Taking care of business
The fun fairy flew right by Nissan the day the latest Qashqai was created. But when did fun ever pay the bills?
Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ DIG-T 158PS Month 7
The story so far
Third-generation Qashqai has clocked up many pain-free miles ★ Good compromise between the many roles it’s asked to fill - More reliable infotainment would be welcome
Logbook Price £36,125 (£37,270 as tested) Performance 1332cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 156bhp, 9.2sec 0-62mph, 124mph Efficiency 43.8mpg (official), 37.6mpg (tested), 146g/km CO2 Energy cost 17.5p per mile Miles this month 2703 Total miles 17,355
Some card games, like snap, you get the hang of very quickly and easily. You can try to jazz it up with a flamboyant wrist action or a lot of shouting, but you reach peak engagement pretty soon. It’s always there as a fall-back – handy when there are young kids to entertain on a rainy day in Norfolk, say – but it’s nothing to get excited about, and nor is it meant to be.
Ditto the Qashqai. I said in my first report that it was easy to get used to and get along with. True then, true now. The car and I have maintained more or less the same level of benign mutual indifference that we achieved on day three.
I’ve added just over 15,000 miles to the Qashqai’s clock in that time. Those have been effortless miles, if largely forgettable. The big positive to come out of it is that this car doesn’t feel any older than it did when it arrived: no rattles, nothing’s needed fixing.
Nothing, that is, except the mirror, damaged in an accident described last month. And this barely counts, but the little rubber inserts in the centre console, designed to stop your phone sliding around, no longer fit properly. The problem seems to be triggered when you take them out to clean them of the inevitable dust and grime. When I borrowed a different Qashqai while my mirror was being sorted, I noticed that the rubber inserts on that car were similarly ill-fitting. And the infotainment. You couldn’t take it to the dealer and be sure something would go wrong before their very eyes. But on several occasions it needed restarting.
The one big trip I did was to the Nürburgring, for a photographic assignment, which demonstrated
The car and I have maintained the level of benign mutual indifference we achieved on day three
this car’s great strength: it’s comfortable and fuss-free, so you arrive at your destination ready to work. The suspension, seats and sound insulation combine to provide very calm progress.
But it also highlighted the fact that, by design, the Qashqai – with its mild-hybrid engine, conventional five-seat interior and high level of electronic safety kit – is about getting the job done, and not something you’d want to take on a big trip for the sake of it. If your game is Top Trumps, look elsewhere. But for Happy Families, step right up. @actcreative
Count the cost
Cost new £37,270 Part exchange £25,442 Cost per mile 17.3p Cost per mile including depreciation 85.5p