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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  Excessive noise in Altima 3.5S - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By crypton - April 2 - 4:40 pm

  I own 3.5SE 5-speed manual Altima for two weeks and I really enjoy it’s performance. However, I had to visit dealership two times due to excessive noise problem coming from back suspension. It is some kind of rolling-metallic-hollow noise, sometimes reminding kicked-basketball sound. It occurs at any speed and its frequency is not related to speed - just the volume which peaks at around 90km/h resonating and piercing ears. Dealership so far was not able to fix this problem

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  A Great Family Van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By KDeVoogd - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall my wife and I really like the vehicle. Family travel is much improved since we opted for the DVD entertainment system. The navigation system is nice but not used enough to justify the 2K price tag. We love the interior space. It is easy to move around in. Engine performance has been great, but gas mileage is no where near the sticker values. The best weve one on long hauls is 22 mpg. (expect 17-18 mpg avg.) We have had some intermitant trouble with the electronics in the transmission. Nissan claims that no problem exists, but at times the van will not accelerate past 30mph. This is usually remedied by turning the vehichle off and restarting.

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  Buyer beware of Nissan warranty - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Joline - April 2 - 10:00 am

  We purchased a new 2004 Nissan Murano "All Wheel Drive" and in four (4) months, noticed a small 1/4-inch rust spot on the roof. We took the vehicle to the dealer where it was purchased only to wait over a month for them to schedule an appointment with the Nissan representative. The Nissan representative failed to show up for the appointment and stated the paint on their vehicles could not possibly contain a flaw causing rust. Nissan denied the warranty without the courtesy of looking at the rust. The Nissan warranty customer service was impersonal and denied to even inspect the rust spot. Beware of Nissans false warranty.

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  Loved it a first - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By drivers - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I love the way it handles but I have been dissapointed in the gas milage, the back seat belts get in the way when you lower the seat. I also had the alternator go out at 18000. Seems to be a common problem. I hope the resale is good.

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  Maxima Comes Through....Again - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By TommyAsh - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Great overall sports sedan. My 2nd Maxima in 5 years. Sold my first one to my son.

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  My 2005 Nissan Altima - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Girraud - April 2 - 10:00 am

  I really love the power seats, sunroof, audio control on steering wheel and the smoothness of the ride, but I can find that on other vehicles. What I dont like about the 2005 Altima is the fact that it is actually too roomy for me. Another is the new cell phone recharger connection for the battery found in the middle arm rest compartment. Im unable to close it while on the phone because the line for the charger prohibits this. It wouldve been nice if Nissan wouldve included an outlet or hole that would channel that wire through while the compartment is closed for access.

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  Leave my expensive cars at home drive the fun one - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Daybud - April 2 - 1:54 am

  Last October my cousin and I were looking for a small car for him. We ended up at a Nissan dealership and he bought a 2015 versa with roll up windows and no power door locks. I warned him about those getting old and so I started doing my research. I found aftermarket door locks and power windows. The door locks are cable activated so make sure you have someone who can install them correctly. Fast forward to July 2016 and Im wishing I had a stick shift car because its been a long time since Ive had one. I liked the Versa we got for my cousin so I took a gander. Dealerships in my area are tacking $5,000 on to the window sticker as dealer mark up but an advertised special caught my eye. The sticker was $13,185 and they were advertising one only at $8,975. so I swooped in and bought it. Two months later I have only driven my infiniti once and the Pilot three times. Love this little car. Yes, I added the power windows and the door locks to this too. I was looking for a good navigation deck but everyone tells me to use my smart phone. I dont have a lot of money and am retired but I was able to get good financing and so for $200 per month $300 including my insurance bill I also opted for the prepaid maintenance on the car. The car lacks the acceleration of my other vehicles but also gets about 10 miles more per gallon so Im retired not in any hurry. Very comfortable roomy inside and

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  nice lile van - 2015 Nissan NV200
  By Jose - April 2 - 12:48 am

  After 1500 miles I had to take the vehicle to the dealer 2 times, the first time for suspension noise, a loud click sound while turning the steering wheel because of bad strut mounts. the second time for vibrations at certain speed do to bad cv shaft axles, also my tires where gone at 10,000 miles. all this issues is less than 15,000 miles is very disappointing. the vehicle has 24000 miles now and havent had any more issues. mpg is about the same 23 to 23.5 combined.

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  It will get you there. - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By nurd - March 31 - 8:21 pm

  I bought my 2001 Xterra with 73k on the O.D. after looking for a foreign 4x4 SUV it was the least expensive with the best options. I now have 155k on the Xterra and have had some very small things like a slow leak on a radiator hose that took me an hour to fix and $10. But I just had my A/C go out right before summer and we have had several 100+ days that have been miserable. Because of gas prices I want to sell it but then I get to go on a beach, camping or we get hit with a foot of snow and I fall back in love with my baby. This thing is a monster that will get you there every time. Love it and wont get rid of it.

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  altima 2006 se - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By altima driver - March 31 - 9:30 am

  nice all around car. a very nice ride. performance is good and 5 speed auto trans is also nice. mechanics are improved over 2003 maxima that I had. other manufacturers do not offer the performance in this price range. with rebate ($1500). paid $23k. standard stereo system sounds better than the bose i had in my maxima.