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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  Never again - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Needs Help - February 1 - 1:36 am

  I have only had my Murano for a year and a half since buying it as a used vehicle. I have already had to replace the controlling arms, tie-rods, and muffler. Now I have found out that there is an engine problem and will require around $3000 to $4000 to fix. I am highly disappointed and will not purchase another Murano. There should not be this many problems with a car before you hit 100,000 miles.

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  Does its job, quality average at best - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By snowatcher - January 31 - 2:50 pm

  When we bought it new, it was after a long decision process between Pathfinder and 4Runner. It fits the needs of our family here in Colorado perfectly - its comfortable around town and on the highway, great for camping trips, and surprisingly good off-road. Really nice interior design and quality. We are happy with it after 3 years of ownership, and hope to keep it long time. My wife absolutely loves it, however, the built quality to me is questionable. When off-roading, the squeaks and rattles are very annoying, it feels like the truck is going to fall apart. Back on the road, its surprisingly smooth and quiet. If you dont go off-road, there are much better choices out there.

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  Mostly Satisfied - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Sandra - January 30 - 10:23 pm

  I fell in love with the looks of this car. Very stylish and the many wonderful features make driving it a pleasure. However, this is my first non-american designed vehicle, and I am disappointed in the comfort of the ride. I bought the SL because it was suppose to have a more luxurious ride. I find the seats to be hard and uncomfortable (when driving for any distance) compared to other vehicles I have owned in the past. Also, even though the car is sound proof, every imperfection in the road is felt and heard.

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  Smooth Ride w/Power Cheap Features - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By SunDevil - January 30 - 2:23 am

  Overall truck does ride smoothly. Power and concept is good. Features and trim are cheaply built. Two weeks new embroidered "TITAN" on floor mats unglued. Since then, edging interior and exterior along rear window, front windshield, and other areas pops up and has to be resecured. Front captains chair shifts like it is not locked into place. Mileage is terrible but it is a truck and new that going in. Power is fun. Truck does ride well and interior room is nice versus tundra.

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  Kinda Worried - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Kinda Worried - January 29 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle less than a month ago and it has been in the shop for the last 5 days. It wouldnt start, and I had to get it towed back to the dealership. Due to it being a new model, the mechanics had to play phone tag with the Nissan engineers to try to figure out what was wrong with it. I was told it was something to do with the fuel injector system, which has about 5 different components. Once they fixed the fuel pressure problem, now the electrical system is tripping up the fuel system. Supposedly fixed now, but I am still kinda worried. Wondering if anyone else is having this same problem.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Texamau - January 29 - 10:00 am

  Got a silver Murano 3 weeks ago. The Murano ride is much better than the Pathfinder. I lovet the CVT no more those upshift feeling.

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  Half the cost of aTacoma - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By bamagreg - January 28 - 2:00 am

  I moved to the country two years ago and had to have a small truck to drive on the 3 mile gravel road I live on and this is what I bought. I bought it at 100k mile and now it has 140k with no problems. I get 28 mpg going back and forth to work. What a great truck. Im glad I saved money when I looked at the Toyota Tacoma.

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  Good & Bad - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By malloryexoh - January 26 - 9:40 am

  This car has been fun overall, I have had some problems with it though. It is very high maintenance. I have had to replace the stereo once. The lights from the info kept fading in and out. Now, my second stereo is doing the same thing. My lease is up in a couple weeks, so Im not going to bother replacing it. It also seemed like every time I turned around, I was having to get my oil changed. And the tires absolutely awful. They are almost completely bald right now. The take off is a little slow at first from a red light. It takes a while to get its speed, then when you accelerate after gaining speed, it takes off like lightning. I know its only a 4 cyl, still. Fun first car though!

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  VERY GOOD CAR - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By johnnyboy11 - January 26 - 5:15 am

  I love this car. I bought it 2 years ago from the dealership and it had 78,000 miles on it. I have had only one problem out of this car and that was the master window switch. I have kept my oil changed as well as all the other maintenance such as flushing out the radiator and the tranny. this car dont have the get up and go from a dead stop but once i get to around 50 mph, it will take off. i get anywhere from 33mpg to 38mpg in city depending on how i drive and have got 43 on the hwy. this car is going on 114,000 miles and is still running like a new one. i love this thing. i hit a ditch pretty hard and only broke a hub cap. is a very reliable small sedan. could not have done any better.

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  Beautiful and reliable - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By LE1997 - January 25 - 5:36 am

  Great design. LE interior is nicer than any other car than I ever owned. At 120,000 miles, still zero wear on the leather seats. Replaced original tires with Kumhos, which much improved stability around corners. Bose sound system is great and powerful. Fuel economy could be better, but I guess its an SUV. Mechanically still very sound after all these years, only minor repairs needed over the years. Engine isnt overly powerful, but SO reliable. Could offer some more driver head room.