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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  Excellent Crossover! - 2012 Nissan Murano
  By bronco38 - April 2 - 3:30 am

  After driving several Crossovers like a Buick Enclave, GMC Terrain and a few others we drove this and loved it. It has a great response and handling and the interior is well put together, fun and sophisticated. It has a lot of technology built in it and it is all user friendly too. Strong engine and we look forward to having a lot of fun in it for a long time

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  Awesome car - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By jrallen - April 1 - 3:47 pm

  Wow this car is great. I got the 3.5SR becuase I like a car that has some get up and go. I was suprised at the power of this car. My past 2 cars were a 2000 Audi A6 2.7T and a 2006 BMW 325xi and this thing has them beat. The technology in this car is awesome too. I got all the packages available and they are worth the money. I have had the car for 8 months now and 14,500mi and havent had a problem except for the home link which was fixed fast.

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  Awesome !! - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Franco - April 1 - 2:33 pm

  Its been a month and this car is awesome..Had a Galant before this..BORING, This car has it all..awesome sound system..great engine with great accelration..Display are nice and bright..seats are comfy..Everyone who has seen it or rode it love it. As with any car there is always room for improvement..would like to see auto locks, folding side mirrors and better rim selection

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  bad transmission & endless recalls - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By THEPILGRIMS - April 1 - 12:16 pm

  My car has less than 30000 miles and the transmission already has to be replaced. My rotors had to be turned already and dont get a remote starter to the tune of 549.00 for this really bad car. Im trading this thing in next week. Whats it gonna be like at 40000 miles?? If I get one more recall I will scream!!

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  Best choose - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By Maureen Sloggie - April 1 - 7:10 am

  I own my 350Z for one year now. No regrets in anyway. Driving this car is like no other I have ever driven. The look of the car matches its performance.

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  Great Car - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Lois Sutton - April 1 - 12:46 am

  I bought a Honda CRV in July 2007 and was very disappointed in the gas mileage (17 mpg). So in December 2007 I decided to try the Nissan Altima (2008). I was very surprised at the pickup that this car had for a 4 cyl. (the Honda had a 4 cyl. too but was not as peppy). So after spending a couple hours at the dealership working out the details, I drove out being the proud owner of a 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. Right off the bat my mileage around town is 25 mpg. There arent any sedans in this class that really come close to 25 mpg. I really love this car. It handles like a dream and is very sporty. I had owned 3 Maximas before buying the Honda and from now on, Ill only buy a Nissan.

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  Pathfinder owner for five years - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Old Guy - March 31 - 8:56 pm

  Owner purchased this model used and rates this vehicle as above average in reliabilty.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Mark - March 31 - 2:06 am

  After being convinced for years that I would buy a Tahoe, I ventured over to Nissan to test drive the Armada and I was very pleasantly surprised. The Armada was the only SUV to offer it all including fold-flat seats, relative comfort in the 3rd row, and dual-climate controls. It will become the ultimate road trip vehicle!

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  Just two Problems, brakes and start Eng - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By GreenPlanet - March 30 - 8:56 pm

  I bought my 2009 Nissan Versa SL in May 09 to replace 07 Santa Fe truck. I was looking for a more fuel economy car. The car has about 1600 miles now. I notice the the steering wheel pulsates as you brake and come to a complete stop, dont know if there something wrong with the ABS. I also have a problem starting the car with long crank or multiple crank. I have an appointment for this weekend so hopefully they can address these two issues. MGP not as good as advertise or other people are getting here. It could be due to the fuel pressure regulator.

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  Horrible whining noise after 10,000 miles - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Robert Grosberg - March 30 - 6:03 am

  About a year ago a very irritating whining noise in the car cabin was herd. Went to dealership and they said it was the power steering pump and it was "normal" I have owned the car 24 months and the first 12 months no noise existed. Another 12 months of driving and the whining appeared and is getting louder every day. This is not normal and makes my drive very unpleasant. I now hate my Altima and Nissan has had hundreds if not thousands of complaints about the power steering noise and refuses to do anything. I will never buy another Nissan.