As someone with backache, the comfortable, heated seats were welcomed - if only Nissan had a massage seat option. You sit high up in the Qashqai and have a wonderful view left, right, front and back... and up, if you press the button to slide back the blind and reveal the full length glass roof. It makes the solid, quality cabin feel huge. The many toys include Bluetooth phone and iPod connections. The engine is smooth, quiet and does the job. Large families with luggage and dog: consider the Qashqai!
What can I say? I'm cheap. After 10 years with my Audi Avant, I finally braced myself to think of replacing it. The criteria for the replacement were decided on: big boot for the dog, back seat for the kids, diesel engine, and nothing too flash (not for discretion: like I said, I'm cheap). So, I set off to test drive the Qashqai. I wanted the basic 1.5 dCi but they only had the 2.0 dCi Tekna... YES! YES! OH YES! Yes, I like...
So do I buy a Volkwagen Golf, a Ford Focus or a Vauxhall Astra? I had an Astra Estate and was disappointed so that was out. The Ford Focus was heavily discounted but trying to get decent service from the Ford dealers in Reading or Basingstoke proved difficult. The Golf was solid but a little boring. I had a test drive in the new Toyota Auris but found it bland. So reluctantly tried the Qashqai and was swept away. What a fantastic car. I ordered it the same day. Superb drive & great build quality.
Great ride and handling for a car of this height. The engine was quite punchy but could be noisy at high revs in low gears. Cruising on motorway was a dream. Boot space was massive but to get the spare wheel meant lifting quite a heavy boot floor. Overall very impressed with this new Nissan. It goes a long way to showing what a Japanese firm can do.
