Nissan Note - opinions?

soupdragon10

I am looking to replace my 2006 ford focus diesel with a 1.4 Nissan Note and have seen a 2011 model that I like the look of.

Never having had a Nissan I wanted opinions about the reliability, practicality and economy of this model particularly swapping from a diesel to a petrol model.

Having received some very sound advice from the forums in the past I thought I would make this my first port of call.

Dippypud

We've had one for 18months, a 2010, diesel model ...

great, no problems at all ... urban fuel reading on the on-board computer says 50.8MPG

although a friend of ours has a 2011 model and that has had to have a new wiring piece for the heating fan motor, it had burnt out - no reason given...

facade

I have a 2008 1.6 petrol auto.

The petrol engines are made by Nissan, the diesel is the 1.5DCi Renault.

Good value for money cars, but definitely built down to a price.

Pros:

Reasonable economy/performance
Reliable Nissan engines & gearboxes
Narrow body
High seating position
Connect Satnav is good
Lots of oddment storage space
Clever false floor in boot area.

Cons:

Weak front suspension bushes cause clonks and clangs.
Poor steering lock and long wheelbase can make manoeuvring difficult.
Lack of auto tensioner on aux drive belt means it squeals constantly, and car has to be dismantled to adjust.
1.6 has odd tyre size meaning few tyres available and high prices, poor tyre life on stock Continentals.
Mine has climate control, and doesn't heat the cabin evenly, my right leg is freezing in cold weather.:mad:
No hard points to mount a roofrack.
Stupid auto wipers (and auto headlights)

bluesnake

If you have broad shoulders, the interior seems a bit narrow - one shoulder touched the door while the other nearly touches the passenger seat

chrisw

My wife's got a 2010 1.4 NTec. She bought it mainly for the high seating position as she has trouble with her legs. I didn't really like it at first but it's growing on me. Seems to do about 40 mpg pootling around town, better than my diesel bmw. Surprisingly huge inside like a minibus but the boot is quite small, although you can move the rear seats forward to make more space. Only niggles seem to be that you can't turn the radio / sat nav off and it has the blacked out windows which makes it difficult to reverse at night. Oh and the gearing is quite low so hers has a five speed box and is thrashing along at over 3000rpm at 70mph, although you get used to it.

There is a useful Nissan Note owners forum:-

http://www.noteownersclub.co.uk/forum/

Horizon81

You might find the Nissan is a bit more Renault inside than an old Nissan. In other words cheap and plasticy. I looked at one a while back but wasn't taken by it. Since the Nissan/Renault (and Dacia!) alliance, I'd no longer recommend Nissan or think of it as a true Japanese brand.