Nissan X-Trail 4WD - Intial thoughts

[Kinnock]

So after months of looking and several test drives of Honda's, Fords and Nissans we went to the Motor show to buy a Honda HR-V, and came away with a Nissan X-Trail!

 

I should add that this is her car - so the final choice was hers, and I was skeptical about the Nissan for three reasons - one logical, two less so ....

 

1. I was worried about depreciation, as this is probably the biggest running cost over time - so my vote was for Honda, either HR-V or CR-V

2. I'm old enough to remember Datsuns dissolving into a heap of rust after one winter

3. The X-Trail is not a new model - been around a while now

 

The long haired one thought that the CR-V was for old people, and she believed that permanent 4WD meant poor economy, and it was too expensive.  She thought the HR-V was cute, but not a 'real SUV' and that it was really just a Jazz on stilts, and after her experience of depreciation with her Ford - she wasn't interested in any Fords (and in reality we wanted something between the Eco-Sport and the Everest, which they don't have in Thailand).

 

And Nissan had 0% interest - which meant we could use the cash we had ready for the new car to buy property, gold, farmland, shoes or something similar and equally worrying.

 

Still feeling skeptical we went for another test drive in the X-Trail.  The demonstrator was the Hybrid, which we didn't want due to the increased complexity and reduced storage space - and as this was going to be a long term car for her, I didn't want the added risk of battery or electronics issues.  It was nice to drive, but the brakes were horrible - I had to take a run at the pedal to make it stop, and the pedal travel was about half a kilometer.  The salesman assured me this was just a 'feature' of the Hybrid model, I doubted that, but later found it was true.

 

It felt large inside, seating position is better than truck-based SUV's as there's no chassis limiting leg room, and the seats felt very comfortable.  Steering felt a little vague, but better than my old Fortuna, and the automatic tailgate, sat nav, split ac, 360 degree camera, spot lights and keyless system were nice to see, and it has rear air vents (unlike the HR-V) which is very handy when carrying people in the back, as in some cars the driver is frozen when the passengers are still complaining of feeling too hot.  It also has a chilled drinks holder between the front seats.  It's a seven-seater in theory, but the rear seats are smaller than the equivalent in a Fortuna and for small kids only.  It has long leg-room for driver and passenger - the last point being an issue with the HR-V, which has limited leg room for the front seat passenger.

 

Surprisingly the 2WD X-Trail is the same price as the HR-V, even though it seems to be a class above.  We went for the 4WD 2 liter, which is lower cost than the CR-V and similar cost to a 2WD Fortuna or Everest.

 

Decent discount, several extras including a 'shark-fin' antenna, as the standard one looks a bit low rent, apparently, and some trim protectors.  Also window film (20%/40%) and first class insurance.  We chose silver - which I think looks the best, it's a very pale silver,  and white was an extra cost.  We also paid extra for the lighting up 'X-Trail' kickers in the doors and cool looking blue foot-well lights.

 

Delivery could have been in three days, but the required date for delivery based on some ancient formula involving her Mother's birthday and the phase of the moon, meant we had to pick it up the following week.  I'd asked for it to be put on a ramp for pre-delivery inspection - and I couldn't find any issues with the car or it's preparation.  The lady Manager of the dealership spent a good hour telling her what all the switches did, and then we headed straight out of the Bangkok dealership and headed to Ang Sila for a seafood lunch.

 

Since then we've taken it to Chiang Mai, and back, and to Chaiyaphum (with entire extended family on board) and used it for several airport trips.

 

Early thoughts are that it's an impressive car.  It's comfortable for 5 people, and can also take two kids in the rear seats.  With seats folded you can get two bikes in the back.  Front seats are incredibly comfortable for long distance (Chiang Mai to Bangkok with only two obligatory Amazon Coffee stops - sharing driving, but with driving shifts of over 3 hours each).  It's very quiet, rides better than any pick-up based SUV and the brakes are excellent.  The 2 liter pulls strongly and the elastic band 'scooter' CVT transmission works smoothly with just a hint of excess revs if you floor the accelerator.  We even did some light off-roading, and it coped well, allowing for the limited ground clearance at the front due to the road-biased air-dam style from end.  The auto 4WD is front wheel drive for most the time, but there's a display that shows when the rear wheel drive kicks in.  There's even an electronic diff lock and hill descent control (which we've not tested).  It's small enough for the Mia to drive (she didn't want an Everest due to excessive length), but big enough to feel spacious on those long drives.

 

Headlights are excellent, visibility is good, although the screen pillar is a little wide, sound system sounds good to me too.  The sat nav is OK, but I think Google maps is better.  Economy seems good for it's size (in 2WD mode), although we did notice a big rise in fuel used when we left it in 'auto 4WD' for one long trip.

 

I'd go as far to say it's the most comfortable long distance car I've ever driven, and I've had Mercedes, and BMW saloons and a Fortuna in the past.  Driving in Bangkok you get that SUV all-around visibility, and it's high enough to see over the taxis.

 

If you're not too worried about depreciation, and are not wedded to Toyota/Honda and don't need a truck - then based on my initial experience, I'd recommend the X-Trail.

 

 

 

[Jitar]

The asking prices for used SUV's like X-Trail, CR-V and CX-5 all seem pretty close so I do not see any major Nissan disadvantage.  The new prices are also very close.  Honda seem to have lost a lot of the advantage they once had.

 

The PPV's definitely hold their value better but they are larger and more pick up like to drive.  

[Familyonthemove]

2 hours ago, Jitar said:

The asking prices for used SUV's like X-Trail, CR-V and CX-5 all seem pretty close so I do not see any major Nissan disadvantage.  The new prices are also very close.  Honda seem to have lost a lot of the advantage they once had.

 

The PPV's definitely hold their value better but they are larger and more pick up like to drive.  

Thanks.  That's good to hear.  You mention the CX5 - the face lifted model was at the show, but her view was interesting ..... "HR-V is small outside, and big inside, but CX-5 is big outside, small inside"

 

While I'm thinking about residuals, safety, handling, she's thinking about how many family members it can carry.?

[Familyonthemove]

 

I think you're right about used values - and I agree that Thai buyers seem to be looking beyond Toyota and Honda - hence the rise of MG.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Familyonthemove

[Kinnock]

5 hours ago, Jitar said:

The asking prices for used SUV's like X-Trail, CR-V and CX-5 all seem pretty close so I do not see any major Nissan disadvantage.  The new prices are also very close.  Honda seem to have lost a lot of the advantage they once had.

 

The PPV's definitely hold their value better but they are larger and more pick up like to drive.  

You got me thinking about used values, as to be honest I hadn't actually checked my assumption.  Looking on ThaiCar.com, I can find some of the old model X-trails at similar prices to the same year old model CR-V's.  As you say, the prices don't seem to be as strong as Fortunas, but the mid sized SUV's seem to be around the same price on the used market.

 

Couple of examples from today:  2014 X-Trail (old model) asking 690,000.  2015 CR-V (old model) asking 690,000.

 

Of course they may fetch different prices in the end, but the difference is not as obvious as I thought it would be.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Kinnock

[bearpolar]

thanks for the review,.. i really wanted to get an everest but this is steering me back to xtrail for our long 2000km trips.

 

[Kinnock]

8 hours ago, bearpolar said:

thanks for the review,.. i really wanted to get an everest but this is steering me back to xtrail for our long 2000km trips.

 

Difficult choice.  Both good cars for long distance, both currently have 0% credit.  If it was just me driving and we didn't live in central Bangkok, I'd probably go for the Everest.  Diesel for torque and economy, traditional auto box, similar equipment levels, more airbags and only a little more costly.  But my partner was not confident driving the Everest in traffic, and for parking in city center malls and airports the extra length can be an issue.  Also - after our last two long drives, I do think the "car like" unibody design and more sophisticated suspension gives the X-Trail a significantly better ride than any truck based SUV.

 

The interior of the X-Trail also feels more spacious.  I think the chassis compromises interior space in truck based SUV's, so although the Everest is a bit taller, the interior has less space for driver and passenger than the X-Trail.  I'm 6 ft tall, and with seat set high I could still wear a top hat and drive the X-Trail (you never know when this capability may be essential), whereas in both the Fortuna and the Everest I need to set the seat low.

 

If you are used to the comfort of a mid sized saloon, and expect this or better in your SUV - go for the X-Trail.  If you're coming from a pick-up truck and would be happy with a slightly better ride - go for the Everest.

[chickenslegs]

I like the look of the rear end.

 

 

The car is OK too.

[transam]

17 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I like the look of the rear end.

 

 

The car is OK too.

It's good to see other folk do think a bit like me too....

[bearpolar]

Thanks kin, Will probably just do that and get a depreciated ranger to haul stuff around/go to the beach.

 

Xtrail is easy to park? we live in phuket town so lots of traffic and small parking spots. HRV was perfect for this but a bit small inside for our needs(big family)

[Kinnock]

19 hours ago, bearpolar said:

Thanks kin, Will probably just do that and get a depreciated ranger to haul stuff around/go to the beach.

 

Xtrail is easy to park? we live in phuket town so lots of traffic and small parking spots. HRV was perfect for this but a bit small inside for our needs(big family)

Yes - X-Trail is easy to park.  It's the size of a mid sized sedan car, steering is light, lock is tight enough.  Visibility is decent, although the raised 'sweep' of the rear windows restricts rearward vision a little - but the excellent 360 degree camera system gives you a handy birds-eye view of the car and its surroundings to check on how you're doing.  I think the added height and large glass area makes parking easier than the HR-V, as you have better visibility, and I found the HR-V a bit 'closed in' at the back. 

 

And today I got to try the auto windscreen wipers - rain in January, very odd - but the wiper system works well.

[speedtripler]

On 09/01/2018 at 11:58 AM, Kinnock said:

Difficult choice.  Both good cars for long distance, both currently have 0% credit.  If it was just me driving and we didn't live in central Bangkok, I'd probably go for the Everest.  Diesel for torque and economy, traditional auto box, similar equipment levels, more airbags and only a little more costly.  But my partner was not confident driving the Everest in traffic, and for parking in city center malls and airports the extra length can be an issue.  Also - after our last two long drives, I do think the "car like" unibody design and more sophisticated suspension gives the X-Trail a significantly better ride than any truck based SUV.

 

The interior of the X-Trail also feels more spacious.  I think the chassis compromises interior space in truck based SUV's, so although the Everest is a bit taller, the interior has less space for driver and passenger than the X-Trail.  I'm 6 ft tall, and with seat set high I could still wear a top hat and drive the X-Trail (you never know when this capability may be essential), whereas in both the Fortuna and the Everest I need to set the seat low.

 

If you are used to the comfort of a mid sized saloon, and expect this or better in your SUV - go for the X-Trail.  If you're coming from a pick-up truck and would be happy with a slightly better ride - go for the Everest.

How long does the 0% credit last for? 

The whole duration or just for the first year or two? 

 

 

[HampiK]

I also was today in a Nissan showroom to check the X-Trail.

My wife love especially the 360 degree bird view cameras. Which makes it much easier to park. And with the 2.0V Version you have almost every option which you can add in it.

I am also interested in the Honda HR-V or MG GS 

[Kinnock]

7 hours ago, speedtripler said:

How long does the 0% credit last for? 

The whole duration or just for the first year or two? 

 

 

0% is for the whole duration.  4 years.  I put 50% down, but could have gone as low as 20%

[speedtripler]

1 hour ago, Kinnock said:

0% is for the whole duration.  4 years.  I put 50% down, but could have gone as low as 20%

That sounds very reasonable by Thai standards

If you have the cash to buy it outright anyway, you might as well take the credit option and put your cash in a term deposit account you make interest on

 

Is there no downside? 

[Kinnock]

10 hours ago, speedtripler said:

That sounds very reasonable by Thai standards

If you have the cash to buy it outright anyway, you might as well take the credit option and put your cash in a term deposit account you make interest on

 

Is there no downside? 

Yes - I had the cash, but used the 0% for half the cost.  Only downside I can see, is that you don't get the car documents until end of the agreement, so you need to get a form from the local police station if you want t to take the car out of Thailand.

 

I may clear the loan early for that reason, but was planning to buy property, so the unexpected extra cash could be handy.

[speedtripler]

5 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Yes - I had the cash, but used the 0% for half the cost.  Only downside I can see, is that you don't get the car documents until end of the agreement, so you need to get a form from the local police station if you want t to take the car out of Thailand.

 

I may clear the loan early for that reason, but was planning to buy property, so the unexpected extra cash could be handy.

Don't look a gift house in the mouth lol

Take the free credit for as long as you can 

 

Are other manufacturers doing this as well or just Nissan? 

[Kinnock]

5 hours ago, speedtripler said:

Don't look a gift house in the mouth lol

Take the free credit for as long as you can 

 

Are other manufacturers doing this as well or just Nissan? 

Ford also offering 0%.  

 

I don't know how Tisco make any money on this free credit, unless Nissan/Ford pay them?  But I asked if they will give a bigger discount if I don't take the 0% deal, and they said it's the other way around - bigger discount if you do take the 0% deal.

 

 

[speedtripler]

31 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Ford also offering 0%.  

 

I don't know how Tisco make any money on this free credit, unless Nissan/Ford pay them?  But I asked if they will give a bigger discount if I don't take the 0% deal, and they said it's the other way around - bigger discount if you do take the 0% deal.

 

 

Cool, that would offset the depreciation of on a new vehicle if you keep 80% of your money in a term deposit account and pay it off as slowly as possible 

 

As to why they do it, I can only guess that maybe it's the only way they can sell cars to thais who don't have  cash lying around to just buy it outright ... 

 

The business model probably wasn't designed for farangs who can throw down a couple of million on the desk and drive away happy they got "free credit" ... 

[MINIMIGLIA]

It is purely to improve their sales figures, of obviously over priced products?

Edited January 12, 2018 by MINIMIGLIA

[Jitar]

On 1/9/2018 at 3:28 PM, Kinnock said:

Difficult choice.  Both good cars for long distance, both currently have 0% credit.  If it was just me driving and we didn't live in central Bangkok, I'd probably go for the Everest.  Diesel for torque and economy, traditional auto box, similar equipment levels, more airbags and only a little more costly.  But my partner was not confident driving the Everest in traffic, and for parking in city center malls and airports the extra length can be an issue.  Also - after our last two long drives, I do think the "car like" unibody design and more sophisticated suspension gives the X-Trail a significantly better ride than any truck based SUV.

 

The interior of the X-Trail also feels more spacious.  I think the chassis compromises interior space in truck based SUV's, so although the Everest is a bit taller, the interior has less space for driver and passenger than the X-Trail.  I'm 6 ft tall, and with seat set high I could still wear a top hat and drive the X-Trail (you never know when this capability may be essential), whereas in both the Fortuna and the Everest I need to set the seat low.

 

If you are used to the comfort of a mid sized saloon, and expect this or better in your SUV - go for the X-Trail.  If you're coming from a pick-up truck and would be happy with a slightly better ride - go for the Everest.

The X-Trail interior is remarkable spacious considering the external size.  It is a good around town.

 

The Everest is larger but most of the extra internal space is in the 3rd row seats or cargo area.  I prefer the Everest on the highway because road noise is much less than the X-Trail.  The Everest steering is better at high speed IMO.   

[bearpolar]

Did you try the diesel and the higher gas engine?

 

Wondering about them.

[Kinnock]

3 hours ago, bearpolar said:

Did you try the diesel and the higher gas engine?

 

Wondering about them.

Diesel not available in Thailand.  Didn't try the 2.5 - the 2.0 goes well enough, does not feel like it needs more.

[Jitar]

My experience is based on the 2.5L X-Trail and 3.2L Everest Titanium.  

Fuel consumption of the X-Trail 10L/km, Everest 9km/L.  Both in similar conditions.  The extra efficiency of the diesel Everest off set by the extra 500kg is has to drag around.  Neither of these would win any drag races but the X-Trail CVT does a good job of keeping the engine responsive.  The Everest feels more gutsy to drive though. 

[Will E Vormer]

What i like about the xtrail is the seat and ride comfort, the 2.0 engine is reasonably refined and its just so practical. Also the engine is nice and easy to check, everything is accessable when you open the hood

The look of the xtrail kind of remind me of Land Rovers

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kiwisr]

Thanks for the review, we've been looking for an SUV for my Thai wife and the X-Trail is currently leading the pack, mainly because of it's looks and it really was extremely comfortable to drive, seems to have very good build quality too. Very spacious car. Only let down is the stereo, it's a bit old-school. (Also discovered it's called the Nissan Rogue in the USA and is one of the world's biggest selling SUV's)

 

We looked at the CR-V - I think Honda has lost some of their quality, I also hear there are major issues with their engines, there was a massive recall in China and the regulators even got involved and stopped them selling them for a while.

 

Toyota's RAV4 is also a bit long in the tooth, the interior design is a bit messy, another brand living off past reputation. 

 

I'd prefer a larger car, but I think for my wife it's just too much effort driving a Pajero Sport/Fortuner around the city which is 95% of her driving. Plus the short trips aren't good for diesel engines apparently

Edited July 24, 2018 by kiwisr

[canopus1969]

1 hour ago, kiwisr said:

Thanks for the review, we've been looking for an SUV for my Thai wife and the X-Trail is currently leading the pack, mainly because of it's looks and it really was extremely comfortable to drive, seems to have very good build quality too. Very spacious car. Only let down is the stereo, it's a bit old-school. (Also discovered it's called the Nissan Rogue in the USA and is one of the world's biggest selling SUV's)

 

We looked at the CR-V - I think Honda has lost some of their quality, I also hear there are major issues with their engines, there was a massive recall in China and the regulators even got involved and stopped them selling them for a while.

 

Toyota's RAV4 is also a bit long in the tooth, the interior design is a bit messy, another brand living off past reputation. 

 

I'd prefer a larger car, but I think for my wife it's just too much effort driving a Pajero Sport/Fortuner around the city which is 95% of her driving. Plus the short trips aren't good for diesel engines apparently

Try the Mazda CX5 - you would be surprised how good it is compared to X-Trail

[Jitar]

 

1 hour ago, kiwisr said:

Thanks for the review, we've been looking for an SUV for my Thai wife and the X-Trail is currently leading the pack, mainly because of it's looks and it really was extremely comfortable to drive, seems to have very good build quality too. Very spacious car. Only let down is the stereo, it's a bit old-school. (Also discovered it's called the Nissan Rogue in the USA and is one of the world's biggest selling SUV's)

 

We looked at the CR-V - I think Honda has lost some of their quality, I also hear there are major issues with their engines, there was a massive recall in China and the regulators even got involved and stopped them selling them for a while.

 

Toyota's RAV4 is also a bit long in the tooth, the interior design is a bit messy, another brand living off past reputation. 

 

I'd prefer a larger car, but I think for my wife it's just too much effort driving a Pajero Sport/Fortuner around the city which is 95% of her driving. Plus the short trips aren't good for diesel engines apparently

If your wife is in Thailand, the Rav 4 is not sold.  
The X-Trail is very comfortable, spacious and easy to drive but not particularly sporty. 

The CX-5 is smaller but more sporty.

I found the CR-V to be in between these two but I have only rented them a few times for work.  

The PPV's in Thailand do not have DPF so short trips are not a problem.  They are more cumbersome to drive around town though.  

[Bredbury Blue]

Kinnock

 

Enjoyed your excellent lengthy review and subsequent comments.

 

After weeks of deliberation, trips to car showrooms and BITEC car show twice we're currently thinking of getting a x-trail but undecided on 2L 2wd or 4wd. So knowing what you know about the 2L 4wd version, if you were to buy TODAY, would you still go for the 4wd or would you go for the 2wd?

[Kinnock]

On ‎9‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 1:04 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

Kinnock

 

Enjoyed your excellent lengthy review and subsequent comments.

 

After weeks of deliberation, trips to car showrooms and BITEC car show twice we're currently thinking of getting a x-trail but undecided on 2L 2wd or 4wd. So knowing what you know about the 2L 4wd version, if you were to buy TODAY, would you still go for the 4wd or would you go for the 2wd?

That's a good question.  We've only used 4WD once since buying it, and that was due to a spectacular failure of Google Maps that led us into a muddy track up a steep hill.  We also left it in 'Auto' mode once on a long trip, and it had a major impact on the fuel consumption - so 2WD mode is it standard state for 99.9% of its use.

 

I also think the 2WD X-Trail is spectacular value for money.

 

But having said all that - I'd still go for 4WD again if I was buying today (and I'd also still go for an X-Trail as there's still nothing in the sector to beat it in my view). Why 4WD?  Well I could say that it was very useful the one time we really needed the extra traction - but I'm pretty sure 2WD would have been OK with a bit of sliding and wheel spinning.  The real reason is that the 4WD just makes it a 'proper' SUV in my mind.  Not logical, there's cost and weight implications, but I just like to know it's there if I really needed it.  I also think resale may be better.