

  Leased a 2013 Altima SV in November 2012. The MPG is everything advertised. Averaging around 32-33 mpg city and highway. I was going to purchase a smaller vehicle for fuel efficiency but am not comfortable in smaller cars. The seats are extremely comfortable. Just rented another car for business and could not wait to get back into my Altima. Handling is good, back seat room for kids is good, love the factory remote start. Only minor complaint is the sun visor does not extend. Second Nissan and and have not experienced any problems.

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  Great looking, Great gas mileage, Great functionality! - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By giants58 - March 24 - 2:02 am

  My wife and I were looking to replace our Town and Country mini van and looked at several SUVs in this class. We wanted good gas mileage, good functionality since we were downsizing and something that looked really good! Ill update you on gas mileage on a future update we havent had it long enough to give an honest reading yet. The ride has been great and the CVT has been a nice surprise, there is some engine noise while accelerating but no road noise, nice and smooth. The cargo area is spacious with many options with the rear seats up or folded down. The exterior looks really good and the interior is very comfortable with all the controls within easy reach.

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  Armada LE - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rasimmons1 - March 24 - 2:00 am

  Excellent tow vehical. Good office.

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  Love this Car - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Battman - March 24 - 2:00 am

  I have driven a V-6 Accord for the last 3 years (bought it new) and the Altima is much more fun to drive. The stability and the acceleration is far better than any other mid size car. Why would anyone spend the extra cash for the Maxima?