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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  Just Like The Commercial - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Pimpin - December 13 - 6:33 pm

  Just purchased a 2007 Maxima SE black on black leather interior. Gotta tell you this model is far better than the previous year. The new bumpers and front grille are nice, the interior redesigned feels a lot better in the driver seat. The CVT transmission feels good. Overall its a good car if youre looking for a blend of sport and luxury. Believe me, you wont feel any change in the horsepower and torque in the 07 Maxima. Gotta get a sensory pkg. or better, youll enjoy the car and its features a lot more. You can just sit in a chair and look at the car all day, it looks just that nice. You will definitely love the Intelligent Key!

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  Dont buy a Maxima! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By dontdoit - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Like many others, my 2005 Nissan Maxima jerks when I put it into drive or reverse! There is a 3 second delay then it jerks. It happens when I am sitting at a light or have my car running then I put the car in drive from 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. When I am driving its so bad I cannot sip my coffee. Feels as though the engine is going to fall out! Nissan refuses to recall this issue and fix the problem. After reading many complaints, I guess I should feel a little fortunate that this has happened to me at 120,000 miles instead of the average 80,000. I would not recommend this car at all to anyone!!!

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  Not a Great CUV - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Car Lover - December 13 - 10:00 am

  This is not one of the greatest CUVs out there. The CVT transmission is boring and apparently beginning to cause problems. Nissan is now extending the warranty to 100k miles. The gas mileage is awful and you must use premium gas to get the vehicle to function close to optimum output. At five years old my front seat sides are tearing even though I am very gentle on this vehicle.

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  Good riding car - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By nhfiddler - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car for the comfortable ride and awd as we live in NH. Gas mileage at hwy26 looked good also. So far on my daily commute at 45-50 mph it gets about 30 mph, at hwy speeds (65+) it does drop to 26. The ride is still very comfortable 4 months later. On our trip to DC this summer the 4 cyl engine has to work a bit to enter freeway traffic, but cruises well thereafter, an optional 6 cyl engine would be nice.

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  City and off road beast - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By funtodrive - December 12 - 10:33 am

  The truck drives great, both in the city and on dirt/gravel paths. The interior flexibility of the third and second row seats are nice. For even more additional room the front passenger seat lays flat as well. This truck contains a V6 4.0L, runs smooth and the cabin noise is relatively quite on the highway.

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  2007 Frontier - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By greentreefro - December 12 - 7:36 am

  This is a great truck, excellent value. The V6 engine has lots of power and the 6 speed manual gets me 25 MPG average better on long trips around 28MPG. I will enjoy this truck for many years to come.

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  Price, Quality & Fun - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By J. R. Rick Burris - December 11 - 2:13 pm

  Ive owned this vehicle for two months and I absolutely love to drive it. Compared to other first buy vehicles, I had no buyers remorse. I cant keep my daughter from behind the wheel of my Pathfinder and she owns a top of the line Toyota Matrix, which I consider an excellent vehicle and value. I test drove all of the recommended reliable SUVs including the 4Runner, Pilot, Explorer, Lexus and the pathfinder was the better vehicle hands-down when matched-up to the critcal consumer selling features such as: comfort, safety, handling, acceleration and styling. The BOSE stereo is awesome. Sticker price was 35,600, I purchased at 32,650. Get a deal that feels good to you!

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  Do Not Buy This Car!!! - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By lmoris - December 11 - 11:19 am

  Ive had problems with my car for awhile now. When Im stopped, the entire car shutters, this also happens when I accelerate. My rpms also jump from 3-6 (Im not speeding)and when I let off the accelerator to slow down, my speed stays the same with my rpms going back and forth from 3-6. I called the dealership where I purchased the car and I was told that since my check engine light has NOT come on, they cant help me. They can look at it for $57.00 but the computer has not recognized any problems yet so there is not much they can do. Basically, drive it until you break down. Nice!! I called the corporate office and was told they stand behind what I was told by the dealership!!Fantastic

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  The Bodacious Titan - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Randy - December 11 - 7:10 am

  This vehicle gets up and goes and handles so well on the short and long hauls.

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  Murano cvt - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By cvt - December 10 - 7:23 pm

  All wheel drive perfomance was excellent for the new england winter. Gas mileage on highway a huge plus Roomy with plenty of leg room for rear passengers. Love the hatch door with the lights. handles the curves well. Zippy sleek looking vehicle. I intend to purchase a second one for the spouse.