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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  2 Time Maxima Owner - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By JJ - June 13 - 11:36 pm

  I cant believe how low the Maxima is rated! This is my second Max. I previously had a 00 and now a 02. The 02 is improved over the 00. Its a little quicker, 5 spoke mag wheels, xeon headlights, interior improvements, and other mechanical improvements, too many to mention here. The only con thing is the rear suspension. The rear shimmies if you hit a bad bump.

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  Happy at first, but only at first. - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By Bob - June 13 - 7:50 am

  I was happy about a year ago when I bought the car with 22,000 miles on it. I thought the car was very comfortable , powerful, and looked great. After a while I noticed the suspension was very noisy and the brakes were grinding and squealing. Well, after 4 different shops and finally going to Nissan I finally had quiet brakes and rotors $750 later. A Week later a wheel bearing went (also costly). Then the windshield starting leaking, which has now discolored the headliner and now sometimes the car acts as if it doesnt want to crank like the starter is going to die. Now the check engine light is on. The leather seats are also cracking after taking excellent care of them!

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  Inspect thoroughly - 2012 Nissan Altima
  By jacksol - June 12 - 12:07 pm

  I was looking for a car good on gas , low miles, nice sporty looking, found it at dealership for $12,999, thought I had hit the jackpot. Purchased in May and in July noticed a rattling noise , it was pulling when driving, was hard to tell when it changed gears. In Sept, the a/c started blowing hot air and on a 6 hr trip, the car started losing power, rpm was high, was making whining noise, was struggling to change gears. The car was still under warranty so took to the shop, had to replace A/C condenser unit , had to pay deductible, then had to get wrecker to pick up and take to another place because the transmission was stuck in 2nd gear .They had to put in another transmission and welded the pipe which was causing the rattling. Had to pay another deductible. A week later, car will not change gears and fluid is leaking like crazy, had to get another wrecker to take back to dealership found out there was a problem with seal . 2 weeks later, check engine light came on, problem with sensor, last week check engine light came back on, problem with computer. At this point I am beyond frustrated, I tried trading it in on something else, but right now am so upside down that I cant afford anything so am just stuck with it and looking for a way out.

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  2005 Altima 3.5 SE - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By nissanman - June 12 - 10:06 am

  I have been a Nissan owner for several years. My first Nissan product was an Infiniti G20. Since then I have owned another G20, two Maximas, and my Altima. I loved my 02 Maxima SE (which I sold to buy my wife her car). I love this Altima. Prior to buying my 02 Maxima, I drove an 02 Altima. I immediately disliked the Altimas interior (cheap). The 05 Altima is a huge improvement. The 3.5 V6 gets outstanding gas mileage, especially given its intoxicating power, and is very smooth. The ride is comfortable, and the car is quiet. I paid $2K less for my 05 Altima than I did for my 02 Maxima (great value). My next car is going to be another Nissan product, probably an Infiniti G35.

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  Great Car - 1998 Nissan Maxima
  By John_Denver - June 12 - 7:40 am

  Ive only owned mine for a year and put around 19k on it but its been a free ride so far. I have the 5 spd. Agree with someone else who complained its not the easiest to drive smoothly but no complaints otherwise. I love the reliability (nothing has failed) and quality of materials/workmanship. It gets around 28 mpg and has plenty of power. Third gear is my favorite - it just keeps pulling. Suspension is a little soft - it doesnt track like my old 318i or GTI but sure is nice on the highway. I plan to drive it a long time.

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  I love this truck - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Kjf - June 12 - 12:00 am

  This is the best truck ever. We have had it for a little over a year. I dont get to drive it often because I bought it for my husband. We got the no fear package on it. Looks great and even with it being raised it drives really smooth. It doesnt make tight turns at all with the no fear package. Which only matters in small parking spots and dont even think about dong u turns. We dont drive it much these days with cali gas prices.

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  Awesome Car!!! - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By John F. - June 11 - 1:56 pm

  This is the perfect first car for anyone. The interior is not the nicest, but with a teen, thats usually not a problem. The engine could be improved but its enough for most people. You cant go wrong with a Nissan.

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  Fantastic car for the money - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By TON10ESR - June 11 - 7:46 am

  I leased my 2008 Nissan Altima 3 years ago and it still runs like a champ! I never had any major or minor problems with it besides a minor recall that the dealer took care of for me. It is a great car with push button start, CVT Automatic transmission that shifts great, and has a great ride. I just wish Nissans options werent so expensive, but otherwise its a very well made car and I would recommend it to anyone:).

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  in love - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By macharia - June 10 - 10:30 pm

  fell in love with this truck the 1st time i saw it finally bought it and it makes my day everyday i drive it

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  Expensive Junk - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By Larry Alcoke - June 10 - 7:30 pm

  Best way to describe this vehicle. Poor fuel mileage, hurricane winds come through cabin in winter freezing you, need to make a standing date every other week to take in for repairs, trim paint coating is water colors washes off, dont use a car wash even if standing 5 ft away will wash coating off trim, poor warranty coverage regarding such. TPMS is junk. stock tires & brakes are junk wear out way to soon, no not from hard use or poor inflation. Was not my choice but couldnt convince wife much better vehicles on market. Nissan refuses to talk to you if you call them about a problem. Better buy is Hyundai Santa FE by far. Poor drive ratio for engine size, wrong tran. Heat & defrost junk.