1999 Nissan Almera 2.0 GTi

Summary:

The hottest hatch in its price range and class.

Faults:

The Clutch cable snapped within four months. Apparently the clutch box was faulty, but further checks ruled this out.

The clutch pedal makes an annoying creaking sound and so far all attempts to get rid of it have failed.

Had to replace the clutch at 41000 miles, due to wear.

General Comments:

The car is good to look at. Many people wouldn't know what it is at a first glance. Great body styling, profile and design of lights give it an aggressive look.

The performance and handling is serious value for money, and for its size and class it has to be respected. It has the likes of any GTi, BMW 325 and below, and mid range sports cars for breakfast. (0-45 mph in 1st gear!) It could do with a 6th gear, though.

The interior is a little bland, but the dash is cool. The steering wheel and gear lever could be smaller. Lots of room, a couple of cushions and a nice stereo make it a fun driving experience.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st September, 2002

2nd Oct 2003, 07:33

Nice to see another satisfied GTi owner. They are such an underrated car. My clutch pedal also used to click. Fixed it by tightening the bolts securing the pedal box in place...there`s some in foot well and two in the engine bay on the bulkhead where the cable routes through. Still got the original clutch at 70k now.

1999 Nissan Almera H/back Sport 1.4 petrol

Summary:

A very comfortable car with all the extras that a girl could want!

Faults:

I have had absolutely no problems with this car since I bought it, the only problem with the car would be that I find it very hard to reverse as the back windows are a bit awkward to see out of! but apart from that, this car is excellent!!

General Comments:

This car is a dream to drive, I would recomend it to anyone that is thinking of buying a new car.

I used to drive a Nissan Micra & I have to say that Nissan have done themselves proud with the Almera H/back Sport. The lights are very trendy looking with the clear glass & I have fitted blue dims & it looks brilliant at night time!

The electric sunroof & mirrors, are all in perfect working order & I have to say, this car is a dream for any woman driver like myself who likes their comfort & speed as it is a very fast car for a 1.4!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th July, 2002

1999 Nissan Almera GTi 2.0

Summary:

This car is a Hidden Gem, shame they won't continue it in the new range!

Faults:

I had a leaking rocker-cover gasket which was replaced under the Nissan warranty.

General Comments:

When I first bought the car, I wasn't too impressed with the performance, but after constant thrashing, the chip was retrained to perform the way I wanted the car to.

0-60 is in about 7.7 seconds. This is achievable following the replacement of the CAT back exhaust (Janspeed) and a replacement performance air-filter (Pipercross). Excellent sound from both.

Cabin is basic, but the dash looks excellent with the white dials. Replacement of the headunit for something more colourful adds to the splendour.

Braking is fantastic, much better than the Subaru Impreza WRX I had previously. The ABS works a treat (touch wood).

Seats are a tad uncomfortable, but the back seats are fantastic and roomy - very comfortable for errr, sitting in.

Headlamp protectors give the car a more aggressive look.

Can be lowered to add to the already good handling. I would recommend it as current handling is good, but not perfect.

The car seems to be very front heavy - when taking sharp corners at speed, the back tends to fly out a bit.

My car is tropical green and is a very rare colour for a GTi - not to everyone's taste.

I find that the performance is let down, but severe torque steer. When accelerating hard, the car will seem almost uncontrollable, which makes it more fun!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th July, 2002

6th Dec 2004, 18:55

I've had my Almera GTI since new in 1998. I've lowered it, added a Scorpion exhaust system and had the windows tinted. The performance is good with handling to match which has kept up with the likes of Imprezas and Porsches on windy country roads! Above all, it has never let me down having just covered 117000 miles.