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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  this car is just good - 2000 Nissan Altima
  By mike g - May 29 - 12:00 am

  i have the se model which is very sporty and fun to drive with a 5 speed, great cornering, decent acceleration. those OEM Bridgestones are terrible in snow and rain. dont get a black interior if you have a light fur dog

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  altma rocks! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By DIXSONVA - May 28 - 10:00 am

  We love our Altma on the, we drove it from Va. to Ga. and enjoyed every moment of it. We cant wait until the price of gas changes so we can do it again.

• 

  reliable - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By kidpatsy - May 28 - 10:00 am

  This is the third Nissan 4 wheel drive I have owned. Put 120M with no problems on first one, $75M on second one and my kid is still driving with no problems.

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  First truck and so far, so good - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By EGP - May 28 - 3:26 am

  A year and 13K+ miles, no major problems so far. Sales process and service top notch. For pros & cons, here we go: This is not a full size truck. This thing bounces around on rouch roads like Charo from the Love Boat. I got the Crew Cab for my 3 year old and it is tight, yet very functional. Also, this thing sucks petrel like no other 6-cylinder, albeit supercharged, engine I have ever seen. A- for you looking for me to grade on a curve.

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  What a deal! - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Jenny V - May 27 - 11:33 am

  I knew the 2007 Sentra was a complete redesign, and I always wanted a 2.5 Sentra. The dealer had a SpecV that listed for almost $20,000, but after all the incentives I saved thousands. This car ROCKS. Runs like a rabbit and still gets great gas mileage. Stereo sounds super. People call it outdated, but I still think the SpecV looks awesome. Mine is the Volcanic orange color. I recommend snapping up one of the 06 models before the 07 hits the lots. The dealers are selling a great little car for a song to make room.

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  2013 Altima 2.5 SL - poor build quality - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By sdginz13 - May 26 - 9:10 pm

  I have had the car for all of a week new. Previously mostly a Honda/Acura owner. Liked the design and the promise of great fuel economy wanted to try something new. To date I am seriously doubting my purchase of a new Nissan. The factory in Tennessee as others have mentioned has some serious quality control issues. For starters both front doors rub against the frame or fender when opening or closing. Also it appears that seat heaters were wired incorrectly from the factory. In addition, the CVT has a hesitation at about 1500 rpm and vibrates the car. Guess thats why people buy Hondas.

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  1996 Nissan Altima GXE - 1996 Nissan Altima
  By rjd - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Had problems in first year with steering wheel - would lock Driver side rear Hubcab fell off when vehicle was 5 years old. Have noticed lots of other Altimas with same problem. Power antenna no longer goes all the way up, stops about 3/4 of way- sometimes causes bad radio reception. Gas cover stuck for awhile, had to grease up with WD-40, now its fine. In cold weather, drivers side door lock sticks and I have to try turning key several times before door will unlock. Overall, good car- reliable. Not showing any signs of rust, which is a major accomplishment considering car was purchased in Buffalo, New York!

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  Best SUV - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Tex - May 25 - 1:06 am

  Seriously, I know people buy SUVs for a lot of different reasons, but as far as bang for the buck, I think the Pathfinder is by far the best buy. Its got a pretty powerful v6, great torque. The SE model I have has a nice little roar to the v6. Decent acceleration, great power. The 4x4 has great power. I crossed a snow covered medium going 60 miles/hr on 4x4 high, passing a slow car, like it was nothing, with no loss of control whatsoever. Its great in bad weather. Very reliable car. Maintenance and maintenance costs are minimal. Decent gas mileage for a high performance suv. Fun car. I love the look of it, and am sad about more boxy bulky look on the new models.

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  Love most of it - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By sammy63 - May 24 - 6:16 pm

  I bought this car used, and bought it mostly for the gas mileage. I figured if its smaller and less sporty than I wanted it would make up the difference in the mileage. As of today, I am very happy with the purchase, I love the gas mileage it gets (34-40) each tank gets about 37 mpg average. The features are great and so far the only money I have put into this car is for oil changes, brakes and a sensor (which was a bit pricey) for the fuel injector (car had a hard time starting). I now have over 70,000 on it and plan on taking it on a 1200 mile trip, but from reading other reviews, I am concerned about the head gasket. Well... Im going to take the trip and hope for the best. Great car!!

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  Great for towing. - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Doug In Denver - May 23 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I just purchased our Armada and have already gone on a 3500 mile trip towing our 5000 lb. travel trailer and our 4 children. No issues at all with towing, even with our altitude here in Denver and over the Vail Pass, it was no problem. I would suggest this SUV to any of my friends and family.