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 my Nissan - 2016 Nissan Sentra
  By kelly wares - December 31 - 12:12 am

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  Little BIG truck! - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By rd - December 30 - 11:46 pm

  AWESOME ! This is without a doubt the best truck for the buck Ive owned since I bought my first Toyota in 1982. What those trucks did for Toyota this truck should do for Nissan. I read that the output of this 6-cyl was near the F-150 and I had towed with the F-150 (22 ft Boston Whaler Dauntless), so I bought it. It pulls her out of the ramp in the snow and ice we get here in Montana, 4-wheels the mountains and gets over 20 MPG if I dont go over 70 MPH. It does a whole lot better on premium and lousy if you put in alcohol contaminated gasoline. I know that because I took this truck across country towing a smaller boat. Geared right for whatever you want a truck to do.

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  Shouldnt have done it - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By bhoward123 - December 30 - 11:16 pm

  Shouldnt have bid on E-bay and certainly not on this vechile. After replacing a starter,headlight assembly, exhaust system, tires, and battery I MAY have a car. Nissan wouldnt include the starter in the 5/60 powertrain warranty. I got 14OK out of the one in my GMC. Nissan quality is subpar.

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  80,000 And Still Love This Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Scott - December 30 - 5:33 pm

  Purchased the truck in 04 new and have had NO problem except the initial brake issue that Nissan took care of until a recently having problem with A/C control knob. A very minor first problem after 4 years and 80,000 miles. I cant imagine why Nissan is talking with Dodge to design the next generation Titan!! Except for MPG I would love to keep the truck for many years to come!

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  The coupe - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By thegooddr - December 30 - 12:46 pm

  I got 2.5 with CVT and convenience pkg. Great power, excellent ride, handles well, and gorgeous. The car is better than I expected. I got it for style, but it is also a great ride. Economy, according to the computer is 23 around the city, and will go over 400 miles on a tank. Only an economy car will do that.

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  WARNING - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By jc2017 - December 30 - 11:25 am

  Get rid of this car when it gets past 100k!!! Check engine light constantly coming on and the dealership doesnt know whats wrong, Problems with the transmission come quick. The tranny first started slipping and I got the fluid changed. Temporarily fixed the problem, until it came back after a couple thousand miles. $3000 fix. I bought this car with the gas mileage in mind, (around 35mpg) which was great, until all the money i saved went into fixing the car once it got past 100k

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  Better than honda and toyota - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By billy frazier - December 30 - 8:43 am

  I bought my altima with 88000 miles on it after owning a Toyota and 2 hondas, have to say both are way overrated,my Altima has been the most dependable car Ive ever had, and let me say "some rockin a/c", blows 38 degrees in Florida-ice cold, and the car is so easy to maintain for the do it yourselfer, have not had a single problem yet, now 140,000 miles and going strong

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  Great All Around Truck - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Eric - December 29 - 7:46 pm

  Narrowed down search to Titan vs Tundra. The Nissan dealer had an 05 Tundra on the lot (trade in for Titan), so I was able to compare side-by-side. Clear winner was Titan. With a seemingly endless supply of power/torque and cavernous interior, plus a silky smooth transmission and nice ride - this truck meets all my needs plus more. The LE with big tow package = truck that feels at home whether going out on date night or sloshing in the dirt and mud. Believe it or not, I went from my BMW roadster to this truck without losing the "fun factor" either. Ive been camping with my family of 5 and the next week hauling 1/2 ton of dirt and this Titan doesnt skip a beat.

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  Wonderful car for the Money!!! - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By WB9696 - December 29 - 12:00 pm

  This is one of the best cars on the road for the money. Great handling, power, and one fun car to drive.

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  Stay Away from Nissan! - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mike - December 29 - 6:16 am

  Here is a list of the items you can expect. 1) A rattle from inside the dashboard from zero miles. 2) A loud squeaking sound from rear frame. 3) Back of seats tear when in the down position. 4) The in-dash CD changer will fail at 40,000 miles. 5) DriverÂ’s side window will disengage constantly. 6) The master window switch will fail at 40,000. 7) The memory seat settings will never work. 8) The rear shock absorbers will fail at 50,000 miles. 9) The check engine light will turn on every 10,000 miles. 10) Both secondary timing chains and camshaft secondary timing chain tensioners will fail. Cost: $2,148. Have fun!