Test Drive Nissan X-Trail 2003 - 2007 SUV

According to your letters

Cosmetic car update, it is, if you like, facelift or restyling, this is an excuse for the designers for too quick time.
  
Old friend new suddenly
Like wrinkle cream for the ladies of Balzakovsky age, restyling is vital to modern cars to hide traces of ruthless wilt. But someone is mascara, lipstick, overhead eyelashes are required earlier, someone later, and someone will protect the face at all, in advance, without waiting for manifestations of insidious time, giving themselves to the confrontation of specialists in the peeling, massage and tattoo.
 
The appearance of one of the most popular parquets of Europe, Land-Romery Flylander, seven years remained unchanged. Only once, in 2001, he retained the salon and replaced the technical loss. His young competitor Nissan-Iks-Trail went to the beautician two years after the premiere.
 
Whether the British were late and why did the Japanese hurried so hurried? Let's deal with the order.
  
Prestige do not offer
Popular recently the proverb argued that Mercedes, he and Africa Mercedes. Roughly and simmary. In the same way, recent restyling did not affect him, and he could not influence the position of English and Japanese parquets in the hierarchical table of ranks. Land Rover is the most, after the jeep, of course, the promotion of the world. In addition, the English brand itself is considered very prestigious. Individually evidenced by the fact that the Land Rover along with Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lincoln and Volvo enters the premiere of the Blue Blood of the Fords Legion.
 
X-trail does not have such a promoted name, however, it is not swinging chib. And for two from a small year of release, the first in the history of Nissan Parquetnik won the fame of the car of stylish, fashionable and youth.
  
Familiar and unfamiliar
Seven years without a single touch of Rumba is serious. Perhaps, here two opinions can not be designers of Land-Rover from the very beginning they fell into the apple. Twood and muscular, with perfectly suspended proportions, English oscidence, it seems, and does not think to grow old. Therefore, the task of the designers engaged in the face suspended was so responsible. Well, at least, the principle did not harm them. The first thing that rushes into the eyes, dual headlights in the style of the new Ranj-Rover, increased by 70% increased light statement. Radiator's grille has become restrained and stiff at the same time, the bumpers were painted in black, and the taillights were slightly raised over the sea level for better visibility and to get less dirty. It would seem, change times, two and turned around, but see how young Liberty Lovel looks like seven years old.
 
Institially allocate from the stream, the updated X-trail is not so easy. Nobody complained about the aggressive-cubic design, and therefore the stylists of the company only delicately blurred from their brainchitus the first dust ages. A couple of radiator lattice drawing was changed, and a stylish bluish lens appeared in the front headlights. The front bumper has become 55 mm shorter, but it will not be noticed by the naked eye.
 
 
The lanterns of the rear stroke of Nissan in the last fashion did smoky
 

And of course, the Nissan exterior is still full of right to be referred to as the most High-tekovsky of all parquets.
 
Towards wishes
In general, Restyling X-Trail is hardly fully drawn up by letters of readers. Moreover, in the most direct sense: the owners of the cars were sent questionnaires on the topic that I would improve in X-traile?. Of course, the road to the conveyor was found not to all razring. But the main thing and in this you can not doubt the inner world of X-Trail has become even better. Restyling as if the nail file easily and imperceptibly removed all the burrs of the already stylish, high-quality and spacious salon.
 
 
The front seats cushions became longer. The button control of the all-wheel drive transmission was changed by a round switcher. A mounting grid appeared in the trunk, which, if desired, will easily turn into a protective in the case, if Labrador is sent to you on the road. Buyers complained about not too convenient climate control unit. Please, the tiny panel was replaced by major retakes. An innovation from the discharge of jokes located immediately behind the wheel of the air duct. Otherwise, to cool hot heads. The cladding of the central console no longer spins in the sun, the seat heating buttons are now logical, and the cooled / heated box is ready to take on board not only the cola tin, but also a whole breakfast tourist.
 
 
   
Home focus and strict office Stylistically inner world of Freilander and X-Trail are distinguished as heaven and earth
 

   
The interior of the X-traile (right) looks, perhaps, not so cozy. However, real, unimaginable convenience here is much more. Yes, and on a disorder on the Nissan sofa, which is glad and three passengers, a little more preferable
       
The photos of the Flealender salon (left) looks gorgeous excellent stretch of leather and expensive plastic. Alas, the narrow opening of the rear door and the frank flaws of ergonomics ruthlessly destroy the first impression
       
Digitization of the freelender speedometer around the perimeter looks cool, but it makes it difficult to read. In X-traile, you need to use lateral vision to find out the speed. However, it is pretty quickly getting used to
  
 
 

Japanese to divert the Japanese is still unstable to scratch metallized coating around the windows buttons, and a practically unreadable white combination of instruments on the most expensive version of Elegance. Black tidy installed on the Sport modification test on our test, much better. In any case, a comfortable, stylish, high-quality and, if you want, smart, the interior of X-Trail deserves five.
 
 
Alas, repeat these words with respect to the freelender can only be asleep. The main and undoubted dignity of the English salon is, perhaps, the feeling of comfort. Chubby steering wheel, high-quality and pretty skin of the seats, expensive carpets. But the feeling of it is a feeling. And if it is impartially evaluated to the freelander, the picture is not much fun.
 
 
The British at all times differed in the original approach to the interior, but the authenticity is good in anywhere, only not in ergonomics. The rear janitor, for example, is switched on not by a ring on a steering wheel switch, but by the button on the dashboard. And nearby there is one more if you want to sprinkle a driver at the same time. But that will still be. The hood opening lever is located near the front passenger door. It is clear that the Land Rover car is English, but the same jaguars and risers, not to mention the Japanese, are happy to please and drivers of the countries with a right-hand movement.
 
 
Suppose you open the hood infrequently, but another puncture is already serious. The driver's chair has no adjustment in height. The British pillow itself did longer, and on the adjustment saved. At my meter, eighty five barely did not rest in the roof. Moreover, the steering wheel in this position partially closed the dashboard. In the absence of boar adjustment at height, the patrity situation.
 
 
Of course, getting rid of the old illness of the narrow opening of the rear doors is very difficult. But is it so difficult to raise the ventilation system casing hanging under the legs of the front passenger? In a word, more than a triethrower for the Salon Flyerlander did not earn.
 
Stir tree!
The 1.8-liter Motor of the K series, mounted under the hood of the freelender, is also a labor front veteran. He faithfully served as a long-standing MGF rhodster for a long time, and on the smallest Land Rover appeared in the year of the debut. It is clear that the speed records from such a wait. But as a motor of the entry level, a 120-strong four is not so bad. Of course, the noise background according to modern standards is vital, but this is the only serious drawback. And let the modest cube does not allow you to confidently move on the freegender of the latitude, which is so relevant for the sough. But if you press the heat and not to do high revolutions, the Englishman on acceleration dynamics is practically not inferior to the Japanese.
 
 
And Nissan, by the way, the extra two hundred cubes of volume and 20 horses! Modern design issues a much quiet job and an instant set of revolutions slightly touched the pedal, and the tachometer arrow can take 25003,000 rpm. And yet a duet of a 140-strong motor and a rather long box is weak for the semi-trial mass of X-trail. Yes, Nissan faster than the freelender, but will be on the site of the British RAV4 or CR-V, then he does not drink.
 
Nissan's brakes and Land Rover again pleased only to a certain extent. Pedals on both cars, what is called, with the character you need to have a serious one. In addition, the efficiency of braking, perhaps, would be higher if ABS entered work a little later. On the other hand, the caution of the creators of osses is quite understandable in this case, it is better to unfaste.
 
 
 
 
Combining incompatible
Who said the soughs of bad runners on asphalt? And Freilender, and X-Trail are ready to prove the opposite. The engineers of Nissan due to the tough and short-terrestrial independent suspension were able to minimize the transverse rolls and save the car from frightening valve. The car confidently keeps direct at speeds as if it is not a southehead, but an ordinary passenger car. The trajectory of movement does not have to adjust, the lack of waveock allows you to safely keep the cruising 150 km / h. Praise and efficient operation of the electrical differential electrosophy. When slipping the front, the rear axle is connected much faster than using the Viscounts, which ultimately improves stability on the turns.
 
It is curious that despite the noticeably longer, soft and comfortable suspension, which engineers equipped the lend rover, all of the above can be safely repeated in the address of the freelender. Except for one point. Steering with your head gives the age of the car, and it's great. In the parking velocities, the Baranka of the Land Romete will seem not in modern heavy, but the reactive force is not lubricated by the ryano-like amplifier.
 
We can, if we want
The creators of the parketniks pay more attention to the setting of asphalt habits of their pets. And permeability? And the passability, like the girls, then.
 
Flealender is hardly the only exception. There is no compact from the lend-rovers a rigidly connected bridge, there is no blocking of inter-wheeled differentials and lower transmission. But if any of the parkets and has the right to be called a sortier, then this is, of course, the Englishman.
 
Aluminum protection closes the engine crankcase, and the suspension elements, and the steering rack is located high as possible. Yes, the Freelander has no disassemble, but the angle of entry is 30 degrees for a parkerchief the result is outstanding. A fully sealed engine brains allow Land Romery to force the Brod to 40 cm. Eh, here would also be a 6-cylinder motor!
 
If anyone can challenge the Flealenderman on the off-road, so it is a paramero-pinin, but it's not an X-trail. It's funny, because Nissan is hardly the only one of the parkelors, who has the second (in this case) the bridge can be connected hard with the inter-axis differential lock. However, with such meger strokes the suspension is a bit of this function. Diagonal hanging cares for surprise on the harmless hillside. Here, only blocking the rear inter-track differential, which does not happen from these type machines.
 
However, this grief is not trouble if ESP + is installed on your X-traile. This system, available only for versions with a manual box, not only helps to keep the car in a speed turn. When slipping one of the wheels, it slows down and, imitating the work of the self-block, transmits the torque to the neighboring. This is already something.
 
And yet the mud baths of the Japanese should not be prescribed due to the unimportant geometric passability. Take a look at a low silencer silencer Five minutes off-road junction can cost an unscheduled visit to the technical center.
 
Black Mongol.
In the fall of 2003, the range of modifications of the freelender supplemented the sport specifically for Europe. Sportspriender differs in 30 mm reduced road lumen, tougher suspension, 18-inch cast discs, as well as the new black mogul seats or black Mongol, if in Russian. This fabric happily combines the prestige of the skin and very high wear resistance. Freegender-sport is offered with a 2-liter turbodiesel with a Common Rail power system or a V-shaped 2.5-liter six.
  
Change of places
We have already mentioned about the noisy motor of the freelender and the quiet X-trail. It remains to add that in the nomination smoothness the picture is directly opposite. Despite the shorter wheelbase, the British showed himself a rare pofigist regarding the quality of the roadway. Fleeller simply ignores, the middle, like hatches and thermoshvs, comes to the ears of the driver, rather than to his back, will not leave and on large cords. The energy-intensive suspension adequately holds blows and infects excitement of permissiveness where I want to go there.
 
Well, the short course of Nissanov's suspension you feel not only when you say. Not to say that the trips to X-Traile are delivered special discomfort by no means. Just a permanent boom boom on irregularities, urgent forced to look around and cross around the consequences of the smelly repair of Moscow streets.
  
Could be better
Despite the solid difference at the age, in the crash tests, by and large, both of them did not shine. 20 points and only three flier stars are easy to explain the fact that in the mid-90s, when the British Parquer was created, the safety requirements were completely different. Only what the buyer is to blame, because he pays money for a new car?!
 
Relatively fresh X-Trail spoke not an order of magnitude better. Of course, four stars are not bad. But two points from 26 Nissan received for the buzzers-reminders about the unusual belts. And the drivers' knees threaten the steering column and the elements of the interior decoration.
 
If you compare the equipment of basic equipment tools, then the advantage of Nissan is obvious. Other things being equal to ABS, EBD and the Break-Assist for the Japanese say four airbags instead of two at the British.
  
Fint ears
In Europe and America, freelender is considered a premium parquetical. This explains it a little higher price in comparison with all classmates. We are all the opposite. By definition, the prestigious lend rover is largely due to the whistling euro, almost the most affordable parckarter on the market. Cheaper, and then only $ 500, only Santa Fe!
 
 
    
 
Button opening glass fifth door Smart solution. Sorry it is not duplicated on the key chain

Well, Mr. Why do you have a hood opening knob on your right?
 
 
Mesh over the sofa will rise only for newspapers and cards

Stylish, and most importantly, the practical bottle holder in the door
 
 
Buttons of the rear janitors on the torpedo are too wonderful

Climatic system cover limits front passenger foot space
 

Under the curtain of last year, Lend-Rover dealers also moved to the euro, however, a civilized adjusting course, and not just changing the currency code. Now the base Fifteen in the configuration S will cost 24,64 euros, a three-door model is cheaper at 1080. A good price, if we consider that it includes a full electric car, air conditioning, cast 15-inch discs, anti-test system, tape recorder with a CD receiver. Lacks, by and large, only heating seats and parking sensors are options for 370 and 590 euros. Other versions of the freelence SE (26 760) and HSE (27,963) do not contain anything about anything vital: leather, hatch, religs, 16- or 17-inch wheels. Top equipment with a magnificent 177-strong motor V6 pulls at 33,822 euros.
 
 
    
 
In a fairly spacious boxing in the center console, you can carry the phone, but it is better to cool drinks

The switch modes of the all-wheel drive transmission is located in the optimal area of \u200b\u200breach
 
 
The glove box behind the steering column, equipped with a 12-volt outlet, as if specifically designed for radar detector

In a wide well, the pelvic cover is easy to fit into the subwoofer and loud, and secretive
 
 
Stylish pedals are quite appropriate on sports versions.

Facial deflector New word in interior conditioning
 

But Nissan prepared New Year's gift to buyers. The organization of sales through a single importer is not only levels of prices of all dealers, now these will become different. Unlike most competitors, Nissan goes to dollars. Since January, 2-liter X-trail in the sports package costs from $ 31,700. It is not bad, considering that more recently, 30,000 euros asked for the same car. For this money, you get everything except skin, hatch, fog, folding mirrors and CD changer. This economy pulls another and a half thousand. And if you want an X-traile rash, then prepare $ 35,500 euros so much asking for execution of Elegance with a 2.5-liter 160-strong motor.
 
It remains to add that Land Rover and Nissan will be free to repair for three years or the first 100 thousand mileage kilometers.
    
We decided:
It is quite logical that the restyling of Freilender and X-Trail pursued different goals. The British Veteran of the Parquet Front The updated appearance will help worthy of looking on the background of young competitors even year old, until the new generation model appeared in 2006. Nevertheless, despite even a frankly obsolete salon and only satisfactory passive safety, Land Rover is still quite competitive. Its talents of all-pass in the parquet class are still no equal, besides, he behaves very well on the asphalt. Well, the amazing fact that the prestigious all-terrain vehicle is sold for the breadcroves, leads us to an unexpected junction. The updated freeleynder (average rating 4.2) is not inferior to a young opponent! There is, it turns out, still powder in the powdernica.
 
However, if you consider the parquetnik first of all as a convenient, roomy, all-weather car, then the advantage of X-trail (average rating 4.2) is indisputable. Restyling only emphasized the advantages of this bright car and smoothed small disadvantages. So now Nissan may well argue with Honda-CR-V for the honorary title of the most practical parquet.
 
Mikhail Medvedev, Maxim Potcharov
 
 
 

A source: Limousine magazine [01/04]