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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  a lot of bang for the buck - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By phatdogg - May 3 - 4:26 pm

  I have owned my xterra for two months and I love it. mpg 16-18 not the best, but thats not why I bought it. Great power, nice ride, lots of room.

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  Great Truck Not Perfect But Close - 2012 Nissan NV
  By zonhonker - May 2 - 4:39 am

  I was driving to a chevy dealer to order a one ton cargo van. I have owned Chevys and been happy with them. I had a Ford Econoline and was not happy. On the way to the Chevy dealer I passed a Nissan dealer and decided to try the NV for the heck of it. I drive it one mile and it was all over. I bought it. Im going to buy the passenger version pretty soon for my wife. Randomly, here are my thoughts...Great backup camera....much better than the ones on other cars Ive had. The screen appears right on your rear view mirror so you dont have to look down at a dashboard screen....continued below...

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  my 97 maxima - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert T - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This car has been great. I changed a few things to make my max "mine". I put on 17 inch wheels, and lowered her 1 inch. I also added a front strut tower brace. Fun car and nice looks.

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  Car is a gem - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By BrianV - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Car has 100K miles and nothing has been changed except tires and brakes once. I have a 5SPD. I out of choice changed the fuel filter at 60K and the Plugs at 65K, but there was no noticeable difference after changing them. My car is fully loaded and has been incredible. I ended up supercharing it at 70K which shortly thereafter required a performance clutch. All in all the car is pretty solid, only a couple little squeaks. My g/f has a 95 camry V6 and the Maxima outshines in EVERY WAY.

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  Spec V for 3 seasons - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By V-licious - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Good reliability, poor handling in the snow. I didnt expect for it to be great,but I got stuck on a slight incline and had to hoof it home. I have read about the tires and that is where Nissan seems to have gone wrong, although I think that it will still have problems after new tires are installed,I think it will be better. Other than that,this car is awesome. Handles very well in dry conditions, good pick up and go. Back seat leaves a little to be desired,but if you wanted a back seat you would get an Altima. The back seat is big enough for a car seat, and maybe one adult. This car is absolutely great for 3 seasons,

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  A Great Drive - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By chenghua1 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Unlike most SUVs Ive driven, the Murano is fun to drive. It has much better acceleration than I anticipated and is very smooth. The exterior has turned quite a few heads in my small city and the interior, though not luxorious, more than meets my needs.

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  This is a great car! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By M&M - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Nissan. I absolutely love my Altima! It is incredibly spacious and comfortable and fun to drive. Im still only in my first year of ownership, so I cant speak to any long-term problems, but so far, everything works great. The ride is very quiet, allowing me to enjoy the vehicles great sound system. The overall exterior of the car is also quite beautiful.

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  The Family Sports Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By ABear - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Just bought this car this week, but was very impressed with the exterior styling, engine, interior layout, and competitive price. Steering and handling is exceptional, and up to this point, havent found any shortcomings with the vehicle anywhere. Nissans financing program on the Altima is exceptional at the present time. Hope reliability is as good as my 1983 Datsun Pickup (I still drive and use) that has over 300,000 miles on it. So far, a Great Car.

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  What more could I ask for ? sub compact utility vehilce - 2014 Nissan Versa
  By raz59 - May 1 - 9:40 pm

  Just purchased a 2014 Nissan Versa Note Sv 5 door hatchback , the car is to get my wife too and from work on a daily basis , for shopping , taking the dog to the groomers ect plus my wife is having her first grandchild around xmas time , the car is light grey with dk cloth interior , it has blue tooth, air , cruise , rear camera , amfm Usb. conv package which includes an adjustable floor , bigger screen for the audio and rear camera, pw mrrs , fold down seats with arm rest ,, the car drives nice and is very quiet and the cruise works excellent ,,, I am getting used to the CVT as it seamless through hills and acceleration , Nissan seems to have the right deals on the vehicle.

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  Still got legs - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By jknecht1 - May 1 - 2:55 am

  I bought this car new in late 2000 and over 100K it hasnt ever let me down. With the manual trans, its consistently a blast to drive. It has had minimal problems over the years, mostly incidental. Never any engine issues. Replaced O2 sesors, brakes, tires, fixed window motors, and the CD player is dead, and a tree fell on it and scratched the heck out of the paint (which was always a weak point) but I still cant justify giving this baby up! What Id get for it would never reflect the true value of this car!