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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  Disappointed in CO -GeG - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Glenn Garner - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Lots of road noise in cabin. Engine is very noisey during excelaration, but quiet at crusing speed. Too much power assited steering at highway speeds. Interior is low budget; lots of hard, bare plastic with cheap looking material on seats. Overall quality not up to Honda or Toyota.

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  2012 Nissan Frontier Crew Pro-4x 4WD - 2012 Nissan Frontier
  By flip900rr - February 24 - 4:12 pm

  My first choice was the tacoma but it was at least $7K more with the same option. I test drove both. I like the look of the tacoma better but the price was just way too high. I ended buying the frontier because I got it $4K less than the MSRP. Now with the frontier, the handling and power is great. I took it off road already and it handled it very well. MPG is about 15 on the city. I have not driven it on the highway that often to check the mpg. If you are looking for a 4x4 truck, the pro-4x is the best deal under $30K out of the door. I shopped everywhere. I checked Rams, f150, tacoma, and all others. Price, reliability and handling are the main reasons I chose the frontier.

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  My great Maxi - 1995 Nissan Maxima
  By JOSE LUIS A. - February 24 - 10:00 am

  As a proud owner of my max,I have chanched my old max(92 se) for this one and my suggestions are that it is and still a really confortable car that I have got .

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  spec V - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By timmy b - February 24 - 10:00 am

  i just bought the 2002 nissan se-r spec V about a week ago. this car i VERY fun to drive and VERY fast. the 2 things i dont like about it is the color of the seats, there all red unless you get the leather package and the dealership where i got the car (Colonial Nissan) gave me s**t about getting the floor mats that were supposed to come with the car. other than that its a good deal!

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  Fun, Fun, Fun,Fun, FUn - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By beth - February 24 - 10:00 am

  This is the all time best SUV Ive ever driven. It handles like a car more than a truck. I love the off road ability I now have. The team at North Texas Nissan was great the sales person Wendt really knew her stuff. This car get two thumbs up from me

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  At Last - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By LightningMan - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Having driven an 1989 and 1993 Maximas I was beginning to wonder if Nissan would ever again put out a car that I found attractive and a good performer. Well now theyve done it. Ive had it for two months and the performance and appearance are great. The torque steer at low speed when you really jump on the gas seems excessive. Handling is otherwise impressive.

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  Nice car to drive, some changes to be made - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By britishmoose - February 24 - 5:49 am

  I just received the car about 6 months ago and love it so far. Its an overall great car as Nissan is known to produce well-reliable cars. The pros of the car are definitely the fuel efficiency, small compact size, the security of the driver seat and the space this little car has. The only thing that would be great to change is the amount of power this car can put in into high speeds, esp. while merging on the highway or simply having an exhilaration thrill. Wouldnt trade the car for anything else but horsepower could use a hand.

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  2000 Nissaan Maxima GLE - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By ugadawg - February 24 - 12:03 am

  This is the 5th Maxima I have owned since 1989. As always, the Maxima has been a trouble-free car. It has required no special maintenance except routine oil and tires. The quality of the Maxima is almost too much to be expected and much more than other sedans avaliable today. This has been a wonderful car, as were the other four weve owned.

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  Humming sound - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Gail allen - February 23 - 11:39 pm

  Had to dealership 2 times they say it is power steering ? Concerned .? POWER STEERING .?

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  New Fan! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By TW - February 23 - 10:16 pm

  Bought used w/ 22K and got great deal. Had to replace a brake cylinder within couple months. Love its unassuming quickness. Fun pulling away from kids in loud 4-bangers. Way more features than what Im used to (had 4 basic VW Jettas). Nothing broke yet. turning radius is joke - my 99 Yukon turns much sharper. Like the sporty feel but is a little rough over bumps. lacks MP3 player access port. trunk is spacious enough for two. Next car might have to be the Z.