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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  2004 Nissan Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By discountexpo$$ - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I am a loyal Nissan owner for over 12 yrs. 91 240sx, 85 maxima, 2000 maxima, and now 2004 maxima 3.5 SL. I got this car fully loaded but w/ out navigation since I dont have a problem finding my way around town. This is the best overall maxima yet. Interior is roomy, plenty of trunk space, comfortable, sleek, and very modern comtemporary design overall. Bose systems is great! Acceleration is smooth w/ a quite comfortable ride. My wife loves it! Great family car and reliability is the best in its class.

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  The New SER - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Linda - October 9 - 7:30 am

  Great car...stylish, sleek with great performance. When owning a SER, you stand out alone as few others are on the road...which makes you special. Driving is easy, seating is comfortable, and the powerful engine can get you out of a crunch much quicker than one realizes. Its an eye catcher....as much so as any sports car.

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  A lemon on wheels - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By Lizzie - October 8 - 11:36 pm

  I purchased this vehicle new. With less than 100,000 miles I have spent over $4,000 in the past two years replacing major parts. Today I was told I need a new engine. All of this despite regular maintenance. Nationwide of Timonium, the dealership, has done nothing at all to address this problem. So, I need a new car. I cant believe what a lemon this car is/was. So much for Nissan and buying new cars and regular maintenance. I hate Nissan. Please do yourself a favor and buy something else.

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  Great Balanced Car! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By DanTheMan89 - October 8 - 5:36 pm

  What a great car! This is the second car Ive owned, my first was a gas guzzler. Stepping down from a Trans Am WS6 5.7 liter engine to a 2.5, I didnt expect the Altima to have much power at all. Man, was I wrong this car is a joy to drive. Its very spirited with the CVT, but also can get great gas mileage. Ive been averaging 30mpg, 40 on long trips. Handling is superb also, I live down a long back road with many curves and Its exhilarating navigating the turns. I love the exterior of the car, Its just gorgeous and stands out from the crowd. I get compliments all the time! If your looking for a all around balanced sporty ride, look no further this is the car.

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  What a fun car to drive :-) - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By bluegrass08 - October 8 - 3:26 pm

  Weve had the car a week now and just love it. Its a lot smaller than our minivan, but it gets a whole lot better gas mileage too! Our temps have been in the high 90s and 100s and I run the A/C each time I drive. Barely moves the gas gauge ! We love the style of the car, the inside is comfy, CVT is great, audio system is wonderful, and bluetooth is a great safety feature. Im glad we have ABS and all the air bags too... that really saved on our car insurance. The ride is very smooth. We think it takes bumps well. All in all, Id rate this car a 9.5 out of 10.

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  Its a Nissan - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By mando626 - October 8 - 8:13 am

  I traded in my 2006 BMW 325i. I needed a bigger car for my family and was impressed with the features that came with this car. Love the interior, love the Bose system included with the Murano. I was not too impressed with the handeling. I guess I was use to the Ultimate Driving Machine(BMW). Needless to say it handled good on the freeway. The passanger compartment is spacious and comfortable.

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  did anyone get the viration fixed ???? Production change?? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By carpersonvu - October 8 - 2:15 am

  I have a 2013 altima SL and it has the vibration/noise at 1200-1500 RPM. Was anyone successful in getting it fixed and it stays fixed????? Does anyone know what the production change was in dec 2012

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  Kiddie Pool inside of your rogue! - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By paul_ny - October 7 - 11:54 pm

  I bought a Nissan Rogue 2014 SV full package with moon roof, on December 2013. Since than I had to come back to the dealer few times: First it was missing All wheel drive Harness, they simply forgot to install it on my car. There was no AWD nor Hill descent, the part was ordered and installed. It kind of makes you think, what else did they forget to install?. But the best one yet, I noticed that area under passenger seat is moist,I thought it was spilled water and ignored this at first, but it kept coming back more and more, took it to the dealer. He said it was clogged sun roof drain, that he fixed, few days passed to my surprise I notice around 1" of water under passenger seat today.

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  Mountain Buggy - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By Bill Gibbs - October 7 - 2:56 pm

  I bought and sent this pickup to Honduras where I regularly put over 2000 lbs. of chicken manure in it. I once had 18 workers in the back and went up a mountain in 4low. This truck is a beast and can handle as much payload as my F150. Mileage is fair, power is adequate and the truck is unstoppable on the worst mountain roads imaginable. Dont complain about power, learn how to drive a standard transmission. Quality is as good as Tacoma for much less $$$.

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  sentra rave - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By dave - October 7 - 1:06 pm

  of all the cars that I have owned the sentra has been the best by far for dependability. I currently have 230,000 kms on it and have only had two minor problems. I still get 44 miles to the gallon. I use synthetic oil and a k&n filter. the dealer i got it from has been more than expected friendly and helpful with great service. thank-you and looking forward to more business.