We like the car very much except for the vibration
This car has had a pronounced vibration when stopping at a sign or red light from the time it was new.
This vehicle is excellent except for the vibration.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th March, 2006
I love this vehicle!
Nothing so far.
I wish there was an arm rest for the driver - the centre console is too low. When you are driving long distances you really wish you had one.
Side mirror (s) adjuster is in an inconvenient place - if you have to make adjustments on the fly your out of luck - it's safer to pull over.
Rear drink holders are a little flimsy - heavy drinks have a tendency to fall out rounding corners, and if you forgot to put it away - one kick would do it in I'm sure.
Fan noise in the car is a little loud.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th August, 2005
Update - Mar. 2nd, 2014: (I believe this is my original post...) Still doing well. No major problems that I can remember, except for some panel under the engine compartment, which came loose, but fixed with a few tie wraps.
Update - Oct 2014:
Still running great, but rusting quite a lot now. Not much of a concern since it is approaching 10 years without anything going wrong. We are looking for another Japan-assembled Nissan as a replacement when the time comes.
My family will be buying another X-Trail within the next two years
Nothing major, just that the interior seems to mark easily, and I'm generally quite gentle on car interiors.
The steering is very nice, especially for city driving. It would be better if it wasn't quite as light for highway driving, but I'm just nitpicking.
It has very good acceleration, which comes in handy when passing on one-lane highways. It is a very peppy 2.4 L engine.
The braking distance is excellent for a vehicle in this class. Anti-lock brakes come standard, which is great.
Although it looks like a small SUV on the outside, there is a lot of very smart storage space on the inside. The cubbies in the front and the built-in cooler located under the CD player maximize storage capacity of the X-Trail. The ability of the rear seats to fold flat also greatly increases storage space. Even with the rear seats up, I can still easily fit a massive hockey bag, sticks, and a briefcase, with some room to spare.
I also really like the centre gauge console. It took a bit of getting used to at the start, but now it just makes sense to look there.
Fuel consumption isn't bad for an SUV; I'm getting about 12 L/100 km in the city, and 8 L/100 km on the highway.
The rear seats are also very comfortable. The theatre-style seating maximizes leg space for rear passengers. The rear armrest is also very nice.
The only comfort problem that I've noticed has to do with the front passenger seat. It seems to be at an odd angle, as I found the left side of the seat digging into my shoulder, which caused some discomfort after a few hours.
The other extremely minor complaint I have about the vehicle is that the cup holder for the rear seats is very cheaply made, and it feels as if it is going to break each time I close it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th August, 2005
Very good if not the rattles
Nothing, except rattles.
I bought this vehicle for its good cabin layout, good view from the driver seat and the smooth action of the throttle, brake, steering, and transmission (auto).
The steering is light - good in parking lots and city, but not giving enough confidence for high speed maneuvers. It is more suited for cruising use.
Its seats are big and firm. However it is flat and not very well contoured to the body. The seat cushion can tilt, which is good, but I would appreciate it if it can come a little lower (i.e. be 8-way adjustable instead of 6-way).
The power from the 2.5L gasoline engine is adequate to me. It has lots of torque at the low-end. Despite a tall final drive which gives a leisurely 2200rpm at 100kph, it does not always require a kick-down to pick up speed or go uphill.
The gas consumption with a mix of city and highway driving is 11L/100km with 2WD, and 12L/100km with Auto-4WD.
The ride is on the firm side meaning harsh on less than perfect pavement, but quite stable on the highway.
I still find it unnatural to look to the center for the gauger, but it's not a big problem.
My only major complaint on this particular vehicle is there are lots of rattles in the cabin. I brought it back to the dealer and they fixed one (from the heater box, they said) for me, and now there are others that are come-and-go. I hope I can show it to them when I brought it in for service next time.
Otherwise this is a very good vehicle to me - easy to handle, smooth running, and economical.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 11th April, 2005
We want a compact SUV. To choose from Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, and Nissan X-Trail, we bought the latter for its value, its look, its super large sunroof (2'x2').
The engine is more than adequate to handle all terrain that we ran into so far. Transmission is silky smooth.
We achieved (sometimes beat) the manufacturer published gas consumption figures. We didn't like surprises and Nissan did not lie.
The center gauge maybe unnatural to some, but my kids sitting at the back love it. Every passenger in the car can view the gauge. They could help reminding the driver is overspeed or need fill-up soon.
Yes, there were rattles in the cabin for the first 5 weeks. Now I think all the parts are 'settled'. No more rattles heard.
We love it.
We have had our 2.5l petrol auto version for nearly three months. I describe it as a real "driver's car". I love the positive steering -- point it at the end of the straight and the car just stays on track. We have the top version -- leather. Seats are so comfortable. Wish airline seats were as good. Only gripe is that my fuel performance is much below what I would have expected in the urban cycle. I am gentle on the brake and the gas, and mostly there are just two of us on board. Yet getting only 13.5 litres per 100km or 20mpg to imperial gallon. Wonder if I should be concerned. Would have preferred the diesel version, but not available in my country yet. (NZ)
Take the vehicle back to the dealer, and ask them to check the ECU, high fuel consumption, unless driving hard is not normal, even in city driving. I own an Australian spec 02 TI model and manage 500km a tank city driving. However I don't drive above 3000rpm. The Xtrail would I think have to be the BEST!! compact SUV an the market. I did extensive research before I parted with my hard earned cash, and the Xtrail proved to be the best buy. I glad to report mine has close to 85,000km without any problems.
11th Jul 2010, 23:05
I have had that happen in previous cars; check the muffler or the piping. Sometimes it can come loose and it vibrates like a loud metallic pinging.