USED Nissan X-Trail 4x4 (07 - )

My car

This is our second X-Trail and we have been very pleased with the car, at least until the turbo failed at 27000 and we found the main dealer to be defensive, unfriendly and not helpful in arranging a repair under warranty. We are doubtful if our next car will be an X-Trail as we are worried about the unrelability issues that are well catalogued in the Readers Reviews at What Car?. Perhaps a Honda CRV next?

My car

I own the previous X-Trail (an 04 plate DCi Sport). I bought it because the drive is very car-like, with responsive/well-weighted steering.

Gone is the old model's car-like steering characteristics: well-weighted, informative and responsive. Instead the steering is very light, devoid of feedback and does not weight up at all during cornering. Within 15 minutes of us both having a turn at driving, my Wife and I both decided that the new X-Trail was not for us. Is this vague and lifeless steering rack from the Renault parts bin then?

We found the ride on poor Somerset roads to be more pliant and less firm than our older model X-Trail, but that was offset by some body roll around corners with sway from side to side at times.

The seat squabs in this Sports trim are narrower than our older model X-Trail and we are not big, yet found the seats a bit narrow & tight. The extra length has blunted the style a bit over the older model.

Had we liked the new X-Trail we would have gone for the 150hp diesel, but wanted that to be in Band E rather than the current band F that our 136hp DCi is also in. Surely a new fuel map ("re-chip") could have been carried out for the UK market to fit our VED bands and very slightly de-tuned to get into the lower Band E?

We will not replace our X-Trail with the new model.