Item: Used Nissan X-Trail 2014-present
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/used-review/n856">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a> is the seven-seat SUV with cachet. From the welly-boot set to the school-run army, the Land Rover badge holds much more weight than that of a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/nissan">Nissan</a>. It backs that up with a smart interior and tidy handling, but prices are much higher than those of the X-Trail.

If you need a big SUV with space aplenty for passengers and luggage, the look towards the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/used-review/n811">Kia Sorento</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/used-review/n964">Hyundai Santa Fe</a>. Their larger diesel engines aren’t as frugal as the ones in the X-Trail, but they do cope better with heavy loads, the Kia being the more comfortable of the two.

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<h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/nissan/x-trail">Find a used Nissan X-Trail with What Car? &gt;&gt;</a></h2>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Boot support struts</h3>

The gas struts that hold up the tailgate when it's open can corrode and eventually crack on some examples made between 1 April 2014 and 25 December 2015. Find out if this&nbsp;recall is still outstanding on your X-Trail, lest you end up with the tailgate falling on your head.

<h3>Oxygen sensor</h3>

A problem has been found with one of the oxygen sensors in the exhaust system on examples manufactured between 10 April 2015 and 7 June 2016. The driver may not be made immediately aware of the issue, so a software update will also need to be performed at the dealership as part of the fix.

According to our latest reliability survey, the news here isn’t great. Nissan as a whole ranked 27th out of the 31&nbsp;manufacturers included. The X-Trail second from bottom&nbsp;in 21st&nbsp;place out of the 22&nbsp;large SUVs surveyed, beating the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/used-review/n856">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a>, but falling behind the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/used-review/n964">Hyundai Santa Fe</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/used-review/n811">Kia Sorento</a>.

If you would like to see the full reliability list for large SUVs, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-large-suvs/n20066">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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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

X-TRAIL

Need an SUV that’ll seat seven? The Nissan X-Trail fits the bill – even if some of those passengers will find it a little cramped

Used Nissan X-Trail 2014-present

<h3>MPG</h3>

The 1.6 dCi can be had with front-wheel drive to aid running costs, too, and in this form its combined&nbsp;NEDC fuel consumption is 57.6mpg. Getting one with four-wheel drive does drop that figure to 52.3mpg.

The 1.6 petrol isn’t so frugal at 44.1mpg, but these models still compare well with petrol-powered rivals, while the&nbsp;2.0-litre diesel X-Trails have an official combined figure of 50.4mpg. The newer 1.3 petrol and 1.7 diesel engines were tested under the more stringent WLTP test and appear to get much worse figures at 38.5mpg and 47.5mpg, respectively. But you are at least much more likely to achieve these in the real world.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

This only applies to the engines available before 1 April 2017 because the tax system at the time was based on CO2 emissions. Of the three engines available, the 1.6 diesel had the lowest emissions of 129g/km (139g/km with four-wheel drive), while the bigger 2.0 diesel emits&nbsp;149g/km (158g/km as a four-wheel drive auto). The petrol 1.6 puts out 149g/km.

<h3>Car tax (VED)</h3>

It's worth noting that if you are looking to buy an X-Trail registered after 1&nbsp;April 2017, you'll have to pay the flat rate fee. Any example registered before this date will in some cases pay less than this depending upon the amount of CO2 the engine produces (see above paragraph).&nbsp;To find out more about the current<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153"> road tax costs, click here</a> for further information.

<h3>Servicing costs</h3>

Depending upon whether you have a petrol or a diesel X-Trail, you will pay either £229 or £269 for a minor service, or £309 or £369 for a major one at a Nissan dealer. You will get one year's worth of RAC UK and European&nbsp;breakdown cover and roadside assistance as part of that cost.&nbsp;

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Need an SUV that’ll seat seven? The Nissan X-Trail fits the bill – even if some of those passengers will find it a little cramped

Prices for the earliest <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/nissan">Nissan</a> X-Trails start from around £7000, most probably for something with over 100,000 miles on it. Increase your&nbsp;budget for between £10,500 to £11,500 to get a low mileage 2014 or 2015 example.

Petrol-engined X-Trails arrived a year after launch and therefore&nbsp;aren't as prevalent&nbsp;on the used market. They also tend to be bought by those who do a limited number of miles, so the ones which are available,&nbsp;generally have a low mileage, which keeps their prices high. If you want a petrol X-Trail, you will need at least £11,000.

In response to early criticism about the downsized 1.6-litre diesel engine not being powerful enough, Nissan brought out a larger 2.0-litre diesel in late 2016. An X-Trail with this engine will cost from around £14,000.

The latest 1.7 diesel from late 2019 will set you back at least £19,000, while the&nbsp;1.3 petrol can be found for £20,000.

Check the value of a used Nissan X-Trail with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

When it comes to choosing which engine is best for getting the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/nissan">Nissan</a> X-Trail moving, stick with the 1.6 dCi. While it can feel a bit underpowered with seven on board, it's the most popular unit by far and in manual front-wheel drive form, the most economical. The manual version also tows better than the CVT auto version, in case you wish to lug around a caravan. The 1.7 diesel didn't arrive until later in this car's life and so there are fewer available used.

If you need to go petrol, it’s mostly a case of going for the&nbsp;1.6 DIG-T or nothing, because the 1.3 DIG-T didn't arrive until 2020. At least the 1.6 is rather&nbsp;more refined than the diesel.

<h3>Specification</h3>

We reckon you may as well stick with the Acenta, because it's still decently equipped and rides better due to its smaller alloy wheels.

Our favourite Nissan X-Trail: 1.6 dCi Acenta

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all passengers</li> <li>Large boot with lots of clever storage solutions</li> <li>Good fuel economy and running costs</li> <li>All-round comfort</li> <li>High-quality interior finish</li></ul>

We define a large SUV as anything longer than 4.5 metres. These cars aren’t usually particularly cheap to buy or lease, so in return we expect a roomy cabin, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent cruising refinement. A few models in this class are two-wheel drive, but the vast majority have four-wheel drive for at least a modicum of off-road ability.

The Mazda CX-5 is firmly road-focused, but its 2.0-litre petrol engine is a strong, refined performer, making it looks good value for less than&nbsp;£25k. If you can stretch the budget a fair bit, the Audi Q5 provides a combination of comfort, driving prowess, quality and space that's hard to beat. Unlike some rivals, it can't be had with seven seats, though.

A more affordable, yet well-equipped alternative is the Peugeot 5008. It’s more than capable of coping with family life&nbsp;– and all versions have seven seats as standard.&nbsp;

Large SUV

We’d suggest taking a look underneath any X-Trail, because there is the possibility it could have been damaged by some off-road driving, however remote a possibility that might be. Also check the lower edges of the bumpers for scrapes or cracks from any off-road use.

Also, the X-Trail is aimed at families which might mean that the interior has seen some action. It’s all pretty well screwed together, but it is always worth checking for broken interior plastic pieces, stains on the seats and wear on the upholstery.

While the marketing types who came up with the Nissan X-Trail’s name were clearly trying to emphases this seven-seat SUV’s four-wheel-drive capabilities, the reality of the matter is that the toughest terrain most X-Trails will ever face is the ‘rock crawl’ up the kerb in the local high street.

That’s because it’s a road-biased large SUV, aimed at families who would like a bit of extra space and the additional versatility this type of car can provide. To that end, you can get the X-Trail with either five or seven seats.

Most examples you'll find for sale will have the 128bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine, which&nbsp;has enough power to breeze you along at a leisurely pace and hang on to the coattails of motorway traffic.&nbsp;The more powerful 175bhp 2.0-litre diesel has better low-end pulling power but wasn't as popular because it was&nbsp;expensive when new.&nbsp;The 161bhp 1.6 petrol is the least recommendable engine for&nbsp;it lacks the&nbsp;low-down grunt of the diesels, forcing you to rev it harder. A much sweeter 158bhp 1.3 petrol arrived in 2019 that pulls well once on the more, and a lone 148bhp 1.7&nbsp;replaced the two previous diesel options&nbsp;in 2020.

Visia-spec cars come with all the basics such as air conditioning, 17in&nbsp;alloy wheels and cruise control. Acenta trim ups the luxury levels to include dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and a panoramic glass roof. N-tec adds sat-nav with a 6.5in infotainment screen, and a 360 deg camera system,&nbsp;larger 18in alloy wheels, an electric tailgate and some roof rails. Top-of-the-range Tekna gets&nbsp;leather upholstery with heated seats front and rear, plus an upgraded sound system and brighter LED headlights.

Updates in late 2017 saw the N-tec model renamed N-Connecta and the infotainment screen size was increased to 7ins. Acenta premium replaced Acenta in 2019, adding the all-important infotainment screen and 360 deg camera system to this popular trim level.

Soft suspension means the X-Trail leans heavily in corners, and while light steering makes it relaxing to drive around town, you do need lots of lock, even for shallow corners. To be honest, the X-Trail feels somewhat behind the times; akin to an old-school SUV rather than the modern breed, which feel more car-like to drive. The Kodiaq is certainly a nimbler beast, as is the 5008. Even the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/used-review/n856">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a> grips harder and rolls less through corners, and the firm ride means you feel the bumps as they pass beneath you, while you're shaken from side to side at lower speeds. The ride does settle a little the faster you go, though, so on the motorway you'll be fine.

A reasonably slick six-speed manual comes as standard on most models, although a noisy <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/which-type-of-automatic-gearbox-should-i-buy/n17022#5">CVT auto</a> option was available. The newer 1.3 petrol only comes with a seven-speed <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/which-type-of-automatic-gearbox-should-i-buy/n17022#4">dual-clutch auto</a> that can be a touch hesitant from a standstill.

The X-Trail's interior materials have a quality feel to them due to the use of soft touch plastics throughout. It be a little gloomy inside, though, thanks to the rather sombre colour choices. Things can be brightened up a little with a panoramic glass roof, but we have to advise caution here, as it robs a bit of head room, even for those in the middle row.

If you're looking at a seven-seat X-Trail, the&nbsp;rearmost seats can be made to fold completely flat, which is very helpful if you need to load longer items into the back of the car. It’s worth noting that if you choose this configuration, the third row seats are a little on the small side and will require you to slide the middle row forward if you need to fit people with legs of any significance into them.

With the seats down, rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/used-review/n811">Kia Sorento</a> have bigger boots with the second-row still in place, which means the X-Trail might not be ideal if you want to carry five people and their luggage at the same time.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/nissan/x-trail">used X-Trail</a>, or any of the other large&nbsp;SUVs mentioned here, head over to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a> pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Nissan X-Trail 2014-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Nissan X-Trail 4x4?