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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  Very Nice Vehicle - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Joe - March 16 - 7:50 am

  This has been an exceptional vehicle for my wife. She is very hard on her vehicles and this car has taken a beating for 72,000 miles and is still going strong. The only issues we have had with the car is the rear window switch broke and the oil pan screw stripped when it was screwed in incorrectly. All around this is a exceptional vehicle but it was a little pricey.

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  Very pleased - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ingleberg - March 16 - 7:30 am

  I traded in an Infiniti G35 Coupe since I needed more passenger room. My Pathfinder actually accelerates better! I considered the Infiniti FX35, but the Pathfinder is such a better value. The sound system is incredible (love the MP3 playback), and the navigation system is easy to use. Almost immediately had a problem with a loud noise in the rear A/C -- dealer found loose insulation. New model... these things happen. Highly recommended!

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  Lost that lovin feeling - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By BassHz - March 14 - 4:03 pm

  the 2002 Nissan Altima is definately worth a test drive. This car majors in straight line acceleration and looks sweet from the rear. These are the two main reasons that I bought it. I thought Id get over the things I didnt like...odd looking grill/front end, cheapish interior materials, front-end wheel gap, mediocre handling despite a punishing suspension, wind noise... The newness has worn off and Im ready to trade but Im finding it hard to match the Altimas overall bang for the buck. Nissan built one heck of an engine and the car has gobs of space in the cabin and trunk. Id put it up against any 4-door car under $35,000.

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  My first Nissan - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By tishpit - March 14 - 4:00 pm

  Ive had the car nearly one month and put on over 1800 miles. Mileage is very good with an average of 30.8 mpg in mixed city and highway driving. Rides nice, CVT is very smooth and idles so quietly, at first I thought it stalled! Nice car overall, but not an exciting drive, but then its not meant to be. Does everything well enough. Only gripes so far is the drivers side sun visor hits the rear view mirror and therefore makes looking out very difficult unless you duck under it or keep moving the mirror out of the way. Wish it had a trunk release on the fob like my Jeep does. Good quality construction, but beware of blind spots with small, oddly shaped outside mirrors.

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  Good overall - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Brill - March 14 - 12:06 pm

  Needs a better reading of the clock and radio stations, there is not enough light behind the numbers. The numbers should be in readable color, like green or red, not black on a dark background. It is a major drawback in this car!

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  What a disappointment - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By tjniemann - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Upgraded from a 2000 to a 2002 Frontier. Shouldnt have. Same front end squeaks from the poor front bumper design: 2 trips to dealer. Mismatched decals and condensation in the bedlamp: 2 trips to dealer. Continual loss of coolant: Three trips to dealer, the last of which they decided to tear it apart and replace head gaskets. Thinking seriously about getting my old one back, if for some strange reason its still there...

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  Attention Car Shoppers: - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Xterra Triste - March 14 - 10:00 am

  My advice if you are planning on buying an Xterra: go manual (especially windows) and make sure to get plenty of racks because you wont want to put anything with an edge near the cheap plastic interior. Leave early if you are going up any hills, because its going to take you a while to get there. And if you plan on listening to CDs in the factory CD player, keep tweezers handy so you can the CD out.

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  Bad Paint job/ Good look - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Deeleeny - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I did alot of research on different types of cars and features, however as soon as aI saw this car all others were a distant thought.

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  09 s awd murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By vadim - March 12 - 3:43 am

  Over all very satisfied,very quiet comfortable drive,excellent cruise control, lots of fun in snow

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  Nice truck, but... - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Grant Chance - March 11 - 10:50 pm

  Bought truck in Jan 07, & have irritating clanging/rattling sound that occurs at medium rpm around 30 mph. Sounds like a heat shield. Took to Niisan dealer & was told it was the catalytic converter, that there was nothing they could do. This is unnaceptable for a 23k truck! Very comfortable, good power, OK mileage for a truck. Base radio is a joke! Heavy tailgate. Headlights are slightly dim.