MyCars Car Test: 2009 Nissan Tiida 1.6 Visia+
Type: Used Vehicle review
Mileage: 74 000km
Power: 80kw/153Nm
Test Driver: Miss “M”
Looks
The Nissan Tiida was developed by the brand to compete with other spacious, well-equipped and comfortable family vehicles. The Tiida’s styling is modern and trendy, with the smooth, soft lines of the car complemented by the large tail- and head-lights. This understated design produces a very clean look to the Tiida, with the chrome inserts in the front grille and boot-lid handle providing just enough edginess to satisfy the teenagers in the family.
Driver Impression
MyCars’ test Tiida is the Visia+ model, which comes equipped with the convenient luxuries of power-steering, aircon, front and rear electric windows and central locking. A much-welcome surprise is the model’s addition of a centre armrest with an internal storage compartment.
A major draw-card of the Tiida is the generous space in the interior of the vehicle, which is a necessity when purchasing a family car. The seats are soft and comfortable, with a pleasing plush velvet feel to them. The instrument panel and dash of the Tiida is well laid-out and creates plenty of legroom for the driver, which provides a very relaxed and spacious cabin feel.
The Tiida’s start-up is quick with a nifty temperature colour-coded light indicator. This means that when the vehicle is cold this indicator is illuminated in a bright blue to indicate very cold operating conditions, and fades away when the vehicle reaches its optimal operating temperature.
All Tiida’s are sold with a 3 year or 90,000km service plan as well as a 3 year or 100,000km mechanical warranty, ensuring that brand confidence is maintained and prospective buyers can rest assured that they are buying a vehicle of quality.
The standard audio equipment in the Tiida includes a double-din front-loader CD player and radio.RDS functionality is also included and driver and passenger airbags make the Tiida a functional family car. Further safety features include ABS braking, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD) as well as Brake Assist System (BAS).
Driving Experience
The Tiida’s 1.6 motor has sufficient power to haul the rather large vehicle, but is clearly more geared towards comfortable highway cruising rather than high-level performance. The acceleration is respectable, with the Tiida’s 5-speed gearbox and diff ratios creating very comfortable cruising between 120km/h and 140km/h. Ride comfort and noise levels have clearly been a focal point for Nissan’s engineers, as the Tiida’s drive proves.
The Tiida’s top speed is professed to be 185km/h, and since one doesn’t have to down change to build up lost speed, the speed performance of the car is fairly consistent. Nissan claims that the Tiida reaches 0 – 100km/h in 11.1 seconds – quite respectable for a family car!
The Visia+ model boasts 185/65/15 tyres, which are very forgiving towards the irregular South African roads. The well-composed suspension complements the tyres ensuring that bumps and potholes are easily absorbed by the vehicle, allowing both driver and passengers to enjoy a smooth, luxurious ride.
Despite the comfortable ride and soft suspension the Tiida still manages to deliver composed and firm high-speed handling – making the safe highway cruiser it clearly is.
For passengers, rear legroom and space have been generously proportioned in the Tiida, making it a very able family vehicle. Two car-seats can be comfortably installed in the back with enough space left in between to accommodate another child. The Tiida’s boot-space is among the top in its class at a liberal 467 litres – more than enough to accommodate family holidays and shopping trips. The boot-lid mechanism can prove to be temperamental at times, and requires a very methodical approach to closing the boot-lid properly. However, a quick survey of Tiida owners assures us that this is a known Tiida ‘trait’ which is easily defeated by simply placing your closing hand in the middle of the boot-lid when closing it.
The Tiida’s status as family car is further cemented by the access of the car itself. Both front and rear doors allow easy entry and exit.
Finally…
The overall build quality of the Tiida is very good, and with a new base 4-door model costing around R180,000 the Tiida won’t break the bank either.
So if space, comfort and affordability feature high up on your family’s list of priorities the Nissan Tiida should definitely form part of your short-list.
Make sure to go check out the Repossessed Nissan Tiidas for sale and Nissan Tiidas on online auction at MyCars.co.za!