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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  Awesome car over all - love it - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Superguy - February 3 - 9:30 pm

  I got the 2.5SL with the nav package. Im very happy with the car. I love the CVT - very responsive and smoother than the 07 loaner the dealer gave me while waiting for my car. Car is fun to drive, and has a surprising amount of power for a 4 cyl - made me forget about not being able to get the V6. I average about 27-29 mpg in suburban traffic. It stinks that stability and traction control are only available in the V6 cyl. My other big gripe is the radio that comes with the nav package. Could be MUCH better. Sounds good though Overall, this is the best car Ive bought to date. I enjoy driving it and it has a smooth and quiet ride. Engine can be a little noisy when revved though.

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  Great mid-sized truck. - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By Tzar Igor - February 3 - 7:30 am

  After researching many trucks bought the 2006 KC 4WD Nismo automatic with traction control and upgraded sound. Great looking truck with excellent performance and features. This is the third Nissan truck; previous two served well past 200K before being sold. Unfortunately to get the upgraded sound system the utility bed packaged is forced on you. Since installing a shell on the truck, the rails are totally useless.

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  Enjoying the ride - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By lynnv17 - February 3 - 2:17 am

  2 1/2 month review. Wasnt sure at first because of vibration at low speeds, which is a fuel saving function of the cvt. After breakin, its much smoother. Love the smooth ride on the highway. One annoying thing, during rain, its noisy, almost like youve left a window open in back. Getting great gas milage. I was careful to follow the break-in suggestions and average over 26 mpg in city, approx 29 hwy. Love the interior. Seats are comfortable. Handles well and is pretty fun to drive. The cargo area is small, but not really an issue since I can lower back seats when I need to carry more stuff. Im happy with my little suv...when its not raining.

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  Fun But Flawed - Buyer Beware! - 2006 Nissan 350Z
  By 2JPP8808 - February 2 - 6:40 am

  Did lot of research before buying; knew oil consumption was an issue on some 06 Zs. Figured was worth risk, as Nissan warranty gave peace of mind. Thought was safe until Jan 2009, when car started making weird noises, suffered loss of power & oil pressure. Car serviced at dealer religiously, so service mgr determined engine needed to be replaced under recall. Took 2 weeks! In all car has been in shop more times than our Porsche & BMW combined! Issues included clutch assembly, brakes, electrical, trunk release, pass pwr window, TPMS, heat shield, wheel hub. Car has been kept at dealer days/weeks at a time at dealer, & no loaner car given, just shuttle. Thank God we have multiple cars!

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  Nice truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Paul - February 2 - 6:03 am

  Nice truck with great power and design features. Great cd system and interior design. Looks good and handles good. The engine is loud, but the cabin insulation still makes listening to conversations and music/radio ok. I havent noticed any wind noise, but have only had the truck since December 2004. The read-outs for the gear display, 4-wheel drive indicator and trip mileage are digital and a light orange color that is unreadable with sunglasses on in the bright sunlight. This would be my main complaint. Otherwise, a very nice truck.

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  Best Mid-size SUV - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By fotohippi - February 1 - 10:06 am

  My new Nissan Pathfinder is everything I have wanted in a car. Great safety ratings, enough room for three car seats, and plenty of power. It is very comfortable and extremely well-equipped for the price. I would reccomend this car to anyone looking for a practical alternative to a mini-van, or any other SUV for that matter.

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  Dealer/MFG BOO BOOs - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By harry - February 1 - 7:53 am

  On date of delivery, left air bag cover on dash was raised. Took 4 weeks to replace-factory did not have part available. TPMS is very sensitive ie 1 lb of air pressure and light goes off. And there is NO manual reset. Left front passenger air bag light goes on and off intermittently-cant seem to find a cure so never know if passenger is protected or not. Front end alignment was off-had to bring back to dealer twice to repair. 1st time car was so new-dealer did not have specs for alilgnment. Seems dealer was more interested in volume as opposed to service after sale. But car is fuel miser and rides good for a small car.

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  2003 Nissan Frontier SE V6 Long Bed - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By TCD - February 1 - 2:00 am

  Not enough power out of the 3.3 V6. Horrible fuel mileage. Cheap look to the interior.

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  2ND Nissan Sentra - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By CURTIS - February 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Sentra, the 1st was a 2000 with a 2.0 ltr. on a lease. The 2nd was to buy and keep and thus so far it has been a great car. The only problem ive had was to replace the CD player 2 times because the CDs wouldnt come out, but other than that 3rd CD player seems to be working good, thanks to a warranty. Since this is a 1.8 ltr. it is not as powerful as the 2.0, but the gas milege is pretty good and the car feels soild and comfy.

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  Impressive and fun to drive - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By DavidO - February 1 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I analyzed cars with a similar features for 6 months. Test drove many (Volvo, BMW, Acura). We repeatedly returned to the Nissan dealer to have another look at the Murano. Eventually we decided it was the best choice for the money and that the others were not worth the extra 8K. And, we really enjoy the car. The Bordeau exterior is a real eye catcher.