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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  2002 Maxima GLE - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By 2002maximachic - March 31 - 7:05 am

  Love this car (model/year) - bought in Dallas with 84K and it runs great with 171k now. Just recently I found that during heavy traffic it slips a little. It sort of goes with oil but got that fix. I dont know anything about buying transmissions but where do you start to figure the cost?

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  Be very careful! - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Bad Truck - March 30 - 7:53 pm

  This truck is a huge headache. Ive had an enormous amount of trouble with it. Most of my problems were cosmetic related including a roof leak that Nissan cant seem to fix. Had the seal replaced three times and the windshield replaced once and it still leaks. Along with that the brake master cyl went out at 500 miles, bumper has been replaced twice, belt tensioner has been replaced three times, Window control module needs to be replaced, the timing belt system had to be replaced due to a technical service bulletin (only covered if the vehicle is under warranty). Do yourself a favor and buy a Toyota or Honda. I made the mistake of buying a Nissan because it was less money, bad move!

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  The 99 Altima GXE - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Fast Car - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car for about 4 months now. This car is more impressive than the 99 Maxima. If you rarely drive on the interstate, then this car is perfect. The cars cooling/heater unit works fast. This car is the best 4 cyclinder car ever. The only drawback is road noise, Slight vibrations when braking at high speeds and terrible stereo. The mirrors are bigger than the Maxima. There is no power seats which is what I like because it takes forever for the seat to adjust if it had one. If this car is great what is the new body style like? Oh one more thing! Weaving in and out of traffic is easy.

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  Will buy another - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Shelfish - March 29 - 5:53 pm

  Very nice car in general, not overly fancy, but still a good looking car. I never have wondered if it was going to start. I will buy another Nissan next year, and the only major thing I will change is the addition of leather seats.

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  Armada 2004 - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Greg Navalance - March 28 - 10:00 am

  The 3 row AC vent on the ceiling broke because something hit it however it was easy to fix. Front seats are a bit hard. The Nav system is a bit cumbersome, I like Onstar better.

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  vspec > vtec - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By ks86 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  just recently bought the car and so far i really like it. the car suprised me with its power that it has. bought the car with 50k miles on it and theres a few minor repairs needed, but nothing too big.. this car is a really good value.. just as fun to drive as a srt4, but 10k less.. recommended :) (for all specv owners, throw a cold air intake on it, makes such a difference in sound and high end torque for less then 200$)

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  Overall a good van - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Albert C - March 28 - 10:00 am

  SO far I have put 4k mile on it. It runs great. Powerful engine and confortable ride. Some drawbacks are rattling sliding doors and weird shifting tranny. I took the car back to the dealer and they did not fix anything but make the rattle noise louder. anyway, I spent a day and fixed the rattle noise on both sliding door myself; no more noise. Now I still have the tranny problem sometimes. Over all, I would give this car 8 to 9 rating.

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  Murano - very high marks - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By mz - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Just bought it, really like everything about it. Better alternative than a big SUV or a 4runner or Pathfinder. Especially for very tall people...this Murano fits very well and is very comfortable. Cannot find anything wrong with it at all - except when you take your foot off the pedal on level ground it gives a braking effect that you can definitely feel (this is with the AWD off and the traction on). Would recommend this Murano highly.

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  My first vehicle - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Brusko1972 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my Xterra a week ago and I love it! fuel economy is terrible but Im hoping it will get better after breaking it in. Anybody know why the 5 speed towing capacity is 1500lbs less than the automatic? Anyways, Im glad I bought an Xterra because now my ride looks much better than my brothers Jeep Liberty and my mother in-laws RAV4 :-)

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  Z Car - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Ned Paul - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned them all including Corvette,Mercedes,BMW, nothing comes close for the money.