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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  Wow what a truck - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By Konkrete - January 20 - 10:00 am

  This truck has it all. It might be a slight bit underpowed in the street raceing sence but for pulling power its nuts. im a farmer i wnated a mid sized truck to haul stuff with and be able to handle mud and snow and still have balls but not be a huge beast like the dodges or fords full sized ones. anyway this truck can do this 4500 pounds on the hitch ( gotta get one installed not on the bumper) plus 1400 on the back of the box. the rpms barly move going 110 kph on the highway. super tough not one thing to repplace on it after 120000km bout 100000 miles other then oil and air filters and greasinf it up well. it can haul alot of people to.

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  Great Car! - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By JoanC - January 20 - 10:00 am

  What a great mid-size economical car! It is affordable, with fantastic performance (Nissan supplied an ideal engine/powertrain for this model), very good mileage, comfort, sporty luxury, and superb handling. What a pleasure it is to drive.

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  Good little car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Altima owner x 4 - January 20 - 10:00 am

  The car has been excellent. This is our 4th Altima, starting w/a 1993. The Automatic transmission is not as enjoyable as my 99 SE limited, with Manual, but its easier to drive in traffic. (We have 2 Altimas.) The Dealer has always been excellent, with the exception of high pressure sales. Good and concientious service always provided at dealer price, (of course.)

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  Nice vehicle - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Dan - January 19 - 8:03 pm

  A lot of fun to drive. Enjoy the height on the road. Nice acceleration in difficult situations.

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  2006 NISSAN ALTIMA LE - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Nancy - January 18 - 1:06 pm

  The Nissan is a beautiful ride, what sold us was the strong pickup for a 4 cylinder. We wanted something that was stylish, comfortable, affordable, and with good gas mileage. So far, we are thrilled with our purchase. We were reluctant to buy a foreign car but we soon discovered that the car is actually built right here in the USA! I also would recommend the dealership where we purchased, Campbell Nissan in Edmonds.

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  I absolutely love this Pathfinder - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MBro - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I just bought this 2000 LE from my Aunt, Ive been loving every second of it. This vehicle has plenty of storage, versatility, and luxury features. Its loaded with everything they had at that time. Even with 153,000 miles it still sounds brand new, and no one believes me when I tell them that it has that many miles.

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  Love It - 2010 Nissan Murano
  By Romelia - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I am writing again just to say, I absolutely love my Murano and so glad I chose this SUV.

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  Best of all the rest! - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Nissan Altima 2.5s - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Have been driving it for 17 months. I love the comfort. I get 31 miles per gallon combined city, highway. Best car I have ever owned and no problems with it so far.

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  Wondrful Family Car - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Connerlilly - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2.5s Altima only a week ago but can already say that I LOVE IT! I have owned many different types of cars in the past 10 years between my husband and me. The performance is wonderful and the exterior you cant beat. Its not as comfortable as some previous cars that I have had but other than that the Altima is all it was said to be from the reviews.

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  08 Versa S Sedan Auto - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Rob - January 17 - 10:23 pm

  Auto trans, power package, ABS, side curtain air bags. Fun to drive, good on gas, lots of interior room. Very nice looking interior & reasonably comfortable. Considering the price its amazing how much car you get for your money. Accelerates ok, auto trans shifts very well. Reasonably quiet at highway speeds. Corners nicely with amazing braking performance. Dash controls are nice and simple. This car is almost exactly what I wanted at an excellent price. Very satisfied.