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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  Unreliable - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By AZ - September 10 - 6:03 am

  Im very disappointed in this car. It just got its second fuel pump about 6,000 miles ago which is going bad again, the rack and pinion had to be replaced soon after purchase, the drivers door seal leaked water and had to be replaced, the radio stopped playing out of the passenger side speakers and had to be replaced, the drivers window regulator has been replaced three times and still doesnt work properly (the dealer also broke the glass twice), the air conditioner doesnt blow cold unless your on the highway, when you turn the air conditioner on it makes a weird noise, and their is a squealing noise when you start the car and the dealer/nissan customer service are not help at all.

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  my wife and I love it - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By cottonchopper - September 10 - 4:14 am

  Im 60 years old and have owned lots of other vehicles this is the best/ It can "Do It All". Great in the mountains / rides and handles great /tows our boat no problem/ lots of room/fun to drive /we go everywhere in it. Only regret is I did not buy one years ago. we have 2011 xterra S 2wd and it goes every where we want to go /I can only imagine what a 4x4 is like.

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  Adequate but disappointing; not a CR-V/RAV4 beater - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By M. McLoughlin - September 10 - 2:35 am

  I bought a 2016 Rogue SL AWD with Premium Package. I sold the Rogue to a Honda dealership five days after I picked it up and bought a CR-V Touring instead. I bought the Rogue because I wanted a blind spot monitor and the forward collision warning/brake assist. I also thought the Around View Monitor would be great to have. Although I thought about other higher-end small SUVs like the upper-trim CR-V and Toyota RAV-4, it seemed like a no-brainer to go with the Nissan because of its more aggressive aesthetic and the fact that you can (and I did) buy a top-of-the-line model for around $26,000 sticker price before taxes and fees, $5-6 k less than youd pay for the others. I liked it during the test drive. I liked it far less once I started driving it 60 miles roundtrip to work two days later. The pros: nice styling, nice materials inside, sliding and reclining rear seat, the Around View Monitor system is FANTASTIC and I wish every car had it, blind spot monitor works well (though the audible warning isnt loud enough to be heard at highway speeds or with the radio on), beautiful dash, a lot of customizable features and settings, gorgeous panoramic moonroof, useful electric lift gate, intuitive infotainment system, and, of course, the very reasonable price. Unfortunately, the cons outweighed these by a lot. First and foremost, the forward collision warning/automatic braking feature did not work. At all. Utterly useless. I took it back to the dealer, which told me everything was "to spec" and my expectations for the system were too high. I said thats fine, but in that case let me take the car for a spin with a Nissan technician who can show me how it works. Which I did. And to the technicians embarrassment, he could not get it to work either and could not explain why, though he did admit that the system as presently constituted was "pretty much useless." I took the car to another, more reputable Nissan dealership 40 miles away, and the very honest service director there told me that hes been getting a lot of complaints from Rogue owners about the same system, and Nissan hasnt come up with a fix yet, let alone acknowledge the problem. That really turned me off to the car, because you dont want to feel like a sucker making monthly payments on a car in which not everything functions properly -- especially something thats advertised as a crucial safety feature that can protect you and your children riding in the back seat. Besides that, the highway MPG was lower than advertised; the acceleration was lousy, even in "sport" mode; the brakes didnt feel powerful enough; the CVT was noisy and idiosyncratic; you could barely feel the seat-heaters; the engine was too loud and whined at highway speeds; the Moving Object Detection system wasnt sensitive and didnt detect half the moving objects that passed the car -- or detected them too late; the steering at low speeds was rough and annoying; there wasnt nearly enough room for my legs (Im 61") and I couldnt find a comfortable position in my seat; there was no automatically dimming rearview mirror despite this being the "top-of-the-line" trim, which makes you feel like you got ripped off; not all of the window buttons on the drivers side are illuminated, which also makes the car feel cheap; and the center console, though it has room for two average size cups, is otherwise useless if you want to lay something flat on it like a cell phone. I knew I would feel like a chump if I kept this car and that I had to sell it before I put any more mileage on it. I went to a bunch of dealers -- Toyota, Honda, Hyundai -- and test drove their compact SUVs. I ultimately bought a CR-V; the Honda dealership bought the Rogue from me. I didnt like the CR-Vs styling as much as I liked the Rogues -- but I liked everything else more. (And in fairness, I miss the Around View Monitor, and always will. Its so cool.) Since my first priority is safety, I have to praise the Hondas Sensing package, which has adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and a forward collision warning/automatic braking feature that actually works. The engine is peppier and quieter, the ride is better insulated from road noise, the brakes are more powerful, its easier to fold down the rear seats, the infotainment system is more confusing but has more options as well, the steering is secure and well-balanced, the seat heaters really warm you, the keyless entry system is more advanced, and overall it just feels like a higher quality car -- I dont feel like Honda cut any corners or ripped me off on anything to save a buck (e.g., forward collision warning, automatic dimming rearview mirror). I realize that the CR-V trim I ultimately purchased was more expensive than the Rogue. However, you can get a CR-V for roughly the same price as the Rogue with all of these features except navigation and active safety. Do your homework before buying!

• 

  2007 3.5SE 6MT - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By Jaeger - September 10 - 1:56 am

  This car provides an excellent blend of sport and luxury with a large helping of driving enjoyment. Great style inside and out and lots of space for people and cargo. They really nailed it. The only thing that might be a disappointment is if you really like the hunt-and-peck front end squirminess called torque steer. It is no longer available, even as an option.

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  Looks Good - Quality Bad - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Mike A - September 10 - 1:40 am

  14,000 miles - Sun windows leaked causing rust and paint to bubble. 21,000 miles - Significant shimmy in steering wheel at speeds above 45mph. Deal stated nothing was wrong. Tires needed replacement. Non-affiliated repair shop identified cause of shimmy and tire wear as being out of round wheel hubs. This is a very common problem with this year / model. Hubs were replaced and problem was corrected. 47,000 miles - ABS system failure. The causes are the bolts on the hub and wheel assemble rust. This allows the mounting plate to move causing the sensor to short out. This causes the control unit to burn out. The repair is $3,000.00 This is a very common problem on this year/make.

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  Overall good, but... - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Dennis Texas - September 10 - 1:26 am

  Great overall vehicle. The interior styling and comfort are excellent. The stylish exterior is very nice. Sound system and controls are top of the line (except the driver will never hear the 2 subwoofers in the rear). I love the auto headlights and wipers! The 160 MPH speedometer is counter productive - the distance from 50 to 60 mph is like a centimeter, making it hard to pin point 55 mph. The low end acceleration is WEAK. Like many car magazine tests, 0-60 cannot be reached in 8 seconds (more like 9.5 to 10). Mileage is 16 MPG for me driving mostly city. Great vehicle if you can accept the poor acceleration and mileage.

• 

  Nissan Rogue Rocks - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By lainie1 - September 9 - 11:35 pm

  I have only had my Rogue for a couple weeks, but am extremely pleased with the comfort and ease of handling. I was worried because Ive never driven a larger vehicle, but the Rogue is easier than my cars which included Mazdas & Fords. Mine has the backup map which I love and the SV package. Love this vehicle and highly recommend it. I drove 130 miles before the gas measure moved off full!

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  Its the engine, stupid.... - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Brons2 - September 9 - 4:56 pm

  The engine on this truck is the best on the market. It also has a very roomy interior and a silky 5 speed auto. The mileage sucks in town, but hey this is a big truck with 300+ HP. Its not too bad on the highway with the 5spd auto though, 17-18mpg. The XE Crew Cab comes with power windows/door locks, tilt and cruise. I am 67" also and really liking the room both in front and in back With the $2000 rebate I only paid $22,400 out the door, right at TMV, sticker was $26,810. Mine also has remote keyless, 6 disc CD, overhead bins and floord mats. This truck was a steal for the price! Was going to get another F150 but I got hooked on the Titan!

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  Poor Final Inspection - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Wayne - September 9 - 9:20 am

  We Love the style and performance. Mileage is as advertised. The rear seat had a Leather back(They want to take it out after we purchased) Not gonna happen. I noticed yesterday that the Driver side muffler had a part burned off with a torch?? It has rusted, seems strange after reading all the Measures taken to prevent Rust. The Driver side Windshield washer is stopped up.

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  OK truck not better than a Sequoia - 2009 Nissan Armada
  By John - September 9 - 1:33 am

  Wanted a Toyota Sequoia but ended up buying this one because of it is 4K cheaper. Never own a SUV before and will never get use to drive a car/truck this big. Yes it has all the creature comfort but it drive like a truck. With gas price moving up again this look like a mistake to get one. If you really need a truck to carry 7 or 8 adult then this is not going to be your first choice. This truck has higher clearance so it is good for offroading...but who will take this 50K machine off road? Before you decide to buy one make sure go take a test drive. Did I mentioned that I felt it was a mistake to bug a truck this big? Maybe it will grow on me. Thus far Im still driving my 10 yrs old van.