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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  Excellent for the money - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Frank - March 1 - 12:15 am

  The good: Great price, I paid under $10,500 out the door (tax, license, etc not included). I paid more for a 1991 Civic LX in 1990. That Civic had electric door locks and power windows, but no ABS or airbags. I like the ride. I wouldnt call it plush, but certainly comfortable for a small car. I find the car fairly quiet ... I dont have problem with using the phone when driving at highway speed. The 5MT and engine provide acceptable power ... I dont notice the problem going up hills the professional reviews have commented on. The big mile-long hill near me I go up in 5th without losing speed although I do have to hit the gas. Gas mileage is excellent ... getting close to 40 in mixed driving. The manual transmission and clutch are really smooth and easy to use. Long throw, but the clutch engagement is really light. Easy to drive. I like the steering ... it is quite strongly assisted, but it is easy to turn the wheel. I can see how some prefer more feel, but this doesnt bother me. The trunk is huge. There is a donut spare, but it looks like there is room for a full size spare. There wasnt in my 1991 Civic ... I did buy the full sized spare for that car but it didnt fit in the well. For this Versa, a full size spare would definitely fit. Hands free phone works great; connection with my android was painless. With the aux in and a $5 lighter-USB adapter, I play music on my phone no problem. I havent used my CDs since ripping them, but now they have a use. The styling of this car is nice. Expert reviews bitching about a lack of soft touch plastic inside are a laugh. Who said soft touch plastic is the best? I can guarantee you the hard plastic used in the Versa S is more durable than "soft" thin skin plastic over polyurethane ... and what are the reviewers doing touching the plastic inside anyhow? Shouldnt they also note the taste of this plastic isnt as good as much more expensive cars too? There is a remote trunk release inside the cabin ... some reviews say there is not. Car comes standard with nice Continental tires. The FM radio reception is quite good; controls on the steering wheel are convenient. The bad: The display (mileage, miles left in the tank, trip, etc) could be better ... you have to choose displays so I cant see trip and total miles or miles per tank on the same display. There is a tachometer, but only idiot lights for everything else. Not much adjustment for the seat, but it does fit me quite well. The steering wheel does adjust up and down. The rear seat backs dont fold down on this model. Rear brakes are drum. Storage is limited. Although the glove compartment is huge (non locking), other than this, cup holders in middle and on doors, and a small slot between seats that is too small for my Nexus 6P, there is no storage. A space for quarters or storage of little things would have been nice. The ugly: No automatic door locks takes some getting used to. The locks are a bit more difficult to actuate than they should be. Only one door lock on the driver side ... lets hope it never goes bad. OTOH, I just leave the car doors open with nothing of value inside. Most thieves dont look at the cheapest new car sold in America thinking there must be a lot of valuables inside. Other than that, not much else I can bitch about. There is an amazing amount of space for the rear passengers. Comments on the car ratings from professional reviews. I look at several sites that provide professional reviews and see this car at or near the bottom. I wanted an inexpensive commuter car with good gas mileage, hands free phone, the ability to play music on my phone, and this car fits the bill nicely. It has hard plastic inside ... oh boo hoo. If this is what you have to complain about, things are looking pretty good. Remember, we bought this car for under $10,500. Yea, the cars costing $2K or more have more features ... duh. The only car coming anywhere close in cost rides like a Russian troop truck loaded up for the Ukrainian invasion.

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  Rag Tops Rule - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By Dezert 350Z - February 29 - 7:53 pm

  The 0-60 gets cut in half when you run it up to 1300rpms before you let it go! Gittyup! GR8 car more bang for the buck.

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  The best!!! - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By AKgal - February 27 - 10:06 pm

  I really love this SUV!! It handles so much better than my last SUV. I live in Alaska and the snow here can make driving difficult at times. Not with my new Murano!

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  Love it! - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By alycia22 - February 27 - 4:20 pm

  Its a reliable durable vehicle that you feel safe in! For a woman it really makes me feel like a man! It seats my 3 kids comfortably (incl 2 car seats).

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  A Life-long Maxima Lover..... - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By David - February 27 - 3:50 am

  I am currently driving my 6th Maxima and they just keep getting better! I’ve never had a single thing go wrong with any of the 6 cars. I’ve had my dark blue SE for over a year now and I still notice people turning and staring when I drive by. The car is powerful and solid and is still as much fun to drive as the day I drove it off the lot. I realize that there are other quality cars out there, but I’m sorry.... the Camry and Accord and just plain BORING. If anyone is the market for a “sporty” mid-sized, four-door car, make sure you test-drive the new Maxima! You’ll fall in love!

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  Sweet Ride! - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By gilmore - February 27 - 2:13 am

  I bought this pathfinder for my wife. She had never seen it or driven it. I fell in love with it when I took for a test drive. So she trusted me and now Ill never get to drive it again! She loves it. Its powerful, comfortable, stable. Its very luxurious inside and looks tuff on the outside. The front seats are very soft and comfortable. Great driver comfort when it comes to radio controls on the steering wheel and everything is easy to reach on the dash. Love the Bose stereo and the sun roof. Very good buy for the money.

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  5 time Nissan Owner! - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By LoveMyMaxi - February 26 - 6:06 pm

  In my opinion you can not go wrong when you purchase from Nissan. The company is top notch and the customer service is superb. I drive a 2004 Maxima SL and I absolutely adore it. This is my 4th Maxima and I also drove a Pathfinder. The Pathfinder (2001) drove just about as smooth as the luxurious Maxima. I missed having a car, so I bought the Maxima the last time. You cant beat the value because the cars come standard with so many great features. The buying experience was good and I feel like I received a fair deal each time. As far as reliability...the cars have been virtually flawless. Go get one!!!!

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  Its early, but so far.... WOW! - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By ramguy22 - February 26 - 12:33 am

  We leased our new black with grey leather Quest SL with DVD player today. So far we LOVE it. What a HUGE improvement over our one-owner traded in 2004 Quest!

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  4x4 on/off road performance - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Amanda - February 25 - 1:26 pm

  Newly acquired nissan frontier 4x4 only so far driven on paved road surfaces, the vehicle has good power in acceleration and braking, the ride is smooth for a truck, the ground clearance is sufficient for normal not too extreme use,the steering is smooth, easy to turn the wheel, So far my overall review is very good for this truck, I have yet to test drive off road on uneven surfaces to see how the truck handles and responds in 4x4 drive mode

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  Capitan de los mosquitos - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By carlos - February 25 - 4:46 am

  Owning a versa is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Its power has me baffled, it packs a mean Punch especially on the expressway when you drop out of overdrive. Its overall appearance is sexy, it makes me want to drop it into second at about sixty miles an hour with full open butterfly. The first gear ratio is what I like best it is long and strong. Its take of speed can be deceiving unless you help it out with the neutralizer, ( it is very simple, step on the gas with a quick stab, keep the gas pedal on the floor, within two seconds shift car into neutral for a fraction of a second and back into drive. This allows revolution to accumulate thus creating a sharp and sudden pull