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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  2004 murrano comments - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By David Otzel - April 23 - 10:00 am

  we looked at all the suvs and felt for the money the murrano was the best riding car in its class.

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  great! - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By jory988 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  this is the best truck that i have ever driven. ive gone thriugh many trucks and this out perfoms all. it has everything i need!

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  beefy truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff Cochran - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Love this truck, bought a travel trailer so is wouldnt be lonely.

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  GREAT JOB NISSAN - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By rafael r - April 23 - 10:00 am

  WELL HAVE MY TITAN FOR ABOUT ONE A HALF AND STIL SMILE WHEN I GET IN TO IT. TEST DROVE THE FORD F150 TE CHEVY SILVERADO DIDNT LIKE THEM BECAUSE DONT LIKE AMERICAN CARS DONT LAST LONG. SO WENT TO TEST DRIVE THE TOYOTA TUNDRA BECAUSE THATS THE TRUCK WE WERE GOING FOR BUT WHEN DRIVING TO THE TOYOTA DEALER SAW ANISSAN DEALER AD THEN WE SAW THE BEST LOOKING TRUCK SO HAD TO STOP TEST DROVE IT AND SAID I WANT THIS TRUCK SO I LEASE IT AND DONT REGRET IT EVERYWERE I GO PEOPLE EYEBALLING EVEN PEOPLE IN NEW FORDS. LIKE THE INTERIOR LIKE THE 180 DEGREE SWING OUT DOORS LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT GREAT JOB NISSN

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  What Do I think of my Altima? - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Carmella - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Great car, really luxurious for the great price, not too big not too small but just right!!

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  Favorite Truck Ever!!! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Jason - April 23 - 1:30 am

  I have owned 4-Nissan trucks prior to my recent Nismo purchase and if Nissan keeps building like this Ill be back for another! This is by far my favorite one. The Rockford Fosgate, XM, Snrf, roofrack, bug-guards, bed extenders etc etc are great! I went for Aztec red and love it. I get compliments on it alot. I looked at the Toyota but they dont offer sunroofs and the Frontier just looks better. Other than minor a minor squeek in the dash this ruck is awesome. I love to drive it every chance I get and it pulls my 19 ski boat nicely. Good Job Nissan!

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  love this car - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By heather33 - April 22 - 11:12 pm

  and i have to say i believe you are supposed to have your airbags serviced every so often so people whos airbags didnt go off could have done that. probly a good thing to do for all late model vehicles

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  Loved my cube - 2013 Nissan Cube
  By Wes - April 22 - 10:44 pm

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  My Best Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Nissan3 - April 22 - 8:23 pm

  I have owned approximately 20 cars in my lifetime including 7 new cars. The Maxima is the best car Ive ever owned. It is comfortable and very reliable. I average 25 MPG overall and get 27-31 MPG on the freeway. Replaced front brake pads @ 90,000 and the rear brake pads at 135,000. Regular oil, filter & air filter changes are completed. Also installed one new battery so far but no other problems. The car currently has 138,000+ miles and purrs like a kitten. Overall - its a great car. I plan on driving it until it drops.

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  Love it so far - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Jeff and Mary - April 22 - 6:33 pm

  We have only had the car for 2 weeks (bought used with 23k miles) and so far love it (made a 650 miles trip in it already). We got the 2.5SL loaded with Navigation. Nav/Bose is wonderful. Love the CVT, but it can be a little jerky at low speeds. Styling in/out is top notch. Quality seems great so far. Very smooth on the highway. Got 30 mpg on our road trip, expect better in warmer weather without reformulated gas. Seats are very comfortable for long trip. Car is very sporty compared to the Impala we traded, like the "quick" responses of this car. Peppy for a 4cyl, at least as quick as the Impala V6. 4cyl is a little noisier though, especially when cold. Reliability A+ so far