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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  zshan - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By zshn - September 11 - 3:40 pm

  I was looking for great commuting car and i test drove versa and right away i orderd this car, i got 1800 miles on it right now and i love driving this car because its drive like a midsize car and with SL package you cant go wrong , which has bluetooth and inteligent key get you in and out and even you can start your car without taking your key out from the pocket, 36 miles per gallon with CVT transmission, this is a overall better car than Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.

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  2008 Nissan Altima - nice car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By rclark - September 11 - 1:30 pm

  First let me say I love this car. I have had 4 weeks now and it is fun to drive. My only problem with it is that the Nav and phone have most of their features disabled when the car is moving. Its a car, these features should work while you are in it. I am now forced to fumble with my phone if I want to make a call, that is precisely the reason I bought a car with bluetooth, so I could be safe and not have to do this while the car was moving. In order to access your phone book the car must be stopped. In order to pick a new destination you have to stop the car, please make it so the passenger can operate the toys

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  Great SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Flying - September 11 - 7:50 am

  So far I have only had it for 3 days now. I went out of town on business with it and it was an excellent ride. The leather quality is great and it looks very luxurious on the inside especially with the wood trim. I bought the LE, which is the loaded version minus DVD and nav. This SUV rides as smooth as a car. Very spacious and fun to drive. I bought this car over the 05 Toyota 4 runner. It was more stable and bigger than the toyota. Test drive the pathfinder before you consider anything else, you get a lot of features and styling for the money.

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  my wife and I love it - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By cottonchopper - September 10 - 4:14 am

  Im 60 years old and have owned lots of other vehicles this is the best/ It can "Do It All". Great in the mountains / rides and handles great /tows our boat no problem/ lots of room/fun to drive /we go everywhere in it. Only regret is I did not buy one years ago. we have 2011 xterra S 2wd and it goes every where we want to go /I can only imagine what a 4x4 is like.

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  2007 3.5SE 6MT - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Jaeger - September 10 - 1:56 am

  This car provides an excellent blend of sport and luxury with a large helping of driving enjoyment. Great style inside and out and lots of space for people and cargo. They really nailed it. The only thing that might be a disappointment is if you really like the hunt-and-peck front end squirminess called torque steer. It is no longer available, even as an option.

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  Nissan Rogue Rocks - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By lainie1 - September 9 - 11:35 pm

  I have only had my Rogue for a couple weeks, but am extremely pleased with the comfort and ease of handling. I was worried because Ive never driven a larger vehicle, but the Rogue is easier than my cars which included Mazdas & Fords. Mine has the backup map which I love and the SV package. Love this vehicle and highly recommend it. I drove 130 miles before the gas measure moved off full!

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  Poor Final Inspection - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Wayne - September 9 - 9:20 am

  We Love the style and performance. Mileage is as advertised. The rear seat had a Leather back(They want to take it out after we purchased) Not gonna happen. I noticed yesterday that the Driver side muffler had a part burned off with a torch?? It has rusted, seems strange after reading all the Measures taken to prevent Rust. The Driver side Windshield washer is stopped up.

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  225,000 Miles & Still Going Strong! - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By vstro - September 8 - 5:30 pm

  Bought this Xterra new in 2001 from Al West Nissan. About a year later the dealership told me that it was recalled to correct some problems at no charge-still under warranty. Since that the only thing I had to have done besides the usual oil changes (sometimes I was a little slack on that)& and a battery here and there is points/plugs last year at about 200,000 miles!She is now 9 years old. Unbelievable! Dependable! Reliable! Love my Xterra and wish it would just keep going forever- I might just see how many miles we can get to and then go buy another new one. Ive been very happy with it!

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  Eight years and going strong - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By Nancy - September 8 - 5:03 pm

  I purchased my Nissan Altima GLE new, and currently have 84,400 miles on it, with plans to drive it several more years if it continues to perform well. I have been faithful with routine maintenance, and have had no problems at all. It is a comfortable, roomy sedan.

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  Nice Truck!!!! - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By tremblayt - September 8 - 4:50 pm

  The 2005 Nissan Armada has enough power and feel to transport my family. I love the onboard navigation system and rear view camera. It has a smooth ride. My kids love the DVD system. I stepped up from a Pathfinder.