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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  Love our X! - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By mistfairy - June 5 - 1:46 am

  This suv is fun to drive! It has lots of room for all your stuff, even when we had our first child. Infant and toddler car seats fit - but snugly. Unfortunatly the back doors do not open wide enough. It can be tricky getting an infant seat in and out. Has enough pick up and go to really move.

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  What a truck - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By mike - June 4 - 4:56 am

  I have always driven a Chevy Silverado except I owned a new Ford F150 for 3 yrs 99-2002. This Nissan Titan blows both of these other trucks away. My truck before this was a 2001 silverado that I had 175000 miles. The Nissan is a far better truck.

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  Very Solid Crewcab 4x4 Mountain Truck! - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By peijae - June 2 - 10:25 pm

  I am person that has had over 35 cars since the age of 16, partially from hobby and partly for experience. The best vehicle I had owned was the 2008 Tacoma, but had to get out of heavy payments and let it go. Since then I always wished from at least a small truck bed after a few SUVs. Living in the mountains of Colorado, I need plenty of power, decent fuel economy, passenger room and real 4x4 utility. Not the easiest combo to find. I ended up getting a Frontier and it is truly one excellent mountain truck. Lifted, built, 33s, 5 speed, headers and intake: Excellent power up and down hills, 15-22 mpg, and very capable off road. I like it as much as my old 2008 Toyota Tacoma. A 200k keeper.

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  In Love With My New Altima! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Djohnson21 - June 2 - 8:50 pm

  I owned a 2005 Nissan Altima for years with 200,000+ miles on it when someone hit me and totaled it. My immediate choice was another Altima, and I have not been disappointed! I purchased a 2013 Altima 2.5 SV off lease with 40k and Im in love! Rides great, awesome mpgs (which I need because I commute 500+ miles a week,) and ver comfortable! Very spacious and well laid out interior, and the exterior is definetly an eye catcher! Bluetooth, push to start, remote start, and LED lights under the car that light up when you open the door are new luxuries that Im in love with! The only complaint I really have is the interior gets dirty quick! Im a smoker so black interior probably shouldnt have been my choice, but overall Im very happy with this Altima! I will definitely continue to buy Nissans in the future!

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  Awesome car! - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Tan Pham - June 1 - 7:20 am

  I love this car! The car is awesome to drive. Must get the tech package! The tech package include leather seat, nav, sat radio, rear cam, bose system, mp3 ready, 6 disc changer, moon roof. Comes standard with dual temp, push start, smart key, heated seats and other awesome stuff. The interior is amazing! I love the dash board, esp at night. Looks very cool. I compared with other hybrid such as the camry, prius, civic and accord. So far, the Altima is the best with speed and cool gizmo.

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  Another Nissan - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By fourth Nissan - June 1 - 3:20 am

  This is my fourth Nissan vehicle. I previously owned an Altima 3.5 v6 and loved the drive. I wanted better gas mileage, AWD and an overall vehicle style change. I loved the look of the Rogue and although I was not sure about the power (2.5) I could not resist the overall interior and exterior quality and extras that were offered. I purchased the Rogue SL AWD leather package and absolutely LOVE the drive. The pickup is smooth and responsive and surprisingly I do not miss the V6 at all! Gas mileage is great for my lengthy commute, not to mention satellite radio to make my ride that much enjoyable. My husband finds the vehicle roomy, and theres plenty of space in the back for my 2yr old toddler

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  I LOVE THIS VEHICLE - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By MIKE S. - June 1 - 2:00 am

  VERY COMFORTABLE RIDE. NICE SMOOTH SUSPENSION. INTERIOR LAYOUT VERY NICE. EVERYTHING IS LAID OUT WITHIN AN ARMS REACH. SEATING FOR 8 IS A GREAT FEATURE AS WE HAVE ALREADY PUT IT TO THE TEST. NISSAN HAS DONE MANY THINGS RIGHT IN THIS VEHICLE. TOO MANY TO LIST HERE. SEE FOR YOURSELF

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  We LOVE this car! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Motterns - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Only time will tell on this great car, however, all in all it has met our expectations! The gas mileage and emissions are not the greatest, but it is still the best SUV for the price out there. We drove A LOT of SUVs in this price range and were sold on Nissans reliability and service record. We know that this car is still in its initial life stage but wed purchase it again. It came down to the Mitsubishi Endeavor and the Murano and the Nissan dealer made all the difference.

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  Great with Reservations - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By 240Zto - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The auto locking mechanism has locked me out of the car 4 times with the engine running!!!!!! Sometimes when you leave the vehicle it locks immediately,sometimes in a little while and sometimes a long while or not at all with the keys out of the ignition. Taken to dealer and problem still exists. CVT is noticable in stop and go traffic, searches for proper location in slow moving traffic. Can the pre muffler below the front seats be repiped to fit in the tunnel for the rear shaft. This hangs to far down and is very visible and ugly when approaching the vehicle. The steering wheel mounted cruise controls SHOULD be illuminated for ease and safety.

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  BEST DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By pamela bruton - June 1 - 2:00 am

  I WORK FROM HOME AND TRAVEL 2000 MILES PER MONTH. I AM NEVER TIRED AFTER A ROAD TRIP. JUST LIKE RIDING IN COCKPIT OF AN AIRPLANE. I LOVE IT!