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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  Luvin it - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By saximo - September 28 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car 18 months ago off a used car lot. The car has worked out very well, mileage is now over 65,000. Powerful engine, good handeling, comfortable to drive even for long periods, and surprisingly good fuel efficiency. The SEs sports suspension is a little bumpy, but it feels good. After 7 years in a Grand Prix GT, it feels great to have a solid and reliable car that can really move. My wife likes the car too.

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  let down - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By chris190w - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I owned a 1994 Sentra, drove it 10 years, great car. Bought a new 2004 Sentra1.8s. The quality has decreased in this model compared to my old Sentra. Ive had to add power steering fluid since it was new and after switching from defrost to vent the AC stays on. Dealership is replacing part for power steering problem and they say Nissan is aware of the AC problem and havent come up with a solution yet. In the meantime I am burning extra fuel. the AC will cut off after restarting the engine. I expected a little more fuel mileage but I am happy with the power and automatic transmission.

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  I love this truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By TSTORY - September 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had the truck for a week, now, but I absolutely love it. Tons of power. Very quick and responsive for a big truck. Nice sounding exhaust. Very comfortable inside. Well worth the extra cash to get the Crew Cab, its got a ton of room in the back seat. Tons of storage space in the cab. The gas mileage is about what youd expect from a powerful V8. It would be nice to be able to custom order what you want on the truck instead of having to search or even settle like I did. I wanted the Fosgate package, but it was hard to find in the SE model. Im adding a hitch after market also for about $130. Saves $700. I dont really need the rest of the tow package. But I dont tow a lot

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  nissan titan - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By j lund - September 28 - 10:00 am

  This truck has more room in the back seat than our chevy avalanche. The ride comfort is not quite as smooth.

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  Leaks Oil - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Wasim Khan - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car in September, 2004. Tow weeks later I found out that, it was leaking oil. My garage floor was full of oil. I checked the dip stick. It was below low. Anyhow, I towed the car to the dealership. They were not very nice to start with. Somehow they didnt know anything about customer service. Moreover, it took them 3 days to fix the leak (thats after I had a talk with the GM of dealer). At first, they told me they didnt know when it was gonna be fixed. Im very unhappy with this car and the dealer. I will NEVER buy another Nissan.

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  aaaahhhhhhh - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Still smillin - September 28 - 10:00 am

  There is absolutely nothing else to say about this car other than WOW. You need to get off your tail and go get one. I am still in shock that I own this car. Camry, Accord and the Mazda 6 aint got nothing on this car. Power, Design, Space, Did I say POWER, the inside design. If you are still reading this you need to go test drive one. If you test drive this car and not buy it you need serious help. I recommend starting this car and just listen to the engine roar.

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  Best SUV Ever!! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By CUBIES14 - September 28 - 8:50 am

  Bought he used in o4 with 34,000 miles on her and just totaled her two weeks agao on and ice covered bridge. Drove her for 6 years and put 105,000 miles on her. NEVER had any problems!!! Replaced the battery at 100,000 along with the break pads and new tires but thats all she ever needed. Would buy another if I could afford the gas!! Loved every min. in her, drove across the country several times in her, im talking thousand mile journeys here, and was safe, comfy and happy the whole way! Looking at and Altama or Versa now.

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  2011 Pathfinder - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By sctrooper - September 28 - 8:34 am

  I was in the market for an SUV capable of hauling my recreational vehicles, carrying a few friends around, providing quality...all without breaking the bank. I wanted the Silver Edition for the features, and would not have settled for anything less. Edmunds provides an accurate review of the vehicle, which I agree with most points. The Pathfinder definitely has a "truck" feel when driving and a somewhat stiff ride. This is probably due to the fully boxed frame and the beefy suspension which helps allow the Pathfinder tow over 6000 lbs. The interior features make it feel more upscaled, which is common with Nissan. Overall, the Pathfinder is a versatile SUV, suitable for most needs.

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  good truck - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By jarius - September 28 - 3:40 am

  this is my first truck and my next truck will be a nissan

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  Maxima under-rated? - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By Pete - September 27 - 10:26 pm

  Weve owned this car a little over 3 months and are thoroughly impressed with the build quality and solid performance. The new CVT is very pleasing and seems to easily allow for either "high performance" drawing on the engines potential or "nice & easy" driving which seems to let the engine "loaf." It seems to us that the automotive press overlooks and under-rates this excellent road car.