Nissan X-TRAIL

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I’m in my late 60’s and have been considering an SUV. Read why this owner chose a Nissan X-Trail in their review.

When the T32 X-Trail succeeded the T31 in 2014, the TV advert showed a family taking a shortcut through a farm. When they arrived at the other side the kids in the back were covered in gunk and milkshake. Even running over a hose was enough to send a cascade of green slime leaping from its container. Truth in advertising because that is the worst feature of the T31 - its low speed ride over speed bumps and entrance ways is appalling. No matter how low the speed you hit a speed bump the rear will bunny hop over it. Maybe it needs 500kg of bricks to hold it down. In contrast, the X-Trail will handle gravel, corrugations and patched roads with almost magic carpet detachment. It was the first thing I noticed when driving it home in 2009 was how smoothly it coped with rural backs roads. It was actually my first real drive in an X-Trail. The test drive was in town in an auto and it was not a pleasant experience. Took a punt the manual would be better and was right. But not completely. The X-Trail handles like a stack of mattresses. The body leans a lot, reminiscent of the cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. The brakes and accelerator are a little too sensitive to my taste particularly after coming out of a VW Polo. Brakes and accelerator on the VW were perfect in how response matched the input. The X-Trail brakes will grab when cold and the accelerator has too little between unable to move and leaping forward. With the CVT fitted the package did not lend itself to driving pleasure. Adding a clutch and gear stick made it a better drive but not in town. 95% of my driving is open road and there the X-Trail comes into its own. Can cover big distances effortlessly, even winding mountain roads. Unfussed is how I describe the T31 out of town. Despite its bulk it will lug up hills without stirring the gearbox continually looking for some torque. Lot more power than the paltry 1.4L in the VW. Overtaking is a lot safer compared with the VW but still requires plenty of road. Cruise past is the idea, not flash past. That is the negatives. Bought the Nissan for space, reliability and spares support, a change from the Polo on all three. The X-Trail delivered in heaps. Could get amazingly large objects in the back. It has run for 11 years with only two NRMA visits to deal with flooding. T31s don't like to be moved a few feet and shutdown. It confuses the computer. Let it run for a minute and then it won't add choke needlessly. Rest of the unexpected service stops were for broken glass and flat tyres. Any car can suffer them. Nothing has stopped working except for a fog light shattered by a rock. After 170,000km still has original brake pads, clutch and amazingly all but one light bulb. A dome light was replace. Original battery replaced about 8 years into ownership. The interior has stood up well. The driver's seat has lost a little shape in the cushion edges but the stitching has not split. Wear on driver side carpet is high, naturally for a manual, and the plastic cover floor of the boot is scuffed. It is not as durable as claimed nor do the rubber strips meant to keep things in place do anything. The X-Trail is waiting for its replacement to arrive, a Subaru Forester. It is as big a transition as it was from push bike to mum's Hillman Minx. No serious technology in the X-Trail except for the 2WD/4WD dial (it works brilliantly). The rest is pretty agricultural, driven home by its very poor instrument panel. Lighting lousy and too many reflections. The Forester's panel is digital, bright, sharp. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I should have bought a Forester in 2009. It was more like the VW in finish and character but with Japanese reliability. Instead tried to support a small town car dealer. Got a solid, reliable, practical vehicle for someone in the bush so can't complain about that. However X-Trails are characterless and boring. Expect more than that, even in an SUV

I’m in my late 60’s and have been considering an SUV, because of the ease of getting in and out and the elevated driving position, for some time. The X-Trail wasn’t on my radar until I drove one, my son’s ST 2.5lt 7-seater, which impressed me so when I saw this one advertised bought it without a second thought. I like the styling which I think is purposeful and “clean” without unnecessary creases and folds, and the dimensions translate into plenty of space inside. The high roofline adds to the feeling of space and airiness, unlike some other makes with their sloping/lower roofs. Outward vision through the large windscreen and windows is very good but I have found myself needing the blind-spot monitoring a few times in heavy traffic. The powered and heated leather seats are very comfortable (with powered lumbar support for the driver) and with the seat and steering wheel adjustments it was very easy to find a spot-on driving position. The flat-bottomed leather-bound steering wheel feels nice and chunky and the buttons for the most part are easy to use – my only gripe is with the smallish cruise control buttons which take a bit of time through use to become intuitive. The steering is light and the X-Trail is very easy to park and manoeuvre in tight spaces. I like the dash layout, the instruments are clear and easy to read with a large, central digital speedo. The good-size screen controls the audio, sat nav etc. and I’m enjoying exploring all the functions. The digital radio is brilliant through the 6 speakers and it has a CD player too (yippee!). When selecting reverse the screen splits between the rear view camera and the all-round virtual birds’ eye view, which is a real boon in congested spaces. Apparently the 2.5lt engine is “old school” but I consider it proven and reliable, preferring it (an atmo) over the complexity of a turbo. It has enough power for me and the CVT means smooth and easy driving. The brakes feel slightly spongy, lacking that initial bite, compared to my previous Japanese sedan but work well enough. The X-Trail is well soundproofed and it’s relaxed at freeway speeds - at 100kph the engine is ticking over at about 1700 rpm and returns excellent economy in the 6’s. I’m averaging mid 7’s to low 8’s for general suburban driving. The cargo area has plenty of space and has a retractable blind. The floor is split with a handy hidey hole for valuables or to carry wet swimmers and towels etc. The carpeted floor is a bit slippery so I’m putting a ribbed rubber mat down to stop shopping bags sliding around. Overall, I am very happy with the X-Trail but there are a few quibbles: the aforementioned smallish cruise control buttons, the foot-operated park brake, which is a bit strange but I’m used to it now, the start-stop button for me is on the wrong side (it should be on the right-hand side of the steering wheel), the space-saver spare wheel.

When our beloved Aussie family wagon of 17 years finally had us doing an expected cardio sessions four times in two weeks, we knew it was time to upgrade, or cancel our gym memberships! After a quick test drive of a sub 30K, ST Nissan X-Trail, I was impressed. The electric steering was light and effortless. The reverse camera was a surprise in such an affordable car, the flat bottom steering wheel was a small pleasure and the all-round visibility was excellent. The car drove very well, had eager performance when pressed in traffic, seats were comfortable and the foot operated handbrake was breeze to use. We decided on the ST-L in a 7 seat option, but were then surprised to find out it only came with a front drive layout. How annoying? Please address this when I choose to buy another one - I'd love a 7 seat TI turbo diesel next time... X-Trails have grown considerably in size since the T32 model introduction in 2014. Leg/head room front and rear was more than expected. The ability to slide the rear seat forward to create more cargo volume is a real winner for me. The storage options in the rear with the false floor being present was another plus in the 'hide the junk out of my trunk Olympics'. The space saver under the floor does not bother… after all, this is an urban SUV, not a low range rock crawler for serious bearded people. The ergonomics are excellent for someone of my height (175cm). When you open the door, you slide across easily to get in (tick). The steering wheel has loads of adjustment, the dash layout is very pleasing to my eyes, I especially like the white lit analogue dials and well sized information screen and menu options between the speedometer and tachometer. Little touches like the heated/cooled front cup holders are a delight when needed. The heated seats (bottom only) are good and work fast. The AC is very strong and cools our black car in summer quite quickly. One of the best features of this car has to be the 360 degree camera. Front, side, and rear views - makes parking super easy. Blind spot warning, AEB, 6 airbags, ABS, traction control all add up to a car that has a host of safety credentials to keep it in the mix with other brands. Despite not having a turbo petrol engine or 'DSG gearbox, the old NA 2.5L 'big block' 4 cylinder does an admirable job of getting us around. Combined with its CVT transmission - makes the most of the available performance and economy on offer. The fact that this engine/gearbox combination has been around for ages makes me feel safe in the knowledge that it must be a proven package by now. As you can tell, I am quite happy with our car – it fills the void left by the demise of our beloved Aussie 6 cylinder wagon. The ST-L comes with SATNAV, DAB and Blue Tooth connectivity, but no Apple car play or Android auto. Compared to our old car this infotainment system is light years ahead of our tape deck, but compared to its rivals, the Nissan 'trails' in this department. Overall, if family duties are a high priority, simplicity of operation and practicality are important virtues, it would be hard to go past a Nissan X- Trail considering the low cost of admission and now with a 5 year warranty!!! Thank you for making it this far... have a great day.