Absolutely fantastic to drive (Nissan Primera (1996-99))

Member Name: WierdNatox

Product:	Nissan Primera (1996-99)
Date:	29/08/03 (1405 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent handling, Huge Boot, Very Quick

Disadvantages: Limited rear legroom, No passenger airbag, Quite thirsty

I have had a Primera 2.0 SRi for 18 months now and what a belter it is.

All the magazine reviews harp on about how dull it is, but if you want driving thrills this car is just fantastic. The handling is superb, and the steering is completely balanced. On twisty roads this car excels and never surprises. The power delivery is smooth and although the acceleration isn't blistering it's more than adequate.

I do 70 miles round trip to work each day (my main reason for getting this car), and half of this is done on motorway/dual cariageway. The car just eats the miles and I never arrive feelig tired or stressed (unless the A14 has been a nightmare). The only real problem here is road noise. I find I have to turn the radio up quite loud to hear it comfortably. This is not usually a problem at lower speeds though.

Servicing costs are about average I think. The service interval is 9000 miles and the cost has varied from £100 to £270 depending on the type of service required. I chose to go to a Nissan main dealer although you could probably get it done cheaper if you shop around.

Fuel consumption is average for a car of this size. I get anywhere between 29 and 36 mpg depending on how I have been driving. The car has a 60 litre fuel tank, so I usually get about 360 miles per tank.

Nothing (touch wood) has gone wrong with the car since I have had it. It has become one of the things in life that I know I can rely on. It's always there and it always works.

In terms of space, the boot is huge. You could hold a rave inside it and no-one would notice. We recently laid a patio and I was amazed at the number of slabs and bags of cement I could lug around. For rear passengers it's not such a great story. The rear leg room is Ok, but not as good as you might expect from a car this size. The ride will at least be comfortable for your passengers though (as long as they are small).

So, there you have it. The Ni
ssan Primera is adequate at most things, except for reliability and driving thrills where it's fantastic!! I would thoroughly recommend this car to others and as I have owned two Primeras now I would be happy to own another.

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