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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  perfect family utility vechile - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By sandra - January 25 - 2:00 am

  This suv gives you so much confidence, from the solid and powerful way it handles the road, to the way it looks. People are always staring while driving or stopped next to me. With a family of six, including a 10 month old, this car enables us to travel worry free.

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  best bang for the buck - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By arash - January 25 - 2:00 am

  this kicks butt. compared with its similarly priced corrola, civic, matrix and mazda 3 rivals, this car has a ton of extra stuff

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  Fun & Sporty - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Tammy - January 25 - 2:00 am

  So far the Quest is a very nice comfortable ride for our family.

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  EX-FORD NISSAN TITAN FOR LIFE - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By JUAN HUEZO - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I HAD A 1997,1999,2001,2003 FORD F-150 TRUCK.BUT WHEN THE NEW 2004 F-150 CAME OUT. I HAD TO GO TEST DRIVE IT AND THE TITAN. DRIVE THE FORD AND THE NISSAN. THAT ALL I HAVE TO SAY. NISSAN TITAN FOR LIFE.

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  Only super - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By mdj - January 25 - 2:00 am

  Best price / comparison ive ever driven. Awesome, quick as lightning and steady as a rock!! Happy driving down in the States. Mdj The Netherlands

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  Amazing - Beautiful & Just Fun to Drive - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Irie - January 24 - 9:36 pm

  I love this crossover. The 1st thing you notice is its beauty. I own the Iridium color. Just walking up to her makes you smile. She is very roomy inside. Perfect for tailgating. I even had them throw in the tent, awesome feature. The seats are very comfortable, better then my office chair. Very smooth ride on the road & the variable transmission is a joy to drive with no shifting motion. I am getting 25.1 to 25.4 MPG. The headrests are perfect for me. I am a small 54" 120 lbs female & this is the 1st car I ever owned where the head rest fits me. I truly do love this car and have no buyers remorse.

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  Gas Mileage and great looks, what else? - 1995 Nissan 200SX
  By Stretch - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I got my 200 sx about a month ago and only had one problem on it since--the alternator went out, but it was under waranty. Since then, I have had nothing but raves about the car. The mileage is awesome for my drives home from college and the moonroof is a must. I since have put in about $1200 dolllars in sound. The only thing I have complaints about is how slow it is when the ac is on. Will it ever get up to 60? Maybe pop a 2.2 or something in there. Its a good thing my car sounds good, bc it wont win any races.....

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  Sentra - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By lmdlm12 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Great car. 116mph. 40 mpg on highway. What more can u want?

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  Altima stole us away from Toyota - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By RonB - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Weve been a big Toyota supporter, but The Altima SE stole us away from a Camry. At first my wife was pretty skeptical of test driving an Altima(she was thinking of the previous model years, bland!). She was pretty set on a Camry. That all changed after driving an ALtima. The exterior is no contest, Altima SE is far superior. Altima SE has 50 extra horses and is extremely quiet. The ride is very smooth and comfortable. Camry beats Altima for interior quality, but not by much. Good gas mileage(27 mpg), with the only down side using premium fuel. To sum it up, Superior looks, more power, more room, switched us to Nissan (Still love my Tacoma).

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  My Murano - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Skylar - January 24 - 5:30 am

  I have enjoyed driving my Murano,great gas milage, over all performance is wonderful. Would recommend it to my friends