Nissan Note Review
One of our favourite cars, the Nissan NOTE is just plain and simply an honest car that offers stunning levels of space, equipment and value for money.
Long gone are the times when someone might not choose Nissan because of the badge. Nissan today are the makers of the fabulous 350Z a sports car we would all love to have. The stunning 3.5 V6 Murano, which is just superb and of course the latest style icon and one of the best pick-up in its class, the new Navara.
So the Nissan NOTE has a fabulous pedigree and shares many features and design keys from the cars above, what else does it offer?
Well firstly, it’s made in Sunderland, so its one of a few British built cars you can buy these days.
The NOTE is a well made and neat-looking car, with a front end looking like the striking Murano SUV and a roofline which Nissan describes as looking like a “ski-slope”, with its arched profile and huge, high boomerang tail-lights turning a near-right-angle and flowing forward into the roof. Everything is nicely designed so it’s sure to be one of those cars you like the look of the more you get to know it.
The NOTE was primarily designed to be functional. Passenger space is brilliant, the rear legroom is huge, with more than enough room for four six-footers and a rear bench seat that slides backwards and forwards to boost leg or luggage room.
Perfect for the business traveller who needs to carry lots of stuff, or of course the family driver, the NOTE just gobbles up things. The boot is a good size plus there are plenty of other stowage spaces for bits and pieces and even an air con-cooled glove box on SE upwards in which you can stash 12 drinks cans. The NOTE has flip-up tables on the backs of the front seats and unzip-to-expand seat-back pockets.
The NOTE comes with so many safety features as standard, like ABS, EBD and BAS (the Brake Assist System which increases braking pressure in emergencies) for class-leading braking. All NOTEs have at least four airbags, increased to six on SE and SVE grades, for added protection. Add this to an exceptionally rigid body shell that augments stability and handling and you’ve got a car that provides ultimate safety for all your business trips or family adventures.
We don’t think there is another car on sale in the UK which quite matches the Note’s combination of exterior compactness and interior space and offers so many security features at this price.
The note comes with 3 different engine options, a 1.4 (88bhp) and 1.6-litre (110bhp) petrol and a Renault-sourced, 1.5-litre turbodiesel with 86bhp.
I drove the 1.5 diesel version over 160 miles non stop and it drives better than I could ever have imagined. Close your eyes and you really could be sitting in a much much bigger car and that’s down to the cars very long wheelbase. The electronic power steering is light and direct and at speed the car feels safe, solid and reliable. On twisting roads, the Note feels agile and it rides well over all road surfaces and if you like feeling your car interact with you are going to like the Note.
People buy cars for many different reasons. Fact is the Nissan Note can do almost everything any of us could want from a car. It’s big enough to carry 4 adults all with lots of space and its big enough to carry all your everyday stuff. It will run all day long (no matter what engine you chose) at the legal speed limit. It returns excellent MPG across the range, yet it’s small enough to fit in your garage and park easily.
At the time of writing, prices start at £9,995 for the 1.4-litre base model, and I guess to use someone else’s advertising slogan in summing this car up, “it does what it says on the tin”.