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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  blue max - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By grenk - April 8 - 2:00 am

  spent 6 months looking at different cars and finally decided on maxima. Very impressive car. Great, quiet ride and I average over 26 mpgs on highway going 65-70 with the cruise on. Very tight suspention, great radio, power, ride

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  Infiniti in disguise - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Rond - April 8 - 2:00 am

  From the first drive you wonder how Nissan pulled this off. This is so much like an Infiniti in power and handling that nothing but admiration comes from using this car/suv. It is solid, stylish, fast, precise in its handling. The controls have been well thought-out. There is a lot of room for storage. The seats are firm and comfortable for long drives. The fit and finish are excellent. I think this is a real bargain. What can I say about the design? COOL!

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  Great family car ! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Pierre Guité - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Great car. After one year of use, only 4 visits to the dealer for oil changes and front tire alignement. With 2 small kids, moving the family is a lot of fun. Good cargo capacity, easy access to the back seats. Fuel economy is great at less than 8 liters/100 km on the highway (for speeds of 110km/h (2.5SE version)

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  Could have been much better.... - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By nissan fan - April 8 - 2:00 am

  I love the power of this. Its very fun to drive espeically with the 3.5 liter power house. However, my biggest complaint with the car is the interior quality. Its all PLASTIC, and has a very cheap look and feel to it. After 1,500 miles my sunroof and front dash is already rattling. Im not sure what Nissan was thinking with this car when it came to the interior. The exterior is so-so. My biggest worry with the exterior the cheap front grill. I drive on the highway, and I usually get rock chips. Now my plan is to get rid of this car and get an Accord, at least the interior isnt made of cheap plastic.

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  Frontier over Dakota - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By jackm - April 8 - 1:43 am

  The Nissan v6 is head and shoulders above the Dakota 4.7 v8. I tow a 20 boat and the Nissan pulls it with ease! Nismo ride is actually softer than the Dakota. Fuel mileage is about the same. So far..so good!!

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  Awesome!! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Dee - April 7 - 6:16 pm

  I purchased this over Thanksgiving and I love it! Its very solid and hugs corners well. I previously owned a 2004 Camry and it also was solid but it lacked style and power.You wont be disappointed. I bought mine in Georgia while on vacation and drove it back to Chicago. All I can say is "WOW". It feels like a luxury sedan without the luxury price.If you buy the baselne its worth adding the SL Package.

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  Second Car and Used But Great - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By Neal - April 7 - 8:26 am

  I am a college student and this is my second car and I love it. I have had it for about a year and I have had no problems with this car. I drive it back and forth to college and home about 2000 mile round trip. All I have to do to the car is get the oil changed and replace the tires and she runs perfectly.

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  After 2 years and 38,000 miles: Loving my Altima! - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Dan K - April 7 - 12:40 am

  I went out planning to buy a Ford Fusion. I test drove a Fusion, Impala, Accord and Camry. The seats in the Altima were the most comfortable. On long trips it seems to support my back well, and I can drive with no back pain. It handles great, and the gas mileage is amazing! I thought the 38 mpg highway was far fetched, but Ive gotten that and better on the highway. If I hold it to about 70 mph I can make 40 or 41 mpg. The 4 cylinder is rated at 180 horsepower, and it seems to have more than enough power. I was unsure of the CVT transmission. It seems odd not to feel the car shifting, but after a short time I decided I like it better. When the radio isnt on youll sure hear the engine though, but thats the same with all 4 cylinder cars. Im in Missouri, and it handles the snow pretty well. The bluetooth works great for phone calls. My only problem is I gave it access to my text messages when I set it up. Dont do that! If you get a text people get a rude auto-reply from the car saying IM DRIVING! You need to turn it off each time the car is started. I can probably fix it by re-installing the app, because it doesnt to that with my sons phone. The sound system is good. I can do pandora or iheart through my bluetooth, or run mp3s off a thumb drive. The only annoying thing is, after Nissan performed a "fix" on a recall issue for the passenger airbag, there is always a light on if there is no passenger. I usually dont notice it but there are times I consider putting black tape over it.

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  First time mini van owner - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By jcc36 - April 6 - 7:47 pm

  The time came for our family to purchase a minivan, under protest by myself. We previously owned a Jeep Commander but needed to go bigger. We looked at the Toyota Sienna and the Nissan. Wasnt too keen on the Honda or Chrysler styling. The Nissan has a very unique look that both my wife and I liked. We liked the Sienna also but it seemed for van like to us. One of the best features is the interior, very very nice compared to the Toyota. People complain about the storage with the fold down seats but its plenty big for us. Besides, the cargo area behind the rear seat is massive.

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  Dislikes wind noise and engine noise (4-cyl.) - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By dimension - April 6 - 3:38 pm

  This is my very first Nissan. I bought the second week of December. I really, really like this 2015 Altima 2.5 SV except for its engine noise. I wouldnt mind engine noise if it sounds like a masculine growl, but this one sounds like a drowning engine with a broken exhaust. And after 1,600 miles it seems like the engine noise is louder, and now it has wind noise too!