Used Nissan X-Trail 2001 - 2007 review

Essentially a replacement for the old Terrano II, the Nissan X-Trail was much easier to live with and less focused on off-roading than its predecessor. In fact, underneath, it was mechanically near-identical to the contemporary Primera and Almera family cars.

True, the X-Trail does have its rugged side; four-wheel drive was always an option and you can get an X-Trail surprisingly far into the mud. However, it is better on road, where it offers agile, surefooted handling, with especially good steering by SUV standards.

The X-Trail is a genuine alternative to conventional family cars, too. There will certainly be no complaints from the driver, thanks to a fine driving position and good visibility. Plus, there’s enough space for three abreast across the back seat, as well as a decently sized boot.

Originally, the only engine options were a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel, and these are both pretty underwhelming. However, a stronger 2.2-litre diesel and a 2.5-litre petrol quickly followed.

About £1000 will get you a 2001 or 2002 X-Trail, and you might even squeeze into an early 2.2-litre diesel for that kind of money if you buy privately and shop around. You’re likely to have to stomach a less than full service history for that budget, though.

Petrol 2.5-litre models are slightly thin on the ground, but they’re still in demand, so a late 2006 example in the well-equipped Aventura spec could set you back as much as £2500.

Generally speaking, though, a budget of between £1500 and £2000 should get you the first-generation X-Trail that you want.

Unsurprisingly, the 2.5-litre petrol engine is slightly thirstier than the 2.0-litre, but thanks to its rather under-stressed nature, it’s only 1mpg worse off in the official fuel consumption test (30mpg vs 29mpg). If it’s a petrol X-Trail you want, then, the 2.5 is actually the engine of choice.

As for the 2.2-litre diesel, this is the engine for those whose primary concern is fuel consumption, with a 39mpg official economy figure. Its 190g/km CO2 emissions rating is actually quite high, though, and not an awful lot better than that of the petrol versions.

The 2.2-litre diesel initially produced 112bhp, which was quite disappointing even it’s day. However, the 136bhp 2.2-litre unit that replaced it was a big improvement, despite still being a little rough. Unless you do mega miles, then, the best buy is the 163bhp 2.5-litre petrol.

All models came with a sunroof, electric windows and electric door mirrors, but you needed to upgrade to a Sport to get 16in alloy wheels and a CD player.

Later SV and SVE versions were much better equipped, and there was a plethora of special editions, including the Sport-X, which came with roof-mounted spot lights, and a version called the Fat Face, made in conjunction with a clothing company.

Towards the end of the X-Trail’s life, Nissan introduced the T-Spec, which was one of the first cars to have a 'birds-eye' view parking camera system.

Our favourite used Nissan X-Trail: 2.5 petrol SVE

The Nissan X-Trail was designed to compete with the Toyota RAV4, and it follows that model's road-biased template pretty closely. The RAV4 is not quite as engaging to drive, but its interior quality is much better and it’s the more reliable car overall.

The Land Rover Freelander is another obvious rival to the X-Trail, and matches it closely in terms of on-road handling and stylish design. However, even given the X-Trail’s turbo and intercooler issues, the Freelander is still the less reliable car.

The Honda CR-V sits slightly apart from the X-Trail, because it’s bigger and less overtly sporting. On top of this, it also took Honda longer to get a diesel model in the range, leaving buyers of older CR-Vs stuck with petrol power and nothing else. It’s a very practical car, though, with exceptional build quality and reliability.

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