USED Nissan Note Hatchback (06 - )

My car

After nearly 2 months the car gets more enjoyable to drive all the time, since it has "loosened up" now. I like the bold styling (for Nissan)and the cabin is a very nice place to be in. Petrol consumption is excellent for a fairly nippy 1.6. The interior space, especially in the back, really has to be experienced to be believed.

I think the SVE is very good value for money, it is £1000 more than the SE, but you get rather a lot of extra kit for that, not least of all ESP. I particularly like the automatic, rain-sensing wipers, a real boon in the constantly changing weather conditions in the west of Scotland.

Just 2 minor niggles: (1)Although the brakes work very well, the drum brakes at the rear look a bit silly with 16 inch alloys, a bit shoddy for the top trim level. (2) Why is there only a manual digital clock and not an RDS one, especially since the radio is RDS?

I think Nissan have come up with an excellent, fairly original car, but I think their narrow marketing at families with young children is a mistake. Especially the generous rear legroom gives the car a much wider appeal.

My car

After two months of driving the Note, I have to say its one of the best cars that I have purchased.

It's well put together, has outstanding equipment levels, handles well and is safe. It also gives good fuel economy.

I would have liked the rear seats to fold flatter and that Nissan hadn't used so many different plastic finishes on the dashboard! However, these are all minor points which still don't detract from an excellent car.

My car

I have owned my Note for 2 weeks now & I have to say I am very pleased with it.

I find the driving position comfortable & all the controls are easily to hand everything feels satisfyingly substantial & built to last.

On the road the engine is eager & responds well, it seems to returning Mpg in line with the quoted figures. The ride can be a little firm at times but I find this preferable & would much rather this than sacrifice handling especially as much of my driving is done on twisty country lanes. The interior remains quiet & comfortable even at speed on motorways. There is plenty of room for passengers even my 6foot plus sons in law are comfortable in the back even with the passenger seat well back. The boot space is easy to use & adapts quickly & easily when necessary, all the loads I have need to carry so far have been accomodated readily. While it is not the most exciting vehicle in the world most of us want something that copes with real life easily, economically & reliably, I feel this car will do this well.

I also found the dealer to be very helpful & friendly with everything dealt with most efficiently. I secured a 7% discount on my car. That was offered to me on 1st March & was held even though I did not order the car until late March for delivery in late April.

Overall the whole buying experience was pleasant & painless , the ownership experience is proving to be the same & I am looking forward to many happy miles in my Note.

My car

With the kids too big for our aging Pug 306 Convertible it was time for a change. A more practicle car was needed, so what to opt for? We have a motorway cruiser on the drive so small and versitile was the order of the day.

It quickly came down to the Honda Jazz or the Note, so we test drove both. My wife and I loved the fun, performance and handling of the Pug, but we knew we couldn't get that in a mini-MPV, how much would we have to compromise? We hated the lack of feedback from the steering in the Jazz. Would we have the same experience in the electrically assisted steering of the Note? No! It was a fine drive for such a tall car and offered all the praticality we sought. We've gone for the 1.4 SE because it offerred just the right level of trim we've grown accustommed to, and good economy too.

This car is a box on wheels - but you can put things in boxes. That's what they do well. The boomerang lights try to hide it, but from the back or the front it's pretty obvious. I don't see the youth market going for this car, but if you need a workhorse to get from 'a' to 'b' economically with loads inside and three lumpy lads on board give the Note a spin.