Nissan TIIda Reviews

Nissan Tiida is a small-medium car with the sort of interior space that can accommodate a family, and provide a smooth quiet ride with reasonable engine performance. It replaced the very successful Nissan Pulsar in February due to a clash of cultures. Australians think a new car should hold onto the same name as the

Graham Smith reviews the first and section generation Nissan Tiida from 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 as a used buy.

Nissan Tiida has come - and gone - from the Australian new-car market. And not too many people seem to be sorry. Which is a shame in many ways because it’s a perfectly good small-medium car.

Nissan Tiida is a bargain on the used-car market because of its surprising lack of popularity on the new-car scene. Several times during its five years the new car price was dropped to try and improve sales.But why didn’t it sell well in the first place? Primarily because it was the successor to the ultra-successful Nissan Pulsar, but the management decided to give it a strange new name. At least we were spared attempts to give it the official pronunciation of Tee-eeda... But the name never struck a cord and next time around the replacement model will, thankfully, be called Pulsar again.Nissan Tiida has a somewhat boxy style, but that’s to make it a very spacious interior. There's as much, if not more, legroom in the rear as you will get in most large family cars. As well as good headroom and shoulder room to go with it.The front seats are almost as large as those of a six-cylinder car, thanks partly to an ingenious design that sees the adjustment levers being placed in the frequently-wasted space between the two seats.The boots of both the sedan and hatch are large, with the topline Tiida hatch having a further useful feature of sliding rear seats so that you can further increase the size if you don’t need full legroom in the back seat.Noise and vibration suppression are impressive giving the sort of refined feeling you would normally expect from a car of the next size upwards. Ride comfort is good, with a reasonably supple feel from the suspension. However, the electrically-assisted system is over light and on the vague side.Power comes from a new design of 1.8-litre twin-cam engine with good torque from about 2000 rpm upwards. The engine is a little reluctant to rev and fairly noisy towards the top end of its power band, but it’s not really aimed at the sporting driver so that’s forgivable.Tiida has a six-speed manual gearbox, making it a leader in the class at the time. The shift is surprising noisy and gives a real clunk-clunk sound with every gearchange. We find it irritating, owners say they get used to it.On the other hand, the automatic is an old style four-speed unit, though it works well enough and the engine isn’t doing silly revs at motorway speeds. Nissan Tiidas originally came from Japan, later a Nissan factory in Thailand provided most Australian imports. This is a factor in the low price of the car due to a trade agreement between Australia and Thailand. Build quality is almost as good in the strictly controlled Thai factory from the Japanese one. In March 2010 the Nissan Tiida got a comprehensive facelift that saw the front of the car being extended and reshaped. A new radiator grille added to this look. The topline Tiida Ti had its side skirts done in the same colour as the rest of the body to visually take some of the height out of the car. Nissan (nee Datsun) has operated in Australia since the mid 1960s so has a strong, experienced network of dealers. There are more dealers in country areas than is normal for Asian cars in this class and Pulsar was a big seller in the bush – Tiida didn’t so as well. Spare parts prices and servicing are reasonably priced and we seldom hear any complaints about parts availability.Insurance premiums are on the modest to midrange in price and there are seldom any big differences from company to company. It’s always worth shopping around, but be sure you’re doing an accurate comparison on what is, and is not, covered in the policy.WHAT TO LOOK FORCheck for crash damage or previous repairs as these can seriously affect the resale value of the car. Sight along the doors and look for ripples in the finish of the panels. Look for paint colours that don’t quite match from panel to panel. Tiny specks of paint on non-painted surfaces such as windows, badges and brightwork are another sign of a repaint.Nissan Tiidas are popular as family cars so look for a damaged interior created by bored kids. Look at the condition of the boot mats in case heavy loads have been ripping about during cornering or braking.Make sure that the engine starts easily and idles smoothly from the moment it ticks over. Be suspicious of any rattles from the bottom, these may indicate slow pickup of the oil. Check for smoke from the exhaust if the engine is worked hard, driving up a hill in a high gear is a good test. Be sure that the clutch takes up positively, gearchanges are all light and easy and that there is no sign of clutch slip. An automatic transmission that has harsh changes may need be overdue for a service, or even major repairs.CAR BUYING TIPBuy at the end of the month because there’s a good chance the sales person is on a bonus system and wants as many sales as possible for that month. 

The first lesson for first-car buyers is to forget power and performance - go for safety, reliability and low running costs. Today's car choices are far wider and considerably less basic that Peter Brock's first car, a stripped-down 750cc Austin Seven. But the exercise of buying your car demands patience and - if possible - expert consideration.Compared with buying new, you will save money purchasing a used car. But be aware that a used car may require expensive repair costs, may be less fuel efficient and that its safety standards are likely to be lower than a new car. The basic safety gear you want are two airbags and ABS brakes.Every car is different because each has been treated differently during its life. Be cognisant that cheap new cars are bought on a budget and the penny-pinching owners may skimp on regular servicing and repairs. Steer away from hotted-up cars - you want reliable, easy-to-fix transport here, not a temperamental, ground-hugging runt that sounds like it's lost its exhaust pipe.There are a few quality used car models that have lasted the distance. These have retained a solid reputation for quality and reliability, have a strong spare parts back-up, simple service schedule and are renown for just being easy to live with.The only downside is they won't be the newest car on your block and they're unlikely to be the most rewarding ride of your life. But you have to start somewhere. Just like Peter Brock.CHOICESThese are some used cars, not in any particular order, that should be reliable first-time cars. But each car is different. Ensure your car is professionally checked before buying and that all the car's service papers are accurate, regular and preferably stamped by a competent service centre.NISSAN TIIDAThis model is the evolution of the Pulsar and, I admit, isn't the prettiest car on the road. Fellas, perhaps stay away from this one. But the model is enduring because of its simplicity and low running costs. It has a decent amount of metal around the passenger cell to minimise intrusion in case of a collision, a neat and functional interior with comfortable seats, big boot in the sedan model (and more than adequate in the hatchback version), and four doors so your friends won't have to squeeze past you on the way to access the rear seat.2006 TIIDA TI SEDANCost: $9200 with 79,000kmEngine: 93kW/174Nm 1.8-litre autoFuel economy: 7.8 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 4 airbags, brake assist Crash rating: 4-starMAZDA3Two of my daughters drive these and love them for their comfort and features. Later models are preferable because of the electronic stability control, but earlier versions had at least four airbags and ABS brakes plus a four-star crash rating. Because everyone loves these, they're going to cost a bit more than some rival cars. But Mazda's quality name should extend to the day you sell it allowing it to retain a high resale value.2006 MAZDA3 MAXXCost: $11,500 with 75,000kmEngine: 108kW/182Nm 2.0-litre autoFuel economy: 8.2 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 6 airbags, brake assistCrash rating: 4-star.MITSUBISHI LANCERThese have been made for decades yet nearly all carry a name for reliability. One model, bought with 247,000km on the clock, stayed trouble-free in my household for four years before finding yet another owner. That's not uncommon with Lancers. They're very simple cars but early models fall down badly in safety equipment, so look at 2003 and younger if possible. The 2007-plus models have a five-star crash rating. It doesn't really matter which model you buy but you may have better resale in the future with an automatic with four or five doors that will appeal to a wider audience.2006 LANCER LS SEDANCost: $10,000 with 70,000kmEngine: 115kW/220Nm 2.4-litre autoFuel economy: 8.5 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 2 airbagsCrash rating: 3-star.TOYOTA COROLLAThis is a stablemate of suburban living with the distinction of being a member of practically every Australian household since the 1970s. It's always been a simple and reliable car without any major hiccups, though the Toyota badge means there's a premium - justified or otherwise - on the price. Paying the extra on the Corolla name alone may not be worth it - look closely at each car before purchase. Toyota was one of the last major carmakers to introduce extra features - such as additional airbags and stability control - on base versions. Better models started from 2000 and the more upmarket versions (Levin and Ultima, for example) are preferred.2006 COROLLA CONQUEST SEDANCost: $10,500 with 75,000kmEngine: 93kW/161Nm 1.8-litre autoFuel economy: 7.4 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 2 airbagsCrash rating: 4-star.MITSUBISHI MAGNAThis is something a bit bigger and yet is generally priced about the same as the smaller cars. Mitsubishi made these in Australia and progressive years honed the product to excellent reliability while ho-hum styling and performance slashed resale. That makes this big family car good buying today. Magnas ended their run in 2005 and today these are the pick of the bunch, even though the powerplant was a 3.5-litre V6 with a four-speed auto. These cars were common in government and rental fleets but don't be put off - that means they've been regularly se rviced and repaired.2005 MAGNA ES SEDANCost: $5000 with 120,000kmEngine: 155kW/316Nm 3.5-litre V6 autoFuel economy: 11.5 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 4 airbags, traction controlCrash rating: 3-star.SUBARU LIBERTYAnother biggish car that offered high safety standards for its era. The later Libertys are also attractive, well equipped - in their day they weren't a cheap car - and roomy. The downside may be lacklustre performance, so-so fuel economy and some high-priced spare parts but we're primarily chasing a reliable and safe car choice here. The Libertys are all-wheel drive sedans and wagons which aids safety on wet roads rather than giving them any off-road ability (for that, look at the Subaru Outback).2006 LIBERTY 2.5i SEDANCost: $11,500 with 75,000kmEngine: 121kW/226Nm 2.5-litre autoFuel economy: 9.5 L/100kmSafety features: ABS brakes, 6 airbags, traction controlCrash rating: 5-star.

The Nissan Pulsar was one of Australia's most popular and respected small cars, so the oddly named Tiida had a tough act to follow when it launched in 2006. Its job was made somewhat easier when currency changes had forced Nissan to push the Pulsar's price higher and it lost its competitive edge in its last years.Nissan was determined to use the Tiida to win back some of the ground given up in the latter period of the Pulsar's life.MODEL WATCHIt was a surprise when Nissan dropped the popular Pulsar nameplate in favour of the Tiida, but the company justified the move by saying the Tiida was an all-new car and a fresh start. One look at the Tiida was all that was needed to see that it was indeed a fresh start for the Nissan small car.Whereas the Pulsar's looks were rather staid, the Tiida's were stylish and modern and could only have come from Europe. The looks came from Nissan's move in joining forces with Renault, which resulted in the Tiida sharing its underpinnings with the Renault Megane.Compared to the Pulsar the Tiida was bigger, more refined, and more comfortable; it was also well finished, and drove well.The Tiida range was made up of ST sedan and hatch at the entry point, the mid-range ST-L sedan and hatch, and the Ti sedan and Q hatch. An all-aluminium 1.8-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing provided the motivation, and when working at its peak it delivered a modest 93 kW at 5200 revs and 174 Nm at 4800 revs.It was sufficient to comfortably keep up with the traffic without ever exciting the driving senses.All models but the Ti had a six-speed manual gearbox standard, with an option of a four-speed auto 'box. The Ti had the auto standard.The Tiida was comfortable and roomy inside with good head, leg and elbowroom. Soft-feel materials were used on dash padding, door trims and headliner, topped off with polished metallic finishes that gave it a quality look and feel. The boot was a good size with a flat floor, under which was stowed a full-sized spare.All models were well equipped. Even the ST entry models had air-conditioning, remote central locking, CD with four-speaker sound, and power mirrors. The ST-L had extra safety features, plus 15-inch alloy wheels, power windows and Tricot seat trim. Atop the range the Ti sedan and Q hatch had leather-trimmed steering wheels, a blend of leather and cloth trim, an overhead console, and six speaker sound systems.IN THE SHOPComplaints to Cars Guide about the Tiida have been few and far between, and have generally been of a minor nature, which suggests it has no serious flaws. Good build quality, combined with a reliable package of engine, gearbox, driveline and suspension means little goes wrong.While all appears to be sound make the usual checks for evidence of a crash, and poor repairs, and check for evidence of regular servicing.IN A CRASHAll models have dual front airbags and seat belt pretensioners, while all except the ST also have curtain airbags for better all round protection. All models also boast an impressive array of active safety features, including ABS anti-lock brakes, optimum brakeforce distribution and brake assist.AT THE PUMPThe Tiida won't stretch the budget too far with fuel economy in the region of 7.6 L/100 km for the manual models and 7.8 L/100 km for the autos.LOOK FORFresh looksSpacious cabinFull-size spareFuel miserModest performanceWell-finished.THE BOTTOM LINEWell-built, well-equipped, economical small car with roomy interior.

But while the catch phrase will have you believe you will feel "really, really, really good inside" when driving the Tiida, the reality is the expectations are a little high. The Tiida leaves you with the feeling you get when you have a discount movie ticket, but then the flick you choose is just average. Not bad, but not as good as you would like.At first glance, the top of the range 1.8-litre Tiida Ti Sedan seems ordinary and not as eye-catching as others in its class, such a Mazda3, Holden Astra or Ford Focus.It just doesn't get you as excited as you would like to be for $26,490. And after driving it for a week, the feeling is the same as it blends into peak-hour traffic, lacking that trendiness. But the metallic red paint on the test car does allow the Tiida to have its moments, as do the stylish repositioned rear-view mirrors further down the door, with tiny fixed windows where the mirrors would usually sit.The name Tiida derives from the word "tide" which refers to the flow of the ocean.Nissan feels this reflects its commitment to constant change highlighted with the Tiida replacing the Pulsar, which established the $19,990 price-point.But it remains to be seen if this change is really as good as a holiday.The Ti's interior is more impressive than its exterior, especially the comfortable seating, leather and cloth trim, making those long drives more tolerable. Nissan rightly boasts the spacious cabin, which had no problem in fitting four adults quite comfortably, with ample leg room.The dashboard tries to give off a sporty vibe, with silver strips above the glovebox, on the gearstick and the steering wheel.The sporting theme continues down to the individually defined gauges. However, it feels like it's trying a little too hard to impress and falls short of pulling off the sporty look.The 1.8-litre engine provides 93kW of power at 5200rpm with 174Nm of torque at 4800rpm. In terms of performance, the Tiida lacks the power to tackle hills, with the automatic transmission struggling to take on any reasonable incline.Equipped with ABS, the Ti Tiida has responsive braking, which handles well in stop-start traffic. But the drive is a little bumpy and not quite as smooth as desired.The Tiida hatch is a little more impressive in appearance and has a sense of style about it, particularly more appealing to its younger female audience.The more affordable starting prices of $19,990 for the ST and $22,240 for the the ST-L, come with a less impressive interior.The seats are a lot harder than those in the top-of-the-range hatch Q and Ti Sedan and there's no added luxuries, such as arm rests in the front and back, front map lights or a leather steering wheel.In the middle back seat of all hatch models, there is only a lap belt, which is a little disappointing. There is plenty of space to store wallets and mobile phones, with reasonable-sized compartments.While the Nissan Tiida is considerably priced against its competitors and has the new-car vibe, you can't help but feel you're missing out on something — that it's just a little too ordinary, and not quite as enjoyable as Kim Cattrall might make it out to be.

Tiida will take time to establish a beach head in this country as a replacement for the Pulsar which had a 28 year run.Tiida also faces stove hot competition for the likes of new Honda Civic, Mazda3, Holden Astra and Ford Focus. Styling is conservative and narrow looking hiding long interior with impressive rear legroom. Hatch looks better than the sedan. Renault influence throughout car especially the front and interior. Built on Renault small people mover platform with benefits inside. Engine is a 1.8-litre twin cam four with variable valve timing to deliver 93kW – about average for class. Has good response, frugal thirst, runs quietly. Auto is a four speeder – hunts a bit on hilly terrain, big drops between ratios. No sequential. Cries out for a five speeder or CVT. Six speed manual driven previously feels notchy between gears but drives better than the auto. ST-L is mid-level and probably the best value for money in Tiida range. Hatch manual is $24,240 and includes side curtain air bags ABS, power windows (yes) and alloy wheels among other stuff. Lacks centre rear three point seat belt. No vanity mirrors in sun visors. Has a large boot, full size spare. Rides sweetly, smooth over bumps, tidy dynamics. Test car had acrid plastic smell inside – like Korean cars used to. Looks small on the road, certainly smaller than competitors. Good vision, airy interior. Verdict:Like certain aspects but not the looks. Competitors are enticing for the same money. Nissan's reliability hard to pass up.

It's one of those ads that people love to hate, but I guess that means it must be doing its job for Nissan – because it's attracting attention to the car.Anyone who has ever watched Sex In the City will know that none of the oh so hip New Yorkers would look sideways at a Tiida.In fact, none of the overpaid, under-worked cast members including the featured Kim Cattrall would be seen dead in anything less than a Benz . . . for goodness sake darling!Tiida has been getting a pretty hard time from motor noters since its launch a couple of months back.Not sure why after driving the top of the line Ti sedan this week.The trouble with Tiida is absolutely nothing.It's a good, solid motor car in the tradition of Pulsar which it replaces and like Pulsar offers a largish interior in what is otherwise a small car – and at a small car price too.But – and it's a BIG BUT – Tiida happens to be up against some very good competition in the form of Mazda3 and Honda's all-new Civic.And it brings nothing new to the table worthing talking about.The entry level Tiida might be a fraction cheaper than either car, but it offers nothing extra to attract interest.The Ti like all models in the range is powered by a 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine that delivers 93kW of power at 5200rpm and 174Nm of torque at 4800rpm.That's less power than Civic or Mazda3 and less torque than Mazda3 (but the same as Civic), although peak torque is developed higher in the rev range.The Ti gets the $2000 automatic trans- mission as standard. It's only a four-speed unit but makes a good fist of it, with an overdrive lockout button for quick change downs.Civic meanwhile offers a five-speed auto.Performance from the 1.8-litre engine is good without being remarkable, but probably not quite as good as either the Mazda or the Honda.Fuel consumption for the auto is rated at 7.8L/100km, with a 52-litre tank takes ordinary unleaded petrol.The sedan is roomy inside with a big car feel on the road and a big boot to match.It has a bright airy interior with good vision all round and height adjustment for the driver's seat.Our test car exhibited some torque steer under hard acceleration and some steering wheel rebound in rougher corners, but handled well otherwise.We were surprised to find that the rear brakes are drums, although the Ti gets ABS with brake assist and brake force distribution.We were amazed to discover the centre rear seatbelt is only a two-point lap belt which we believe is unforgivable for a major manufac- turer of Nissan's standing.Safety is becoming a big issue for buyers and manufacturers need to take note.However, the company has equipped the car with a full-size steep spare wheel which should please Aussies.Standard equipment includes driver and passenger airbags, airconditioning, keyless entry with central locking, CD player with four speakers, power mirrors, with the addition of curtain airbags, ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, rear headrests, power windows and 15in alloys wheels as you move up the range.Ti adds leather steering wheel and luxurious leather/cloth blend seat trim, polished metallic interior trim, front and rear armrests, overhead console, six speakers, front map lamps and passenger vanity mirror.The Nissan Tiida Ti is priced from $26,490. 

It saved the brand in Australia, but did the job with a dollar deal that created the country's $19,990 price fight.Pulsar sales soared in the early days of the sub-$20,000 contest, but it was eventually overwhelmed by all sorts of rivals, including the unbeatable Toyota Corolla.The Pulsar took a beating over the past couple of years, and it took too long for Nissan Australia to land its replacement. But now it has the Tiida.The newcomer has a vaguely Renault style to its shape — which is no surprise given the French carmaker is Nissan's senior partner these days — but it is basically a conservative Japanese compact car.It is well built, a nice drive and should hit the spot with existing Pulsar owners.But it is never going to be in a fight for bragging rights against the Ford Focus — or even the new Honda Civic.The Tiida should be solid for Nissan, which has plenty of other new models — including the Murano and Navara — to light the lights in its showrooms. And there is always the 350Z.So why the name change? Because Japan headquarters insisted that Australia use the global name for the car, and because Nissan Australia believes the Pulsar name will always be associated with cut-price motoring.That's why Kim Cattrall is starring in the Tiida TV ads. She was signed to spruik the name, getting people used to the change and the right way to say it, not to push the car and its features. It cost Nissan Australia an estimated $1 million to land the Sex and the City star, but the plan is working.People are getting used to Tiida, and even Nissan dealers are not as upset as they were about the loss of the Pulsar name.Australia is the first country outside Japan to get the Tiida, and it is worth stressing that the car is Japan-centric.It has become a global car, but only because international sales directors called for the car once they saw what had been developed for home sales in Japan.That means the specification is a little skinny, compared with its rivals, and it doesn't have some of the flair of other recent Nissan newcomers.The Tiida is a 1.8-litre compact that is available as either a sedan or hatch, and Nissan Australia has held the $19,990 price line for the ST starter car.The action moves up through the ST-L and Q for the hatch and ST-L and fully loaded Ti in the sedan.Standard equipment includes the compulsory twin airbags, aircon and CD sound, and the ST gets remote central locking and power mirrors. You have to pay extra for electric windows.The ST-L picks up curtain airbags and anti-skid brakes; the Q and Ti get a leather steering wheel, overhead console, six-speaker sound and a passenger vanity mirror — which should be in every Tiida.Prices run up to $26,490 for the Tiida Ti automatic sedan.ON THE ROADThe Tiida is a nice drive. It's no sports car, but the ride is smooth and comfortable, it has good grip in bends, and you would happily take it from Melbourne to the Gold Coast for a holiday run.It is brisk enough for most city work, has good economy, and is commendably quiet. But all of that is not nearly good enough in 2006.And the manual gearbox in the Tiida is absolutely the worst we have used since . . . well, forever.The six-speed box itself is fine but the clunky, notchy and noisy shift is a disgrace for a company with Nissan's engineering ability and experience.Thankfully, we spent most of our test time in a Tiida ST-L automatic.And there was (just) enough equipment in the car to make life easy, but not exciting or luxurious, despite a $24,240 bottom line.We were also disappointed by the seats, the dull steering, the level of standard equipment and the generally bland feel to the car.The Tiida seems narrow in the cabin, but that could be because of the high roof compared with the sleek new Honda Civic.The Tiida gets along pretty well with 93kW and 174Nm from its new four, but even the automatic is an old-style set-up with no manual driving mode.And there are only four speeds, when a new Nissan should have five.It does ride well, the brakes are good, and it is easy — much easier than a Civic — to park. It is a car that most people would happily take on any trip because it is light and easy and very quiet.But the whole time we were driving the Tiida we were thinking about what it has to beat — actually, what it does not beat.It is a good, honest car, but its rivals have moved a long way past it.It will feel great to a Pulsar driver, and does look fresh in Nissan showrooms, but that's not enough.Nissan knows what it has and is happy to have the Tiida, but we cannot help thinking that the car will get a pretty big boost when the first facelift arrives in Australia.THE BOTTOM LINEA solid, not stunning, replacement for the Pulsar should keep sales ticking over in Australia.70/100