Item: Used Nissan Note 2013-2017
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/used-review/n17387">Honda Jazz</a> has plenty of interior flexibility, thanks to a rear bench that can fold down or be split in a number of ways – even allowing for a bicycle (without the front wheel, of course) to be loaded across the car. It’s also very reliable, featuring near the top of our most recent survey.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/yaris/hatchback/used-review/n782">Toyota Yaris</a> stands out in this class because you can buy one with a hybrid engine, bringing useful benefits such as low fuel consumption in town and ultra-low road tax costs.

Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a> was never an expensive car when new, so it still represents good value for money. It’s very well equipped and, as well as in hatchback form, it is also available as an estate; that's unusual in this market and provides a useful amount of extra luggage capacity over the standard car.

<a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/nissan/note">Find a used Nissan Note in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

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Alternatives

There have been a few recalls for the Note. The first relates to cars built between July 2013 and May 2014, involving a potential malfunction of the engine push start switch. It remains depressed when the vehicle has started rather than pop back out. The emergency engine stop may activate if the car continues to be driven, bringing the car to a halt.

The second recall relates to Notes built between July 2015 and January 2016. The engine coil in these cars might not be to specification and this could lead to the engine stalling and not restarting again. The last recall concerns a small batch of cars built in April 2016, where the anti-lock braking system might not work as intended and could actually lock the wheels under heavy braking.

Most cars that will have been affected should have been fixed by now, but speak with your local Nissan dealer if you are in any doubt because they will be able to tell you if your potential purchase needs to have these corrections carried out.

Sadly, the Note is not as reliable as its rivals. It finished in last place in the small car category, with owners citing problems with the suspension, non-engine electrics and engine electrics on some petrol models.

Nissan as a brand came in 29th place out of 32 car manufacturers – a pretty poor result.

If you would like to see the full reliability list for small cars, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2017-what-car-reliability-survey/n16172">What Car? reliability survey</a> pages for more information.

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Hatchback

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

NOTE

The Nissan Note majors on practicality but isn’t the most refined of small cars, and rivals have better interiors

Used Nissan Note 2013-2017

Fuel economy is very reasonable with the Note; even the worst-performing 1.2 DIG-S auto model has an average figure of 55.4mpg and costs £30 in road tax. The non-supercharged 79bhp version is a little better at 60.1mpg and costs £20 in road tax. Our preferred 1.2 DIG-S manual model is the best for fuel economy out of the petrol range, posting a combined figure of 65.7mpg, with free road tax.

The diesel beats that, unsurprisingly, with most models averaging 78.5mpg and scooting into the free road tax bracket.

Unlike most service schemes, a Nissan dealer can service your car according to its fixed-price list at any age. The fee even extends to individual repair costs, such as replacement brake pads. Taking advantage of dealer servicing also entitles you to one year’s worth of European breakdown cover.

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The Nissan Note majors on practicality but isn’t the most refined of small cars, and rivals have better interiors

Prices start at £4000 for an early 2013 1.2 petrol car with a high mileage. If you want a diesel, you’ll need to spend a little bit more, because they start at £4500.

The supercharged 1.2 petrol is rare, and therefore worth more money, so you would need to up the budget to £6000 to find one.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/nissan">Nissan</a> Note was discontinued in late 2016. If you are interested in going for one of the last examples registered, be prepared to spend about £12,000.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Nissan Note with What Car? Valuations</a>

If you regularly drive on the motorway, go for the diesel. However, if you only drive in town in stop-start traffic, we’d stick with the higher-powered DIG-S petrol because its additional power copes better when loaded up with people than the entry-level petrol would.

Acenta Premium has plenty of additional kit such as sat-nav, a DAB radio, climate control and automatic lights and wipers for a little extra money over mid-range Acenta, so it’s the one to look out for.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/nissan">Nissan</a> Note 1.2 DIG-S Acenta Premium

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

Some of the interior plastics on the doors, dashboard and in the boot area don’t hide scratches well – this is a little bit of a worry in a family car.

Being a smaller car that will probably spend most of its life in town, look out for parking dents or scrapes to bumpers, because correction to the paintwork can become expensive. Also, check the alloy wheels for kerb damage – not only because it's expense to fix them but also because badly damaged wheels could be a clue to future suspension issues and the potential of uneven tyre wear if the wheel alignment is out.

Also, make sure the air conditioning works. The seller might suggest that it only requires a simple re-gas but, because <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/nissan">Nissan</a> has switched over to a more environmentally friendly refrigerant gas, it’s actually quite an expensive job to do. At the time of writing, Nissan charges £149.95 for an air-con re-gas.

The recipe for the Nissan Note is quite simple. Nissan took the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/micra/hatchback/used-review/n809">Micra</a>, stretched in both height and length to increase interior space and turned it into the Note, a more practical small car for families.

The Note competes with the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/used-review/n17387">Honda Jazz</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/yaris/hatchback/used-review/n782">Toyota Yaris</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a> in the ever busy small car market.

Engines start from an entry-level 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol with 79bhp or 91bhp with a supercharger. There is also an 89bhp 1.5-litre diesel for those who value low CO2 emissions and good fuel economy.

Inside, the Note is highly practical for a vehicle with a relatively small footprint. There’s a big boot that comes with an adjustable boot floor in all but the entry-level Visia model. It removes the annoying load lip and enables longer items to slide into the load area.

There’s plenty of room in the front and head room is exceptional, while those in the rear are also treated to heaps of space. Top-spec Notes can be had with a sliding rear bench that gives you the flexibility of having more leg space or increase boot space. Parents of young children will also appreciate the wide doors, so putting a child in the car seat is that bit easier.

However, the Note is not that much fun to drive. There’s too much body roll when going down a country road and it’s also susceptible to side winds because it's a tall car. The steering is light for easy parking but it’s precise enough on faster roads. The ride is a bit on the firm side and drain covers can cause the car to shimmy. It does settle a bit on faster roads, though.

<a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/nissan/note">Find a used Nissan Note in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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Used Nissan Note 2013-2017 review

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