2001 Nissan Almera Sport Plus 1.8 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A great used buy

Faults:

Broken cup holder, does not want to come out anymore.

Not a lot else.

General Comments:

The Sport Plus stands out from the crowd and is generally a great looking car.

Though adequate, I feel much more power could have been made from the 1800 engine to match the sporty look of the car, though group 7 insurance is good.

Build quality is great, though you are not made to feel like you are in a top of the range model with the plastics and awful interior patterning.

Expensive tyres for 16" alloys (Expect quotes between £85-£140!)

All things said, recommended.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th April, 2006

25th Apr 2006, 07:15

My wife has a 2000 Almera, 1.5. Reliable car, rear caliper was replaced as it was sticking.

I have a Primera with 16" wheels, I buy my Nankang NS2 tyres online for £37ish (delivered inc. VAT) and get them fitted locally, saves a lot of money.

18th Aug 2006, 15:21

Update to original review:-

Cup Holder has in fact fixed itself! So all in all, nothing has gone wrong with the car.

If you can find one, go and buy one, highly recommended.

16th Apr 2008, 14:51

Rear caliper seized at 44K. Quoted £330 for replacement including boiled brake fluid (must have been like that for some time!) However, they managed to unstick it in the end costing me a shade over £100.

Located cheap tyres, cheapest so far, 195/55R16 V £69 each Avons ZV5s (ran over a nail so had to replace) online.

Still a great used buy, however depreciation for me is a killer. I've been quoted by several dealers £1600-£2000 in p/x, that's over 60% lost in just over 2 years on a 2nd hand car! (Wouldn't expect more than £2500 private sale now.) Goes to show, if you buy one now, it'll be worth the silly money you pay.

8th Sep 2010, 18:25

Recently bought a 2000 1.8 Nissan Almera Sport Plus for silly money "under a grand". Fantastic car; fast, and cheap insurance.

Previously had a 1.8 Volvo S40. Nice car, but dear insurance, and you can't pass a petrol station, plus my insurance was over half the price. I would recommend anyone looking for a cheap car; buy one.

9th Sep 2010, 04:28

Take a look at the front cross member. They are prone to rusting out and failing the MOT.

I was amazed how bad my friend's 2000 Almera was; a catastrophic failure of the cross member due to huge rust, cost £600 to put right.

Apparently this is a common fault on them.

2001 Nissan Almera Activ 1.5 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Overall, the Almera Activ 1.5 petrol is a good little car, but just watch out for the timing chain

Faults:

The Timing Chain and Tensioner assembly wore prematurely at only 49650 miles, causing the timing to be out and poor running. This is, according to my local dealer, a fault that they have seen on five other Almeras with this engine over the past few years, and is a very expensive job to fix. The bill for this repair just touches on £1000.00, but my dealer shouldered some of the costs involved to lessen the blow to my wallet, but I am nevertheless still reeling from the cost of the repairs. If you're considering buying one, it would pay you to get it inspected very closely, and if offered an extended warranty, pay it, because it just might save you a lot of money later on. Wish I'd listened to my own advice 6 months ago!

General Comments:

It is quite economical, returning an average of between 39 and 43 mpg.

The petrol tank is quite large, so this means less frequent trips to the garage for a fill up.

It's reasonably comfortable, with a nice set of seats, but has a slightly harsh ride quality. This makes for a sometimes bumpy ride, but excellent handling around bends.

Engine and road noise are quite loud inside the car, and trim tends to rattle and squeak a bit too.

There is a large load area, with the rear seats down, in which to carry plenty of things, and, on a plus point, the seats are very easy to collapse, with just one pull cord for each seat back.

Since I've had the car, it has started first turn of the key, never broken down, and fulfilled all the requirements I've needed.

I am, however, disappointed that, at such an early point in its life and mileage, it has cost me so much money for what would appear to be an inherent fault with the engine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 9th February, 2006