Category: Pick-ups 
Price Range: No data available
Hard-working, huge load bed, spacious cabin, scads of equipment, plenty of power, good value.
Too vast for some, awful turning circle, not as tight to drive as rivals.
Best for space, power, presence and equipment, but the Mitsubishi L200 is more wieldy and better to drive.
Bearing in mind the basic laws of physics, which state that high-riding pick-ups aren't going to attack corners with the same aplomb as a sports car, the Navara is actually a decent drive.
The nicely weighted steering and adequately contained body roll keep the interest alive in the bends, and there's lots of power to exit with verve (not too much power mind, it's rear-wheel-drive on tarmac).
Beyond that however, the Navara loses some of its sophistication. The drawbacks of its construction - body mounted on a frame, rear leaf springs, rigid live rear axle - don't lend it the compliance or rigidity needed to soak up or contain the bumps it encounters.
Consequently the Navara restlessly jitters and shuffles underneath no matter what the surface. Granted, it's a problem that afflicts all pick-ups, but the Navara isn't as good as the L200 or Hilux at overcoming its engineering constraints. The sheer size and huge turning circle don't do it many favours round town, either.
The gearshift is pretty rubbery, but there are six ratios for better economy, or spec the five-speed auto on the Outlaw or Aventura models.
To go off-road, you select four-wheel-drive (high and low ratios) via a dial on the centre console. The toughness isn't debated, but a wider, longer stance lessens the Navara's ground clearance compared with rivals such as the Mazda BT-50 or Mitsubishi L200.
The Navara is first equal with the Hilux 3.0 on pick-up power, but feels the fastest by a long way. The 0-60mph time of 11.6secs doesn't reveal the extent of the 297lb-ft torque surge served up by the 169bhp 2.5-litre common-rail diesel.
The ratios of the standard six-speed gearbox are spaced more for comfort than for towing, which means there's no torque dump to negotiate in first.
The other towing drawback is a braked towing limit that's 400kg off the Ford Ranger's. However, unless you do it daily, 2,600kg limit should suffice (2,700kg for the King Cab) and it won't get breathless doing it.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Nissan Navara
wrote on 01 02 2007