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...the Murano is a 10!" - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Steve - March 20 - 5:50 pm

  BMW X-5 performance, Porsche Cayenne looks, and all for a fraction of the price...way to go Nissan! This SUV crossover smells and looks like success. The CVT transmission may lack 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds, but I was not buying a sportscar. I wanted comfort and practicality and if this is what you seek, you will love this vehicle as I do. By far, this was the best car decision I ever made. Douglas Nissan in Huntington Beach made this an awesome car buying experience and I cant say enough about the SE AWD Murano!

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  The best of the Best - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Pedro Claudio - March 19 - 3:16 pm

  This car was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had a chevy before and it fell apart on me and it was a 200 chevy astro conversion and i traded it for the nissan pathfinder. And this tuck has a beautiful ride very powerful good on gas and comfortable to drive with the family or even step on the gas once in a while.

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  Titan FOREVER IN MT 1 year review - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By L.O. in MT - March 17 - 8:06 pm

  We bought our titan last December and after a year of owning it we love ours! Are titan drives like its still new! These trucks are very safe too! I should know another car did a 360 spin in front of us going down a steep hill that was very icy it hit the drivers side which caused us too slide off the road and go down a very steep embankment and roll it landed back on its wheels and surprisingly it was still running perfect and none of us was injured highly. we got it fixed and it runs like nothing ever happened. highly recommend this vehicle. the cabin is very quite.

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  Feels Like A Luxury Car - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Riogrant - March 16 - 2:20 pm

  Who says a minivan cant be fun to drive?...I personally thought the only thing I would drive with mini attached to it would be a Mini Cooper. However with our second child coming in January we began looking for something with more space. After shopping the competition we were happy to find a mini van with everything we wanted and more. We purchased the SE with smoke exterior and rouge interior. It truly is a piece of art. The fit and finish is perfect. Everyone I have given a ride to comments on how un-mini van like it is...and how it is very sporty and fun. My wife and I have been big Volkswagen fans for years. This van makes me want to go 100% Nissan.

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  Perfect design - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Dave - March 16 - 12:56 pm

  All other trucks in this category felt small and cramped even with a crew cab. The shifting and power are AWESOME plus this truck defines versatility. I got the power package which is a must and a good deal. I love this truck!

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  They got it right! - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Retired Frogman - March 16 - 10:10 am

  Steering assist, precise steering going down the road were the things I smiled about on test drive. I had to have it, traded in my 2001 Maxima, and Ive been grinning ever since. This is a fun car to drive. Nary a rattle, fit, finish are excellent. Why pay more for a G35 and RWD. Torque steer is gone. I cant rate the 2007 highly enough.

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  2003 350z - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By mdmike - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. I want to mention that the only thing that real upsets me about my car is the tire issue. I have been back to the dealer twice now to fix the Tire growl and feathering issue. Quite frankly its still not fixed. I have read alot of articles and they all seem to bring this issue up. Nissan really needs to step up and address this issue. The alignment and tire rotation that they recommend does not work. After it was applied to my car it seemed ok for about 1500 miles then the growl started to come back. I plan on bring the car back a third time.

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  GET THIS CAR FAST!! - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By Good car! - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I just got this car from Hertz Car sales, and dont be afraid to buy from a rental company. I love my maxima, best car i have ever driven. Being a teen, i love flooring it, it has so much power. The other cars i drive, which are my parents is a 2001 Chrysler T&C and a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan. This is soo much easier to park and a lot more fun to drive. I am 61" size 14 feet and i have more than enough room in it. I also love the exterior design. The Nissan dealership was very mean, hiking the prices very high, so go to a rental car place. Also has better gas milage than the vans i drive. Get this car now!

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  Awesome Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Jeff1030 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my 03 Chev Silverado for this Titan. Chev cant hold a candle to this truck. Smooth, powerful, quiet, features, all in Nissans favor. Even got a good deal considering this is a no dicker truck at present. Fit and finish are a good or better than any import Ive ever owned. Turning radius is excellent, adjustable pedals are a great feature for the shorter driver in the family. Bed is as long at the Chev with a smaller wheel wells in the bed. Still asked almost daily what Im driving. Turns heads almost every where I go.

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  It is or REAL - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By Steve 350 Zooms - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Read tons of reviews before deciding on the Z Touring Roadster......IT IS EVERYTHING others say and more. the Pick up is awesome, sound system rocks, handling is un matched and what a head turner in Red .. This car is for real all the way around.