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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  Beautiful - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By airforce - August 8 - 10:00 am

  The first car was the Mazda 626. The 626s V6 170 hp engine was seriously lacking power for its weight. Although it did have a close ratio 5spd manual which did have good usage of the power it still is not powerful. Next, I test drove the Volkswagen Passat. While the car is extremly practical their are too many of them out on the road and they look too generic. Same problem with the Honda Accord. Every one and their mother owns a honda accord. Then, I test drove the Chrysler sebring Lxi. Good car but, lacking in power and room. The trunk is small for the size of the car. Drove the Altima. With 240hp and 246lb ft torque it beats the others

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  Ultimate - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By ultimate - August 8 - 10:00 am

  Ultimate Altima, great sporty looking car with a quick 4 cylinder engine. Very comfortable ride, although wind noise in drivers door which can be corrected at Dealer. There is a hole in the drivers door that they fill. Otherwise very quiet, great on gas.

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  11 Years old and Still Squeek Free - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By cgrueber - August 8 - 6:03 am

  Just bought this car Feb. with 105K miles on it. Had to change the timming belt and water pump as the previous owner had not changed these items. I could not ask for a better small SUV. It is a live axle 2wd truck, so the ride is rough but not a single piece of plastic in the vehicle makes noise. The cost to purchase these is fairly low due to most people not wanting to change the timming belt. Dont be affraid if you can do minor car repairs, this one is a breeze. Great car i would buy another in a heart beat. Uses a little more gas then expected for a V6 but it is still not bad

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  Big Letdown - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By irisp - August 7 - 9:25 pm

  I had a 1994 Nissan Maxima for 10 years with minimum problems,then got the 2004 and it has been a headache ever since. Got it in 2004 and by 2009 the transmission went out!The front end has every problem in the book.Struts, rack and pinion,shocks,..you name it its bad.I get new tires every 2 years,no matter what I have done it still sucks.Corporate will not help.Has to be the worst car ever!The CD player wont play unless you are sitting still,the power windows get stuck,just a horrible car. I will NEVER buy another Nissan.

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  DO NOT buy the Xterra: known major issues with transmission. - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By dmbstl - August 7 - 6:54 pm

  I was generally satisfied with my Xterra up until about a year ago. The problems started rolling in with major cash outlays for numerous issues. Fuel level sensor and fuel pump issues along with numerous electrical problems. Then the worst recently hit where the transmission fluid leaked into the coolant system. The dealership estimated a repair cost of almost $10,000 for the cooling system and transmission replacement. Apparently this is a known issue as Nissan has recently extended the warranty somewhat, but not enough to cover most drivers. If you search online, Xterra transmission system issues is a top result. (I worked hard to use other sources and get the cost to $5000.)

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  Great Car-Bad Back up sensors - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By Mike - August 7 - 5:04 pm

  Two things I dont like are Nav screen gets sun glare and the back up sensors are quite and only beep once. Other that those 2 items the car is great and fun to drive. I believe the price is well worth it. We purchase the Platinum AWD with tech package.

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  Love this car! - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By Love it! - August 6 - 7:33 am

  This is the second Maxima I have owned. Just bought the 1998 GLE with all the extras, side airbags, climate control, etc, tan leather and pearl white exterior, fantastic car with 118,000 miles! Took my car to Vegas (900 miles) and never got tired of driving it! Thanks, Nissan!

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  Very Pleased - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Danv23 - August 6 - 2:50 am

  After driving a 1997 GLE (bought new in 96) for the last 101600 miles I decided it was time for a new Maxima. No other car can match the features coupled with the reliability of these cars. I originally wanted to stay with the luxury edition SL, but the 18" tires on the SE were too much of a draw to ignore. To compromise I upgraded the SE to SL form, including the navigation system.

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  murano musings - 2016 Nissan Murano
  By stephen ober - August 5 - 2:07 pm

  Weve only had it a month so I cant comment on reliability, but other reviews seem to have been spot on. Very comfortable, enough power, decent mpg and nice to look at. They seemed to have gotten the CVT figured out, its not offensive, which is high praise because until this one Ive had no use for them. If you tow things, go mudding or want a sports car in SUV clothing this isnt it. If youre an empty nester and need to haul your stuff around on trips this is as good as it gets. Let me mention again - this car is really comfortable. The computer interface is well done, its intuitive and easy to use. The interior materials are very nice and the layout is spacious. I really like the motor, its got plenty of power and uses regular gas. I dont have much use for twin turbo 4s that need premium which are what the majority of its competitors are doing. All in all were very happy with this car, if you need an SUV and want a comfort cruiser this is definitely worth a look.

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  SE-R Spec V - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By JCave126 - August 5 - 1:20 am

  I bought the SE-R Spec V over the 2.0 due to the performance and interior styling of the car. Unlike the base model Sentra, it has ABS, remote entry, height adjustable seats, and who can complain about the 200 horsepower stock coming from the QR25DE. Not to mention 26 MPG city and 33 highway.