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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  Great small SUV - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By jchipp - October 27 - 3:36 pm

  I bought it in Jan 2004, and have loved it ever since. The "stadium" seating in the back is great for passengers - it lets them see, plus it adds a cool exterior styling, which turned me on to the vehicle in the first place. The interior is pretty basic, but functional. I have had no major issues, with it, just a couple of things: I had a check engine light come on frequently, it ended up being my catalytic converter, which was replaced under warrantee. I also needed a front brake job at 35000 miles, which seemed a bit early. Other than that, the truck has been bulletproof. I only wish it had more power and better gas mileage.

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  Problems from the start - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jjhood - October 26 - 9:40 am

  No room to type --- drove it off the lot and heard a rattle right away. Three days later discovered it was the sunroof. Took it to the dealer, they said that had it fixed after an hour and I was pleased. Drove it back off the lot and immediately heard the rattling. Looked up and saw grease stains all over my headliner from the service men. Took it back and had to leave it for the day. They said it was fixed and of course it isnt. Now it is scheduled to go back in for a third time. Then I was washing the car and noticed I have spots all over the paintwork on back door. Looks like water droplets underneath the clearcoat. This car is already full of problems!!!

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  Great Utilitarian SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Steve Williamson - October 25 - 7:10 pm

  The 2005 Nissan XTerra SE is fully a utilitarian vehicle with a rugged design. The Rockford- Fosgate stereo addition is a very nice added feature. Seats are heavy duty and the included floor mats look like something from a constuction site (a good thing). Visibility out of this vehicle is excellent from all sides. Its a lot of fun to drive and has a youthful, sexy appeal to it. There is plenty of cargo room in the back. Has great side steps and a step on the back bumper to easily get to the roof for securing cargo. Ride is a bit rough, but that is fine with me -- it rides like a truck. I wont complain about gas mileage because, hey, its an SUV folks.

• 

  extera tough - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By McAlllister duke - October 25 - 6:50 pm

  Hello yes it has been a most reliable car . The ride could be better but 4 wheel drive are stiff rides I have been very pleased with it thus far. I would buy another. I am a mechanic and have done nothing but routine maintanice. It is a very stylish ride from the outside. Over all a nice car

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  Im lovin it...a few things to fix. - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By S-Liza - October 25 - 12:36 pm

  I had my new Altima 2005 w/a V-Tec Engine for 3 wks now. I fell in luv after the test drive. I was going to buy a 2004 Accord, sooooo glad I didnt!! The Altima interior is gorgeous, the exterior is gorgeous and DAMNNN its fast! I dont know whether thats the V-Tec or the new Alts are just fast!! The Satin White is the best color you can get! Truly an expensive looking ride for such an inexpensive price tag - $18,900 used!! Couldnt be happier, I almost gave up on Nissan, but they did the DAMN thing with their new models!! And I want to give a shout out to the people that take time to write these reviews. If it werent for them, I would have never bought my NEW best friend - LIZA!

• 

  2001 Nissan Frontier - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Pegasuss - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Nissan put some heart into this truck and given the same circumstances as when I bought it, I would buy it again. I do have a serious complaint about the gas mileage of this vehicle. Despite a number of different things I have tried, I rarely if ever get over 19 miles per gallon. Performance, Reliability, and features are what I LOVE about this truck. It is truly "my baby."

• 

  2003 SPEC V - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By buffman626 - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my SPEC V in April. .9% finance rate was the deal sealer. Its silver. The car was fully loaded from the factory. I tacked on many extras offered by the dealer such as LOJACK, Two tone leather seats silver/slategrey, gap insurance (not available in all states), rearview mirror w/auto dimm/compass/temp, wheel locks, and a wind deflector for the sun roof. I only have 970 miles on it so far and break in is 1200 so I havent really broken 4500rpm yet. It handles REALLY well and the ride although firm is not harsh. Out the door Im paying 384/60 with no down/no trade in. I love it and have no problems so far.

• 

  Sweet Ride - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Willith - October 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Xterra, I had a 2000 XE 4X4 for trade. I loved my old one, but wanted the extra 40 HP from the S/C and its really nice to have it. I noticed that this one has a lot more of a bouncy ride than my last one; it might be from the bigger tires and rims or maybe a different suspension. The S/C gives it a lot of power off the line and its nice for passing. I only have about 500 miles on it so far and havent really driven it on the highway too much, so cant comment on that or long drives. Like others have said I wish it got better gas mileage.

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  Not too bad after 36,000 miles. - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By jeep53 - October 25 - 4:46 am

  Well, I decided to write another review after 36,000 miles on my Rogue SL. I wrote my first review when I first bought the car. Overall, its been a pretty good compact SUV. The gas mileage could be a little better. I never get when they advertised it for. I average about 24 miles a gallon. I my opinion, I feel that the car scratches way too easily, especially on the drivers side door panel. I have scratches on the outside, too, that I have no idea where they came from. The leather seats are pretty comfortable and the GPS works quite well. The Bose radio sounds very good to me. The rearview camera works well and is a must in this car with all the blind spots.

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  Good Gas Mileage And Features For The Money. - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By moparmanttc - October 24 - 12:08 pm

  We have this model rogue which is the two wheel drive s-model for a month and a half. It has been great so far the front seats are comfortable and the ride is pretty good. We took it on a trip and managed to get 29.5 miles to the gallon and that is with the air conditioning on. With the seats down cargo room is really good. You get a lot of features with the s model front wheel drive. You will find the price hard to beat especially if you try to get and American made vehicle which you will have to shell out $3000 to $6000 more to try and match the rogue.