Item: Nissan Navara
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

Fiat Fullback

Ford Ranger

Isuzu D-Max

Mercedes X-Class

Mitsubishi L200

Nissan Navara

Ssangyong Musso

Toyota Hilux

Volkswagen Amarok

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The vast majority of pick-up trucks are run through work, and due to their LCV tax rating, the Navara attracts fixed monthly tax payments regardless of trim, engine and gearbox. Not only will the monthly payments be far cheaper than a large SUV, they’ll even undercut some family cars.

If you’re buying with cash, the Nissan is competitively priced versus its rivals. Make sure you haggle, though, because there are plenty of dealer discounts to be had. Nissan usually offers tempting finance rates, so your <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/pcp-or-hp-which-car-finance-option-makes-most-sense/n1163">monthly PCP finance</a> bill shouldn’t be too hard to swallow.

We think N-Connecta trim makes most sense, because it comes with climate control, electric windows, cruise control, keyless entry and drive, a leather steering wheel, automatic lights, Bluetooth, DAB radio, a USB port and two free colour choices; red and white. In addition it gets 18in alloys and a reversing camera. Lower models are rather basic while Tekna and N-Guard are rather pricey.

Reliability isn’t a Nissan strong suit; the brand finished joint 27th out of 31 manufacturers in our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">2020 Reliability Survey</a>. In comparison, Mitsubishi came an outstanding second with Toyota just behind in third.

Safety kit includes seven airbags, an alarm and immobiliser and emergency braking. It received four stars from <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044">Euro NCAP</a>, although the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a> is better at protecting occupants from injury.

The 187bhp version of the Navara’s 2.3-litre diesel found in N-Connecta trim and above certainly feels more muscular than the 2.4-litre <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a> or 1.9-litre <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a>, with plenty of urgency from little over 1000rpm. It certainly doesn’t struggle with a bit of weight in the bed, although sadly we had no bricks or sand to hand for full-capacity tests. However, the Ford Ranger’s most potent 2.0-litre engine and the 2.8-litre Toyota Hilux feel even more urgent.

The Ranger is a quieter companion, too. Although the Navara’s engine pulls strongly from low down, you’ll feel plenty of vibrations through your seat and steering when the engine slogs below 1500rpm, and you’ll hear it working away in the background, even at a cruise. Tyre roar isn’t too bad for a pick-up, but wind noise is particularly noticeable.

The Navara’s manual gearbox has a notchy, mechanical feel to it that you’ll either love or hate. The Ford Ranger’s feels a little more car-like, but the gear lever has an even longer throw than the Navara’s. The automatic gearbox doesn’t feel quite so dimwitted as the Hilux’s, however the Ranger’s is a bit smoother.

With a&nbsp;suspension setup that’s designed to cope with heavy loads and arduous off-road driving, the Navara isn’t fun to drive hard around corners. It has a more advanced rear suspension design than the majority of pick-ups, but even then it leans over markedly in bends, and pitches under braking, while its steering is heavy and slow. There’s no doubt the Ford Ranger feels more agile and leans less during spirited cornering.

Unfortunately, while you’d hope the Navara’s coil-sprung rear suspension would help comfort, you’ll still feel plenty of shakes and shimmies through the base of your seat. This is especially true at lower speeds when dealing with potholes and pimples. Things do improve at speed and with a load on board, but the Ranger is the one to beat here, too.

Despite their main purpose as a beast of burden, pick-ups like the Nissan Navara remain a common sight on our roads. One reason for this might be that they’re classed as light commercial vehicles (LCVs) for tax purposes and so attract a flat rate of benefit-in-kind (BIK) company car tax, making them cheaper to tax than regular large SUVs.

All Navaras get a 2.3-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine with either 161bhp in Visia and Acenta trims, or with 187bhp in N-Connecta, Tekna and N-Guard models. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and a seven-speed automatic ‘box is optional with the more potent motor.

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Like most rivals the Navara is available in a pretty wide variety of bodystyles. Most popular is the Double Cab, which has four proper doors and five seats. If you need a longer load bed there’s the King Cab, with two occasional rear seats and a shorter cab, and both can be bought without a bed at all so you can fit custom bodywork. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to pick a lowly trim-level for this.

So, should you pick the Navara over the popular <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a>, well-priced <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a> or trusty <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux?</a> How does it fare against trucks with more work orientated trims? We’re looking at you, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/l200/4x4/review/n168">Mitsubishi L200</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a>. Well, keep reading over the next few pages to find out what the Navara is like to drive, how capable it is and what it’s like inside. And don’t forget to check out our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Buying pages</a> for big savings on tonnes of new cars and SUVs.

The driver sits quite high, even in the seat’s lowest setting, but there’s enough steering wheel height adjustment to position it how you like. What you won’t find, though, is reach adjustment, although that hasn’t caused any of our testers any issues so far. The pedals line up nicely with the driver’s seat, too, so there’s no need to sit at an awkward angle for hours on end during a long journey.

Because the driving position is so lofty, the view out of the windscreen is good, although the big door mirrors and thick pillars can partially obscure your view at junctions, making pulling out a bit stressful. We’d also point out that the small rear window and high truck bed restrict your view rearwards, although N-Connecta trim and up get a rear-view camera thrown in to help when parking. If you’re really worried, Tekna adds rear parking sensors and a four-camera system with a bird’s eye view.&nbsp;

Less advanced is the Navara’s basic monochrome-screened radio unit with DAB radio plus Bluetooth and USB connectivity; it’s decidedly old-school, but very easy to use. Going for N-Connecta trim or above gets you Nissan’s Connect system as standard, which is made up of an 8.0in touchscreen via which you control its sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth plus <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> smartphone connectivity. It’s a decent system amongst the Navara’s rivals, being responsive and logically laid out, allowing it to rival high-spec <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a> touchscreens.

While we love a bit of soft-touch plastic to buoy up the ambience of a typical family car, such materials don’t really work in rugged vehicles such as pick-up trucks. But while all the plastics on display are hard, they are for the most part nicely textured and have a pleasant satin finish. Some of the painted plastic trims do look a bit cheap compared to those of the Ranger or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">SsangYong Musso</a>, but are nicer than those of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/l200/4x4/review/n168">Mitsubishi L200</a>.

Pick-Up

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

NAVARA

The Navara is relatively comfortable and comes with a reasonable level of kit, but it's not much fun to drive

Of all the makes and models of pick-up truck sold in the UK, the four-door, five-seat types, such as the Navara’s Double Cab body style, are the most popular. For Navara buyers who need to prioritise bed length over passenger space, the King Cab has an extra 215mm, coming at the expense of rear seat space. You’ll need to opt for Visia or Acenta trim to get a King Cab, while chassis cab models that do without a rear bed are Visia only.

All versions have a maximum payload of in excess of 1100kg, greater than allowed by plushest versions of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a> if not the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso Rhino</a>. All versions can tow up to 3500kg, matching the best in class. However, the Musso goes one step further by being able to carry its maximum payload whilst towing 3500kg, a feat unmatched by any other truck.

Sitting in the front seats, two tall adults get ample head and leg room, although shorter drivers will wish the front armrest could be slid forwards. Stick to the Double Cab and two adults will be comfortable on a long journey; there’s good head, leg and shoulder room although the rear floor is slightly raised. Even so, it’s bigger in the back than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/l200/4x4/review/n168">Mitsubishi L200</a>. With two chairs that fold down like a pair of cinema seats, the King Cab isn’t as comfortable for rear seat passengers, and is tighter on space.

The Navara’s appealing interior and responsive touchscreen infotainment system impress, while the top diesel engine is gutsier than those found in the Isuzu D-Max and cheaper Toyota Hiluxes. However, the Ford Ranger is better to drive while the Ssangyong Musso Rhino can carry a heavier payload.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Go-anywhere capability</li> <li>Work-ready load bay</li> <li>Robust, durable yet also pleasant interior</li> <li>Commanding driving position</li> <li>Heavyweight towing capacity</li></ul>

The popularity of pick-up trucks is growing in the UK, thanks in part to a fixed-rate company car tax for business users, due to them being categorised as light commercial vehicles.

But it's not just those savings to your wallet that makes the pick-up a compelling buy; incredibly durability, huge towing capacity and the surprising about of technology available means the majority are worthy for much more than just working on building sites.

Prices start at under £30,000 for examples such as the Ssangyong Musso, while top-spec models, including the Volkswagen Amarok, feature rear-view cameras, heated seats and smartphone mirroring. Just beware high running costs, as might be expected for vehicles of this size.&nbsp;

Nissan Navara review

Costs & verdict

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is