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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  Maxima : A blend of family car and fun - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By kflan1215 - November 20 - 10:00 am

  My 2002 Nissan Maxima GLE (loaded w/out nav.) is an excellent choice if your want a family/sports car. At invoice (27,054) w/ 0.9 % financing this was the most car for the money. Performance,build quality,value,and reliability are great.Turning radius is large for a car in this class.The paint does chip relatively easy. The carpeting is cheap! Leather quality while not bad could be a lot better. Most controls are arranged well (especially on the steering wheel) The power mirror controls,heated steering wheel control and fuel release could be more convenient.The ride of the Maxima is noticably stiffer than the Toyotas but this is a small tradeoff for the increased performance.

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  BEST CAR FOR THE MONEY - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By LOUIE L.. - November 20 - 10:00 am

  BEST CAR FOR THE MONEY EITHER FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC.GREAT HIGHWAY CAR WITH 25 MPG RESULTS.GOOD LOOKING WITH A VERY COMFORTABLE INTERIOR.I HAVE 2 NEGATIVES.FROM DAY ONE I HAVE A VALVE TAP AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANS IDLES QUIETLY OUT OF GEAR AND VERY ROUGH IN GEAR.AT MY 1500 MILE FIRST OIL CHANGE THE DEALER TOLD ME HE HEARS AND FEELS NOTHING.ILL SEE WAHT HE SAYS AT 4500 MILES.

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  Nice Ride - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Ryan - November 20 - 2:16 am

  This car rides great. love the dash and leather inside the car. Bose stereo is so loud and crisp. Great looking car and the 3.5 SE is quick. Hold onto your hat!!!

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  Cool Ride! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By jrbrad89 - November 19 - 11:18 pm

  Had an 02 Altima 2.5 auto as my first car in 06. Loved it. Found this 3.5 SE with about 95k on it. Great condition. Some minor scratches here and there. Leather interior is sweet. Bose sound system great. Wish it had an MP3 port in the 02. Drove this one from San Diego to upstate NY with no problems. Lowered it 2" for faster handling. Looks cool too. Only thing I dislike is the extensive procedure to change the rear 3 spark plugs. You have to drain the coolant, release the fuel pressure, set the climate control system to a specific settings, remove the intake manifold, replace the spark plugs and replace the intake gaskets. Wheel bearing gone bad now.

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  Awesome!! - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By Phil - November 19 - 11:03 pm

  Wow, is all I can say about this new Xterra. I just got this 09 Off Road X and I think it was the best decision I could have made. I traded in a 06 Rubicon; the Rubicon was a sweet ride but not travel friendly! Really bad gas mileage; like 9.4 miles per gallon on the highway. I got rid of the jeep and thought I was going to get the Toyota FJ, but ended up coming home with the Xterra. Reasons: I can see out of the X, the X doesnt need premium gas, the X has four doors, and the off road packages for both are the same. After driving each for a whole day the winner was the Xterra.

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  08 Versa Hatchback (CVT) - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By alan600 - November 19 - 10:09 pm

  Overall, I have been very happy with the car. It handles well, is easy to drive and has a lot of interior room and comfort. Good value too. The one caveat is that my transmission failed after 40,000. It was replaced under warranty with no problems. I am not sure how common this is or if I was just unlucky. Since the replacement transmission was installed the car has run great. The gas mileage estimates are not as high as stated by Nissan.

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  Drive It!!!! - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By C & J - November 19 - 9:06 pm

  Finally a SUV with a sports sedan feel, its not your moms SUV. We purchased an 06 Murano 3 weeks ago, after driving all of its competitors. It was the ride and styling of the vehicle that sold us. None of the others compared for the $$$. Its a fun car to drive with a comfortable and well laid out interior. We are looking forward to a long road trip.

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  175,000 miles later, this car saved my life - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By PJ - November 19 - 5:45 pm

  I bought my 2007 Nissan Altima with every last penny I had only a few months after it came out. I was 18 and saw it as an investment. Up until the 10/16/15, I never had a thing go wrong. I changed the oil every 3,000-4,000 miles, two tire changes, and two brake jobs and she ran like a beaut. At 11:00am the night before sweetest day, I was driving home after a hockey draft and fell asleep. I was running on 7 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours and couldnt defeat the sandman once again. I swerved off the road and hit a ditch straight on going 60 mph and no signs of braking. I woke up with the air bag in my face and reality hitting a little bit harder than the air bag. I gathered my thoughts and began to realize that Im 100% ok. Nissan saved my life. This Altima saved my life. Although it will take a long time to move on, I will never forget all of the 175,000 miles together. Thank you Nissan. My next vehicle will surely be another great model of yours.

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  Great SUV!! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JNJWILL - November 19 - 2:23 pm

  I have only had my Pathfinder for 2 weeks now but it has turned out to be a very nice SUV. My wife and I purchased an SE with the comfort and premium packages and we are happy with both. I wanted the BOSE stereo and she wanted the sunroof. We have a 20 months old now and another on the way so we have to get something bigger. The engine pulls very strong and handles well for such a heavy vehicle. We looked at the Honda Pilot and the 4 Runner and we liked the look of the Nissan the best. The Honda did come with more standard saftely features though. Nissan was also ready to deal and we got the vehicle at invoice. I am only getting 16 mpg at the moment though.

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  new purchase - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By roper - November 19 - 10:03 am

  great performance and head turning looks. the engine sound is fantastic and mileage is to die for 22-30mpg out of a big v6