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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  2005 Murano S with Touring Package - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By JanMartin52 - October 10 - 8:26 am

  We have been extremely happy thus far with our 2005 Murano S. We have had no problems mechanically or otherwise.

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  The Max is where its at!!!!!! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By felix1833 - October 9 - 3:26 pm

  Im a longtime Nissan buyer and owned a few older Nissan maximas, which all where great to drive. The 5th generation Maxima is all that you could hope for in a car. I love the maximas power, options, sat radio, nav, bluetooth, handling and style. For the money you get a great deal. If you want more, then Infiniti is the way to go. A side note Nissan changes body style very often so when 6th generation maxima comes out you will lose some value in your car if you pop in and out of cars. But the maxima 2006 is a great buy and a good long term car. So if you go to Nissan test drive a Maxima and I bet it will be hard to leave the dealership without one. Stay Nissan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Great Mid-Sized Truck - Excellent Value - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By CNY Frontier - October 9 - 11:43 am

  The crew cab LWB model has a somewhat long turning radius but it also has all the interior seating room you would want without any loss of bed space. The roof rack, flip up rear seats, spray-in liner, tie-down system locking tailgate and other features beat the competition. The truck has lots of power and yet has a quiet ride. The ride is nice and the seating position is preferable to the Tacoma. Gas mileage in the first 3 tanks has ranged from 17.5 to over 20 mpg in mixed driving, assuming that you dont get your foot into it too much. Gas mileage seems to be improving as the miles add up.

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  Really great car - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By Juan Cuadros - October 9 - 6:23 am

  I have to say im enjoying this car a lot. Plenty of power for me and the interior of this car is a nice place to be. Glad i went for this model.

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  Awesome gas milage - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By charleston_burks@yahoo.com - October 8 - 5:19 pm

  When I purchased the car, I had to go through financing in house which the interest rates were through the roof because of credit history. Paying $444.00 per month plus the insurance through Statefarm (full coverage) $156.00. Before the oil change I was getting about 21-24 mpg city and upward to 36-41 mpg on the highway. After the oil change, it is pretty much the same for city but my highway mpg went up to 45mpg and Im sure can go beyond that. I do have a problem with the mpg resetting when turning off and on the vehicle. Does anyone else who owns this make and model have these problems? The headlights arent nearly as bright as I would like them to be and also the traction in the winter on snow and ice could be improved or maybe I just need to get a new set of tires. All and all, it is a great vehicle.

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  Great Buy!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Mario Carrasco - October 7 - 7:26 pm

  2002 Altima, is a maintenance free car, driving 100 miles per day in highways, just change oil every 3K miles and add some coolant fluid, that is all the maintenance needed. Nothing compares very strong engine with tires even better!!

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  Grandtouring AT - 2008 Nissan 350Z
  By tommy86 - October 7 - 3:57 pm

  This is my 2nd 350z, my first was a 2003 touring 6MT And hydroplaned it on hwy doing 80 mph Vdc was off.. wont do that again, however i now have a 2007 grandtouring AT due to broken pelvis dont like the clutch, love the new HR motor much faster, but i really miss the manual trans, VQ35 TILL I DIE!!!!

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  Nissan Rogue - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Donna Raposo - October 7 - 3:56 pm

  Took it to the mountains this summer, brakes buck and vibrate when braking going down hill. Very difficult to back up or change lanes due to back windows being too narrow to see out of. Makes whistling noise when going over 60 mph. Very annoying. Also, makes weird humming noise when slowing down. Recall on transmission. But they did extend my transmission warranty to 10 years or 120000 miles due to the recall. Otherwise, I do like my vehicle. It does drive very smooth and it handles well. Plus the bose stereo is awesome.

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  Ignore the cup holders. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By A Bryden - October 6 - 2:33 pm

  I bought my Sentra after owning a feisty 99 Cougar. Lets just say that this is a welcome change. I decided on the Sentra because of the superior gas mileage, and after test driving the Civic and Corolla, I decided this was the best buy for my taste, as well as having the most horsepower out of the three base models. I have had only one problem with mine so far; one of the belts came off because a bolt was not tight enough. However, it was easy to fix. I have the 1.8 S Special Edition, which comes with a Rockford Fosgate soundsystem (and subwoofer). I love it; probably my favorite feature on the car. This car is very reliable and wonderful on the highway.

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  Sweet Ride - 1997 Nissan Maxima
  By Drew H. 23 - October 6 - 10:00 am

  This car is pretty awsome if you are looking for a car with good power and a smooth ride.