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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  not a good start - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Dave - December 5 - 5:36 pm

  powerful if noisy engine. transmission is silky smooth. drives like a car, no binding, or scrubbing in tight corners. full of rattles, squeaks, vibrations. rear quarter window rattles. lots of plastic shakes over rough roads. i have owned 5 new Nissans in 14 years. never had trouble before.

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  Good Car and Great Price - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By Kentucky owner - December 5 - 3:53 pm

  I bought the 1.6 base model. My out of pocket was 5400 dollars + Tax after the cash for clunkers deal. It is nice not to have a loan to worry about and have a 3 year warranty. That is my biggest rave about this car. I drive about 2 miles to work and back as well as running errands around town. So far this car is doing what I expect it to do. It handles well in the city, has good pick up. It is very utilitarian which is exactly what I wanted. Great commuter car (so far) I am looking for a very low total cost of ownership. Basically I drove my last car for free and I hope I can do the same for this one.

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  Would do it all over again! - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By Jack - December 5 - 12:06 am

  Bought the car brand new back in 2000, other than a clicking sound coming from the engine compartment when it was under warranty I have not had any real problems. The front routers warped after a panic stop and had to be replaced at 50K. Currently I have over 70k and the car is still going strong! Gas mileage is upper 20s but I am a little heavy on the gas pedal. Over all I still love the car and I am not ready to trade it just yet.

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  08 xterra off road automatic - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Zee06Mikey - December 4 - 3:20 pm

  Truck is built very well. Good brakes, handling and performance. Seats are comfortable. Paint and build quality is spot on perfect. After a couple days of ownership noticed a rumble vibration at 35 mph and after a couple of trips back to the dealer service and driving other new ones all xterras 2008 seem to have this noise. Hopefully there will be a TSB soon to address this noise.

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  None - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By B. Mckey - December 4 - 12:20 pm

  The rear visibility is hindered by the two rear headrests (removable), also take a peek at the rear view mirror, could be wider?, again a blind spot issue.

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  2000 Crew cab XE, automatic - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By spy77 - December 4 - 6:38 am

  I use to be a Chevy guy, but Nissan knows how to build cars and trucks. Being my third Nissan, the Frontier is a overall really good truck. The V6 engine could use a little more power, but it gets the job done. Its now at 98,000 miles and still runs like new. I did have to replace the exhaust manifolds due to cracks, and the battery died after the 6th year. I do all the repairs myself, so it hasnt cost me much. I am now planning on replacing the timing belt, water pump and hoses. I have already replaced the O2s plugs, wires, cap and rotor along with the drive belts, since I am a strong believer in preventive maintenance. Truck has proven to be highly reliable and still performs like new.

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  Very Please with Murano - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Joe Virginia - December 4 - 2:20 am

  Recommended by other Murano owners and glad I purchased this. Great rode trip vehicle. Storage space is limited. Very comfortable with 4 adults. Side view mirrors are xlarge and makes up for limited rear view mirror visibility. Very quiet overall at any speed; but if if external winds are reasonably high, the Murano doesnt smoothly cut through them and you get some cabin noise (but it isnt terrible). Nav system w/ XM traffic is fantastic. Display is large and clear. At 64" I required something that would fit me and the leg, hip and shoulder room are very adequate.

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  Dynamic vehicle in a unique package - 2010 Nissan Cube
  By stapleface - December 3 - 10:49 pm

  Ive owned this car about 6 months now, and I feel I can now make an informed decision on it. When I was shopping for this vehicle, I considered the Xb, Soul, Fiesta/Mazda 2, Suzuki SX4 and the Matrix/Vibe. What sold me on this one was the overall value the cube represents. The vehicle is deceptively big inside. Im 61 and have about 8 inches of headroom. The interior can swallow a lot of stuff. The available features for the money are impressive. Traction control, wheel mounted stereo controls, bluetooth, iPod connectivity. The car gets fairly decent gas mileage. The biggest holdup is its shape. A brick isnt very aerodynamic. If I had to do it over, I would buy this car again.

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  happy as a clam - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By pete - December 3 - 6:23 pm

  Went from a 2005 $65K E-class Mercedes to this! I just got tired of knowing my service adviser on a first name basis. This car has been great to own/drive. Its roomy for clients and has just enough performance not to let me get bored like my Accords did. I had one small interior molding issue and that was fixed in just a few hours by the dealer.

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  Finally a Stand Out Sedan! - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Tiok - December 3 - 3:00 pm

  I just purchased this car Jan. 7 and found out that this car really runs great with no jittering feeling when the car shifts gears thanks to the CVT. It really made a big difference. It accelerates good and has a special feature for those who were locked out of their cars. This one wont lock you out and I found out about it accidentally. Put my back pack in the trunk without knowing that my key is in one of its pockets and the trunk keep popping up everytime I tried to close it till I realized that the car key is on it. What a relief, I dont have to call a locksmith.