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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  Best for the price - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By TransitionX - April 13 - 4:56 pm

  I have the 05 off-road 4wd with a manual tranny for about a mth now. This SUV performs really well in moderate snow condition. Works great on steep climbs. The Rockford Fosgate sound package is not quite as impressive as they advertise it to be. I like the 6 spd transmission, but dont really see the use for the 6th gear. You probably will never need to use it unless you live in Montana or something. The overall look of this vehicle is quite impressive and I am very happy with it thus far. You cannot buy a better SUV for the price that these things are selling for.

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  2000 Nissan Sentra SE - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Iamme - April 13 - 1:26 pm

  If you are looking for a 4dr with better than average performance, decent fuel economy, and "blend in the background" styling. This is an excellent car for the money. I put over 20k miles on mine and love it. I was looking at an A4 or Jetta but at the time they were only putting out 150hp for 1000s more. I love my Sentra SE. I cant speak for the other model levels. Enjoy!!!

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  1997 Maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Aaron - April 11 - 9:53 pm

  The car performed great for the first 95,000 miles. - 95,000 front left strut (covered by the 100,000 warranty I added at purchase) - 130,000 the radio volume knob doesnt work well, speakers deteriorated - 140,000 starter ($480) - 145,000 alternator ($470) - 157,000 right front wheel bearing, both axle boots ripped so replaced axles ($830) - 158,000 (currently) the front brakes are creaking horribly (brakes are quite new) So after $1780 in the last two years, I wont be spending anymore money on this car. And will not be buying another Nissan, too unreliable. I treated this car like a baby and it basically started shutting down on me.

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  1st nissian - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By mickey0104 - April 11 - 1:06 am

  never had one prob with car in 5 years just change the oil every 3-6 months. well had one issue but it was with windows electric

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  always starts - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Nissanairman - April 11 - 12:46 am

  I had this truck for two years and I loved every minute of it. I was always reliable and no matter what I did to it, it always started. As long as it was taken care of. Really fun to offroad with.

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  my altima - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By charles jacobsen - April 10 - 12:53 pm

  car has outstanding power, good handling, and decent fuel mileage,interior could use more style, but bucket seats are very comfortable and supportive. best car i have owned in years!

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  Excellent Mini-Murano - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Artie - April 10 - 2:53 am

  We replaced our 98 Subaru Outback with a 2008 Rogue. We were looking for better fuel mileage and another 4WD vehicle. After several months, we found the Rogue. Loved it from the get go. The only issues I would note are 1. Reflections of dash trim in the side mirrors, 2. no locking gas cap or door, 3. worried about paint issues around hatch hinges - sheet metal bends too easily 4. Tire Pressure Warning cannot be de-activated for winter tires on seperate wheels unless they are equipped with special valves. We have about 2500 miles on the car and we love it so far.

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  Love my Fronty - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By brutus_skx - April 9 - 6:29 am

  I love this truck! I traded in my 2006 Xterra since I needed a open truck bed but wanted to keep the same platform vehicle. This truck is GREAT! Leather is nice and the RF stereo sounds awesome. Good towing for the size; ok gas mileage. 16 city; 19/20 highway (70mph) 18/19 mpg (80/85mph). This truck is very capable off road; click in the 4x4 and with the rear locker you can go all over. 4lo has some real pull power. Hit the hardball and have a nice smooth ride home. Overall a great truck; way to go Nissan!

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  not so good - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By Brian - April 8 - 2:56 pm

  If you like good looks, reasonably good fit and finish and a truck that starts every morning, then buy this truck. If you crave power and you dont like to deal with things like fixing brakes at 8,000 miles or replacing a good number of suspension components at 24,000 miles when youve never even taken it off road or outside the city limits of Saint Louis, then DO NOT buy this truck. The gas mileage is HIDEOUS considering the type of vehicle. Its not a full size truck yet gets the mpg of my 2001 F150 4x4 crewcab Lariat. Window sticker says 16/20. Right...more like 13/16. Also, the suspension creaks and the cruise wont hold on the slightest incline. Just too many annoying problems.

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  Under-rated, well-priced - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By wmetcalf - April 8 - 10:00 am

  Amazing what $15,000 will buy these days! My wife loves it! Comfort and quietness of a sedan. Decent mileage (26-27 hwy). No problem cruising and passing in excess of legal speed limits. Excellent handling, great visibility. Great highway truck. Plenty of interior storage, cup holders, aux. lights. Little 4-banger dies out at anything under 2500 rpm though, making it less than ideal for a lot of stop- and-go.