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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  good car prone to some repairs - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Bill schledwitz - January 29 - 2:49 am

  Takes about $100/year in miscellaneous repairs.

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  an ecomonic sports car - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By BRUCE - January 29 - 2:00 am

  front bucket seats are really comfortable. lots of pep in the se-r even with the automatic transmission. the 9 speaker rockford fosgate audio pkg is a real bargain and sounds terrific.

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  Check Engine Light and Tire Light - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JessLobdill - January 29 - 2:00 am

  We just bought this vehicle from a local dealer. I really love the car but the service engine light came on. The dealer said it was fixed but I think that they just reset the computer. And the DTE is showing so I think its a fuel sensor thats out. Plus the tire light is on like I have a flat. Turns out if you read the manual that if it blinks at first and then stays on that there is a problem with the system. Well, I bought the warranty and the dealer has verbally agreed that they would fix both so we will see on Monday. Either way I love it and after those get fixed, 3 rows lots of room, VERY peppy and looks awesome.Got a great deal too. I will update later.

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  mostly pleased, but... - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By tab00 - January 29 - 12:10 am

  Being my first ever new car (Im 34) I did not know what to expect, overall I have been very pleased, with one caveat. The interior is really quite great. The fabric and materials are very good. The audio (standard package for the SL) is nice, it wont blow you away but it sounds very good. The ride is generally very quiet. The Sound Sensitive Audio is a great feature as is the Bluetooth and keyless entry/ignition. The phone mike needs to be more sensitive to pick up my voice. The keyless ignition and entry took some getting used to but it is well worth the bucks. My big complaint is mileage, sticker says 30/34. After 2500 miles and a dealer check up I get 22/26, sub-par for a car of this size

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  An unexpected bargain - 2013 Nissan Leaf
  By Steve H - January 28 - 6:29 pm

  I have to tell you how happy I am with this Nissan Leaf. Its a quiet, comfortable, very affordable "mid-sized-category" little car. It feels spacious and the electric motor is plenty nimble. The super low rolling resistance tires are a limitation, so if you want a car that feels more "sporty" in cornering and handling youd swap those out, at some cost to range. Which brings us to range. My experience for the way I drive, is that I average roughly around 4 miles/kwh and I can reliably count on being able to drive 70 miles between charges no matter what, even including any "range destroying" variables such as using climate control, lights, driving between 65mph and 70mph for the "freeway" portion of my commute; and all this is on a car that I bought used - a 2013 lease return thats about 2.5 years old with already about 27,000 miles on it. But if ever there was a car for which the saying is true "your mileage may vary" this has got to be the one. The instruments give you tons of feedback about how to drive efficiently. But its a simple fact that wind resistance is proportional to velocity cubed and that it takes more energy to accelerate a heavy object quickly. So if youre an unrepentant leadfoot, this is probably not the car for you - look to the Tesla Model S. Now, many folks refill their cars with gasoline at or before the point when there are 70 miles left on the tank. 70 miles is only about a quarter tanks worth. But the electric car is different, you plug it in at your house every night. And that turns out to be far more convenient than stopping into the gas station once a week. Also the new 2016 SV and SL "high end" leaf models have a new 30kwh battery - 25% more electrical storage than the current models 24kwh. But whatll probably surprise you is how *cheap* it is. I bought this one used for only about 11k. Pretty much no other 2013 used car on the market sells for $11k except a high-mileage econobox. And the leafs a nicer car - larger, more electronics, heated seats, etc... And the cost to *operate* it once youve got it is a lot lower than any gasoline car. Electricity is 12cents/kwh (on the night time tiered rate - much higher during peak hours!) New ones are cheap too, though. With the end-of-year incentives available Ive seen "one at this price" 3 year lease deals for a strip model "S" 2015 leaf for only $109 a month(!) Leasing tends to be the preferred option for new leafs, because the leasing company can claim the government incentives and roll that into the price, whereas if you buy outright, you have to wait until tax-filing time to claim the electric-vehicle-tax-credit. Gasolines dirt cheap right now at about $2.75 a gallon. But even a fairly efficient car gets only say, 35 mpg. If like me you drive 225 miles a week, thats $18/week. The leaf uses 56 kwh to go the same distance - about $6.75 worth of electricity. To convert apples to apples, there are 33kwh of energy in one gallon of gasoline. So a car that gets 35mpg gets about 1mi/kwh. Or, an electric car that gets 4mi/kwh basically gets 132 mi/gallon energy equivalent. I didnt switch from a 35mpg car though. I switched from commuting in a 16mpg 4x4 truck. All that said, for most folks a leaf is still NOT practical as the ONLY car in a household. Sometimes you need or want to take longer trips. Anne and I drove up to see friends in Concord yesterday, a 130 mile round trip. Naturally we took the gas powered car. And you need to live in a house where you can install an electric vehicle charger. But if youve got a "two car" household where one car can do pure commute duty, especially if its a pretty long commute, a Leaf could pay off well for you. If you buy used, you want to be aware of how to read the batterys residual capacity (different than state-of-charge) off the instrument panel, and discount the price for reduced capacity. Nissan improved the battery durability (ability to hold a charge) in 2013, and again in 2014. To my mind, the 2011 and 2012 models arent discounted heavily enough yet to reflect this difference, so Id probably focus on finding a 2013 model. Finally, if you live in a hot climate like Arizona, you should probably get a 2015 or newer - as thats when Nissan adopted their newer "Lizard" battery design thats more heat resistant. Conversely, if you live in a colder climate, you should probably get an SV or SL model, since those have a heat pump heater rather than a current drawing resistive heat unit.

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  Built for the Giant - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By akon - January 28 - 5:16 pm

  The car is a good value in consideration of the 250 HP V6 3.5 engine and the eterior is a good plus. However the comfort is mediocre compared to the Toyota Camry. Specifically the headrest feels specially awkward to my head. Also the lower center spoke of the drive wheel is on the way when I rest my one hand on the drive wheel during a normal drive. I wish it would have been thinner or designed differently so to have room for my one hand to have a balanced handle of the drive wheel (at the bottom center part of the drive wheel). These are two that are really a setback for me, the headrest - uncomfortable to the head, and the drive wheel having a bit too wide a spoke at the lower section

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  Best bang for your buck - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By abba - January 28 - 3:36 am

  80K nearly trouble free miles so far. Yes the brakes need to be turned often, but its no biggy. The motor is the best blend of torque, HP, gas mileage and reliability that Nissan has made. This car speaks to you at the limit of driving. Thus making it fun and safe. Its also loaded with features, responds well to mods, has room for 4, and gets 32 MPG.

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  Air bag defect within 1st 500 miles - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Mr. Pierott - January 27 - 10:36 pm

  Great car if they would 1st take responsibility for the defective passenger airbag. Car is perfect but airbag system is still defective. Even with 6 videos and a service advisor seeing the defect unless the computer reads it Nissan will do nothing feel free to verify before you purchase the vehicle. Also even after the recall and no solution from Nissan they are still selling the defective vehicle knowing that future customers safety is in jeopardy. Consumer affairs is a big joke and a waste of time. Again I will say the car runs excellent and is great for its value but with a key component like the airbag being defective and Nissan unwilling to fix the problem even if you have actual proof it is almost pointless to buy this vehicle. You have been warned passenger side airbag on the 2016 Altima will show airbag off light even when the seat is occupied by a passenger of correct weight and sitting in the seat in the proper position with the seatbelt on. Even if you video record the defect in action as well even if one of their own service advisors or mechanics see the defect in action they will not repair your vehicle if the computer does not detect the defect. Do not expect any support from Nissan North America in resolving the problem they will not replace any parts and they will try to convince you this is there new intelligent technology and this is how it should be working. Despite the vehicle being such a great buy, a company that will not repair or replace such an important safety piece is terrible. I would have to tell anyone who is considering buying a Nissan Altima, do not do it purchase a different vehicle. I could not recommend this vehicle to anyone and be able to sleep good at night. I hate to leave such a bad review on such a great car. For the record I have verified several times with Nissan Corporation and the National Highway and Transportation Safety that my specific vehicle is not on their recall list which would then require them to fix the airbag defect under their warranty this was a brand new car purchased, within 508 miles the defect appeared the vehicle has been reprogrammed and recalibrated several times Nissan Corporation States as long as their computer does not read the defect they will not be fixing or repairing or replacing anything on my car. Despite six videos of the defect in action a service advisor witnessing the defect as it was occurring and documenting that he saw the defect and several service managers as well as mechanics stating that they are aware my car has a defect but Nissan has no clue what to do keep in mind they sold me this car four days before they announced their National recall and to date they have no resolution for the problem. Dont take my word for it, dont take the dealerships or Nissans word for it look it up online were in an information era all of this information is publicly accessible.

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  A Real Blast To Own - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Tough Little Vehicle - January 26 - 11:23 am

  I really like this vehicle and off road in canyons and roadless areas, its incredible. However, the gas mileage could be much better. Its engine is pretty powerless on hills and the seats could use a bit more ergonomic design. But, overall, its a fun SUV to own and drive. With improvements to reflect todays driving issues, I would buy another one.

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  Tire sensors/check engine soon - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By jerkey - January 25 - 8:00 pm

  Just purchased / truck rides extremely well. Was surprised. Only problem with this truck is the tire sensors, if you change the tires you have to reset to have the light go out on dash. Mine is still lit. Another way to make you bring to dealership. Also engine service light comes on & stays on dont know why. Asked dealership people, they were mesmerized. I will write another review after I find out what is going on with these sensor lights?