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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  Great Car - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By azmurano - March 16 - 8:03 am

  When I decided I wanted to buy an SUV I was stuck beween the Pilot and Murano. I decided to buy the murano because of both the gas milage and the standard features. The murano has tons of standard features that most other SUV do not offer in their base model. Such as alloy wheels and the computer system, dual air, wrapped steering wheel and over sized 18" tires. I love the way it drives, I feel like I am back in my old Altima. Its a SUV with class! I feel like I am driving a very expensive vehicle not a base model Nissan. The CVT transmission drives great, just wish it gave a little more power!

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  Yfc - 2014 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
  By Horacio_hornsby@yahoo.com - March 15 - 3:30 pm

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  Love My Roque - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By RogueFan - March 15 - 10:13 am

  I love my 2008 Nissan Rogue. It is my first "grown up" car, and I have thoroughly enjoyed having it. My husband and I are both over 6 tall, and we both fit comfortably in the front seats. The interior and exterior are very well-designed (this opinion is coming from a professional product designer). Nissan really did a great job of including a number of convenient features in the Rogue (i.e., a deep glove compartment, nice cup holders, an auxiliary plug, pen holders, insurance card holders, etc.). The Rogue comes with great safety features such as side curtain air bags and a tire air pressure monitor. These are great features that come standard on the base model Rogue S.

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  2001 Xterra - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By CWood - March 15 - 2:00 am

  Great car, I had for two years and and not a single problem. Its never been back to dealership for any warranty repairs yet.

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  Great Car - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Jay Tharpe - March 15 - 2:00 am

  My car has over 100,000 miles on it and I havent had to replace anything except for a driveshaft that just recently messed up! Great car starts-up everyday and drive.

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  So far so good - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By scott_c - March 15 - 2:00 am

  Ive had a Sentra in the past and absolutely loved it. This one is much spunkier. Have had zero problems with it, but I have begun to hear a tiny squeak over rough roads.

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  Something to Consider (update) - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By VSpec_Silver2 - March 15 - 2:00 am

  For V-Spec owners: Although the Sentra should be inexpensive to maintain (econosport car), there are some hidden costs which are shocking. I recently hit a pothole with my right front tire at about 45mph. The rim was severly bent as a result. Since you may not be aware, Nissan charges $580 for ONLY THE WHEEL! The tire is another $140! So the Sentra, on its face seems like a bargain but hidden costs can get you. Needless to say I ordered 4 aftermarket wheels/tires from www.tirerack.com for $1150 instead of paying $720 for ONE Nissan wheel/tire. If you dont believe this, call your local dealership for a price quote on a new Spec-V wheel.

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  Altima 3.5 SE - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Carr Man - March 15 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the price. Has most of the features found on more expensive cars and they work well. Gas mileage is very good 19/29.

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  Rogue - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Chris lamping - March 13 - 11:46 pm

  Drive it

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  2017 nissan rogue s black very nice suv - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Shannon - March 13 - 11:43 pm

  I traded my 2015 altima s for the 2017 rogue s with the 3rd row seats family package it comes with the run flat tires, the rogue is only one of 2 in class vehicles that offer a 3rd row seat. I got magnetic black metallic with black interior. I did not want to buy any more new cars but could use the room for my family so I decided to buy one last new vehicle that has more room and cargo versatility . The rogue s comes with all the features you need power accessories, keyless entry, alarm, camera,bluetooth streaming,satellite rado,CD player,cruise control, and it also has active ride control, active trace control,active braking,tire pressure monitoring with tire pressures display. The interior is very nice soft touch materials, And it also has a eco and sport driving mode, eco is for better fuel economy. Its very roomy and very good gas mileage it gets about same fuel economy as altima. Not sure of exact fuel economy I am getting right now but it has 2different average fuel economys and a current and best rating . Got a 3.9 interest rate so the loan I will get paid pretty quick ,gonna pay ahead extra and get it paid off earlier