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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  silver touring - 2003 Nissan 350Z
  By silver arrow - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money...

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  Bigger and Better - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Man-e - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Best suv I have had,and I have had many its beefy, stylish, and commanding

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  the quest is best - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By leah meyer - April 27 - 10:00 am

  we love driving our new quest van! It has been our favorite car of all time and is so roomy and versitile.

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  Nissan frontier fun - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By RichardjohnsonII - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Great new truck, have had it for a month. Looking forward to a great ride

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  Love It - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By dexico - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Tremendously fun to drive. Has become my primary car. Convertible makes all the difference .. hardly ever drive with the top up.

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  Awesome Car for the money - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By Ben - April 26 - 8:43 pm

  My fiance and I love our coupe. I feel its the best bang for your buck at this price range. Between performance, styling, and mpg it really is a great all around car.

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  Superior performance and headroom in comparison - 2017 Nissan Sentra
  By Tim - April 26 - 6:40 pm

  Shop the price. We compared jetta , jeep , kia soul, forte, sentra sv showed better quality inside and out. Comfortable compared to VW jetta with a bigger cabin, and better quality interior. You cannot beat the smooth ride in comparison to the other vehicles we drove. Best value, and the only auto dealer that DID NOT switch up the eprice. Honored advertised price, Salesman @ Peoria Nissan were more knowledgeable than at other 5 dealerships here in A.Z. Love the Sentra SV.

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  Have loved my Maxima for years - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By LMS-Denver - April 26 - 12:53 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned, and I can honestly say Ive never had an issue with it. It tops the charts in reliability -- I closely followed the maintenance schedule and havent had a major repair in 14 years. Thats impressive. Its a comfortable, nicely styled work horse that does well in all conditions -- snow in particular. Not many people still enjoy driving their cars after 14 years. While it will never get the looks my Mercedes SLK does, I cant say enough about my Maxima always being there for me. A terrific car all the way around.

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  2006 Fuel Gage Faulty - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Mrs. R - April 24 - 5:00 pm

  2006 Nissan XTerra - At 35K+ miles fuel gauge faulty. After filling up gas, gauge reads empty. Nissan is NOT issuing a recall for the 2006 models. 2000-2004 have received a recall for the same problem. Cost to fix is approx. $500.

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  pricing - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By preda - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I am very pleased with this car but i just want to know how much doed it worth after 5 years with such low mileage.