Won't hear a bad word against it! (Nissan Primera Sport in general)

Member Name: sloblock_uk1972

Product:	Nissan Primera Sport in general
Date:	01/05/03 (533 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfortable & Well-equipped, Ride & Handling, Reliable & well-built

Disadvantages: Steep depreciation (advantage when buying nearly new), 1.8i engine thirsty when worked hard, Interior partially recycled from previous model

This is my second Primera, having previously had the pleasure of owning a beautiful, silver, 1998 2.0 GT SE - which I now wish to God I'd never sold. Sadly I did and after 6 months of emptying my wallet into the diesel tank of a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport, I found myself back at the showroom looking for cheaper transportation.

This latest car was less than 1 year old when I bought it from a Nissan dealership. I was immediately drawn to it's 17" alloy wheels, metallic black paint and smart black interior. A closer look at the specification revealed Automatic Climate Control, Anti-lock Brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution, 4 airbags (front & side), 6 speaker RDS stereo, snazzy projector-style headlights, trip computer, electric windows/mirrors/headlamp adjustment etc, etc, etc. The real clincher however was the price - just £9000!

Dropping from the GT's 150bhp to 115bhp had me concerned about the Sport's performance on the road - but I really needn't have been. The engine is still quite punchy above 3500rpm and I only really notice the drop in horses when I push the car hard or when it is fully laden. When I do need to "make progress", I find much the same sure-footedness as before, even if the suspension is a little bit softer than the GT's and so consequently the Sport rolls just a tiny bit more through the corners.

I recently toured the South-West of England, starting from Scotland and clocking up over 3000 miles in 2 weeks in the process. The boot was crammed full of camping equipment yet, as before with the GT, the Primera's insatiable appetite for long, winding stretches of road meant that whenever I arrived at a new destination, the remainder of the day wasn't written off recovering from the journey.

I really have nothing bad to say about this car, I suppose I could mention I was a little disappointed that some of the interior trim had been directly ported over from the previou
s model (the gearstick console and door-mounted switchgear look particularly out of place) but at least everything is solid and well put together (apart from that rear bumper!). Not too sure about the fuel economy either. I struggle to achieve a combined figure of 35mpg driving sensibly when I seem to recall the GT achieved 40+mpg easily.

At a recent 27,000 mile service I asked for some minor niggles to be rectified.

One of the rear door handles had to be secured as it had become loose. This was repaired under warranty.

The central locking actuator on the other rear door had ceased to function. If the door was left unlocked, it actually prevented the rest of the car locking remotely. It was replaced under warranty.

I was advised during the service that the rear brake pads had become dangerously worn and needed replaced - along with the brake fluid. I was quoted £195 by the dealer for this on top of £115 for the service. I told them not to bother and got the brakes seen to by a well know high street tyre & exhaust chain who charged £105 and guaranteed the brake pads for however long I keep the car. The cost would have been even less had they not had to purchase the pads direct from the same Nissan dealership who originally quoted me £195.

Summary: