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 Satisfied First Time Nissan Buyer - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Dilligas - October 21 - 10:50 pm

  Having had a V6 Accord and VR6 Jetta in the past, I can honestly say that this is the sportiest sedan I have ever owned by a longshot. The low growl of the engine every time I step on the gas reinforces my purchase decision. Love the tekkie features like the push button start and bluetooth capability. What seem like gimmicks quickly become indispensable.

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  this is a winner - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By joe mason - October 21 - 9:03 pm

  the cvt transmission is perfect for this engine.it is interesting to watch the tach while going up hills,the cvt is able to follow the power curve of the engine unlike a gear tranny.the seats are made of "memory foam" and become more comfortable as you drive. you feel like you are in a much larger car because of the room inside. the fuel economy is affected by the ac use but still gives 34 mpg.side air curtains & multiple front air bags give some peace of mind.the whole vehicle is a quality build and worth the money.

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  LOVE/HATE - 2007 Nissan 350Z
  By Raph - October 21 - 11:43 am

  Bought car as B-day present for self. Was great. super fast. The Sync Rev is awesome. You can basically drive it as if its a manual w/o the clutch. Burning out is easy, won every race I had with it but 1. The only problem was axle broke on me after 2 months while swerving to not hit something (freak accident) Still love this car. The 370 is better in some ways, not all. I would most def recommend this car. If you get this car get the NISMO. It looks better. Love this car though. you can get one for a good deal ina lot of places now really cheap because of 370Z. My car was white with limo tint w/ 18" chrome also with orange interior.

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  Armada= Lemon. Watch Out!! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By rob r - October 21 - 5:13 am

  My armada is a beautiful car. the reliability of it is the worst. brake problems, and electrical problems that would never end. dealership would not stand behind it. not impressed with nissan now. I have a 2000 pathfinder.. that remains flawless.... what happened nissan??? try again. fix the mechanics and you will have a great car.. until then you lost my business. ps.. train your dealerships... Douglas of Henderson is a HORRIBLE place to buy a car... yo yo finance, lies, typical "used car" sales in a new car dealership. the worst car buying experience ever. From someone who loves nissan, a huge let down

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  Do not buy this car! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Drew - October 20 - 10:10 pm

  I had my engine and cat converter replaced in Aug of 07 free of charge due to only having 78,000 miles on my car. But they charged me for replacing my O2 sensors which was $450.00. Just last month in April one of my ignition coils went bad. Dealership wanted to replace all four. I declined and just got the bad one replaced. Two weeks ago my car stalled out on me when I was getting off the freeway, and I was barely able to drive it to the nearest dealer. Intake manifold and gaskets were damaged; they also recommended changing my spark plugs. Bottom line is these cars are pieces of crap, no matter how much money you invest in these cars to fix them something else is bound to go wrong.

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  Awesome SUV - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Patrick - October 20 - 7:36 pm

  Ive had my 2006 Pathfinder for about 5 months now and I love it. Its excellent. This is our second Pathfinder and definitely wont be our last. I may get a second one for my wife. We drove the competition and they just didnt measure up. The Pathfinder drives better, handles better, and is more comfy then any of the competitors.

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  Nissan Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Rob - October 20 - 2:16 pm

  So far my favorite auto that Ive had. Had a Jeep Liberty before the Nissan and its NO COMPARISON. Excellent design and I have no complaints what so ever.

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  A Process of Elimination - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By kim - October 20 - 8:26 am

  I wanted a vehicle that was under $30k and gas mileage of 25 mpg+. Checked the Saturn Vue, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4 and Ford Edge. All nice cars. But the Rogues design won me over. Its very sporty and I get a lot of compliments. The CVT is smooth. I do worry about the transmission problems Ive read other people are having. The black leather seating is luxurious. I have averaged 26.3 mpg for 5 fill ups so far. Im 62 and have plenty of room. I wish it had a telescoping steering wheel so I dont have to stretch my arms out all the time. I have driven a suv for 14 yrs and the Rogue is the quietest vehicle I have been in by far. I cant hear the engine.

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  2005 Murano SE FWD - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Challruss - October 20 - 2:23 am

  I love to drove my Murano. It corners well, is quiet and feels like a car, not a SUV. I dont like how loud the air conditioning system is, the stiff ride when encountering bumps or the fact that there is no power to charge my cell phone when the car is off.

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  2012 Quest Paint Problem - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By quest_2012 - October 19 - 5:04 pm

  We recently bought a 2012 Quest SL. It is white pearl in color. When we purchased it we noticed Rail Rust on the paint and some of the chrome trim. We showed it to the dealership and they promised to take care of it. We took it to the dealership bodyshop to be clay bared. After having it a week they called to let us know that some of the spots were too deep and they believe the entire vehicle needs to be repainted. They advised that due to the pearl color that they could not match the paint. We are currently waiting to hear what Nissan wants to do. We are currently in a loaner LE fully loaded Quest. Has anyone else had the same problem? The loaner has the rust on the chrome trim 2.