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, watch our for shortcomings - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Improver - February 5 - 10:00 am

  First thing I want to say is that this SUV handles better than a vehicle this large and high should. The interior space is good. This car is wider than most of the competition so that translates into passenger comfort. I am disappointed in the gas mileage department; in the city I am lucky to get over 14 mpg. On the highway I get about 19. The suspension is too stiff, a bad compromise between controlled ride and comfort. Good power. I loved the design of this car wind/road noise needs to improve, a softer suspension and the space between the front seats and console is a trap for dropped papers, coins and cell phones.

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  Dont buy! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Rice - February 5 - 10:00 am

  This car drives well until you start having problems. The build quality on this vehicle and reliability are not good. We have had issues with this car. If you are in the market I would stay away from Nissan.

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  I hate this car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Nacole Gusler - February 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought my car brand new and have had nothing but trouble since. Sunroof opens by itself, window motor has been replaced several times, major transmission problems, replaced brakes several times, replaced axles, struts wheel barrons and calibers. This is just the beginning of my list. I hate this car, I will NEVER buy another Nissan due to this. This is the worst experience i have ever had with a car, and the dealership has never been very helpful. Told them about my transmission and their response was stuff happens. too bad it happens to most or all 2004 nissan maximas and nothing will be done about it!

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  Very Nice Truck - 2010 Nissan Frontier
  By RagingItalian - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Sold my car and traded my old truck in for a Nissan Altima on the cash for clunkers deal, then determined I could not live without a truck. The only 2 that I would consider was the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier. For the price there was no comparison. Ken Pollock Nissan gave me a great deal. I could not be happier with this truck and realized this is the only vehicle I need and now selling the car.

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  Excellent vehicle - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By bb - February 5 - 2:10 am

  Best value for the money. The CVT is great, drives like a dream with no shifting jerks.

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  Stay Away!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Muhammad Akhtar - February 4 - 8:43 pm

  I bought my Altima 7 months ago, and I finally got rid of it. I feel sorry for the person who bought it. I am a college student and cannot afford huge maintenance cost on this lemon. I have noticed most of the complaints are with S, and SL trims. The only major flaw with this car is the excessive oil consumption, and this model burns oil like crazy it does not even leak. It surely is a lemon, I didnt spend a lot on it except had keep up with oil replacement twice a month, which sounds really awful for a car that was rewarded as car of the year back in 2002. Nissan got bad reputation because of this car. Now I am looking forward to buy MAXIMA 6th GEN. They are a lot powerful and reliable.

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  Not Bad - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By CWise1591 - February 4 - 3:33 pm

  i have owned this car for now 1year and now i know what its all about. This car has a mind of its own. I love this car but its engine is bad, one day i go out to start my car and it doesnt start, it was weird because the car is brand new and it wouldnt start. So i call the dealer up and they say the car got flooded. The week after that i bring it in to get fixed but there is nothing wrong with the car. Then the other thing is the annoying water like sound on the right side. This is now the second time they will be fixing it. And the last is the headlights they dont light the road up.

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  10k mile review (Get the Convenience package!) - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By Jason - February 4 - 10:45 am

  One of the big reasons we bought a Rogue Select was price, it was $3000 dollars less than any of its competitors around here. Before we went shopping, the Mrs. demanded that whatever we buy have a backup camera, so we ended up forking over the extra $800 for the Convenience Package, which included the backup camera, steering wheel controls (including cruise control, which isnt included in the base price), Bluetooth, and a few other things. If we hadnt opted for that, this might be a different review. Ill explain why. Ride and Drive: No complaints here, the Rogue has peppy acceleration, and smooth handling. It gets a little loud if you stomp it, but overall performance is surprisingly good, and it absorbs bumps well without losing road feel. Interior: The overall impression is about what youd expect from an entry-level crossover, with a few really good things. The seats are extremely comfortable on long trips, and they support well, for feeling so soft. The steering wheel controls (convenience package) are very easy to get used to, an hour behind the wheel will have you changing stations (or Ipod), answering your phone hands-free, and manipulating the cruise control without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. A big problem with the Rogues overall styling is that there are HUGE blind spots in the rear, the backup camera helps a lot when backing in somewhere, but the driver has to be careful changing lanes in traffic. Rear seat room is decent, two adults can ride comfortably, three may be a tight fit, depending on size. The rear seats dont move back and forth. Cargo room is pretty good, considering the outside of the Rogue is smaller than most crossovers. Mileage: Not great, we get around 23 city, but we get 30 hwy on long trips, maybe due to the spoiler. I dont know about long term costs, but the Rogue engine is tried-and true, so I assume well be fine there. I like it, it does everything very well for the price. If youre thinking about about a Rogue Select, seriously, get the convenience package. Without the steering wheel controls, Bluetooth for the phone, and the backup camera, I wouldnt like this car nearly as much as I do.

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  nice truck - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By dooley - February 4 - 10:03 am

  this truck has been great to use for my business. With the rise in gas prices everywhere it sure beats the gas guzzlin v8s, even though it lacks a lot of power it get the job done.

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  Not so great MPG - 2013 Nissan Versa
  By ginger31 - February 4 - 12:12 am

  Although I like the comfort and style, the MPG rating is way over rated. Driving it on the highway and city mixed I get 26 MPG. I reset the average counter, drove 75 miles on the highway with cruise control @ 60 mph and still under 30 MPG.