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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  Fianlly a Nissan SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By npt - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Excellent alternative to the domestic SUV, compared all the other models and this Armada has it all. Currently own a Ford Expedition (which I like too). If you try one out you will buy one, altho hold on to your pocketbook, not cheap!

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  Xterra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By intercom - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, drives like a truck, but in a good way, is great off road.

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  2003 xtera xe 4wd 3.3 6c - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By marty90OP - August 29 - 2:00 am

  over all a very pleasent vehicle if not a little under powered and hungry on gas. I have had the opertunity to use it to tow on a long trip,(240 miles and towing 1000lbs) and it was not bad, but was hard to keep up to speed without shifting down a gear on hills. Have yet to use it in snow, but I have heard about its good off road capabilities so Im looking forward to it.

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  Nissan Murano - New Car Experience - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Dafield - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Excellent design - exterior and interior. Just the right size. Perfect for urban parking and utility needs. Sound system with sub-woofer is excellent. Ergonomics all around are very good. Everybody loves the car.

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  Our Quest has begun! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By vince14 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Over 2000 miles on our new Quest SL, its a great-handling living room! Handles and accelerates like a car (think Maxima), great visibility and huge side-view mirrors, really quiet and smooth ride. Excellent braking. 0 difficulty adjusting to center mounted speedometer, (now my wife can adjust the steering wheel without blocking out the gauges!) Incredibly easy access from any row to any row, DVD works great, input jacks usable for a videogame, videocamera, even an ipod! kids love seats, really comfortable and attractive van.

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  2004 Maxima 3.5SE - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By wrossing - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Smooth Strong Power, great interior and exterior design, surprisingly nimble. Quality fit & finish. Nice, easy to use controls.

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  made glad - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By jdiner - August 28 - 11:40 pm

  Initial sqeak in dash quickly corrected by dealer-[the emergency brake pedal/lever required lubrication]. Everything since Perfect! Have previously owned two 4 runners, a pathfinder and an envoy-all good! The 06 pathfinder clearly The Best!

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  Common Complaints - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By fvrsr - August 28 - 9:49 pm

  Steering: big problem with "drift"; easy to deal with in the city, but on a long highway trip? No way. Requires constant, irritating correction. Even using your fingers - after 50 highway miles, my forearms feel the fatigue. "Squealing": yes; some think its the brakes, some think its the steering. For me, the brakes squeal every morning upon leaving my garage. Door handle: lock popped out just by closing the door. Horn: Must push hard in the middle of the wheel (no more "polite" reminder to the driver in front of you that the light changed). etc., etc., etc. Nissan response/service: Very poor.

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  Very disappointed in Nissan! NEVER AGAIN - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By nikitat - August 28 - 6:49 pm

  I bought my 2006 Nissan Maxima with 29,000 miles on it, seemed perfect .....I have had problems with the rotors, it blows a headlight or tail light every 2 weeks and to top it all off, now there is something wrong with the transmisson......Im so hurt and disappointed knowing I only have a year left to pay on my car.........Ohhh well, its back to Honda for me! Thanks Nissan for the experience.........NEVER AGAIN!

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  Excellent import , beats any domestic! - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Lear - August 28 - 3:20 pm

  As with any of the top-3 Japanese auto makers (Nissan/Toyota/Honda), this Nissan is an excellent quality vehicle. Designed and build with quality materials and engineering for many of use, not just the first 2-5 years, then ragg-out. Very reliable, excellent resale, great mileage. Cant beat it!