CTC Review: 2006 Nissan X-Trail

[CD_Editor]

Photo Gallery  NEW! Day 1: Click Image to Enlarge The Nissan X-Trail is one of the few vehicles available in North America that is not sold south of the border.  Available in both front wheel drive (FWD) and all wheel drive (AWD) versions,  the X-Trail competes in the small sport-utility market against the likes of the Rav4 and CR-V. More ....

[airbalancer]

Aux is no big deal, get a FM transmitter
my wife does even want that she would rather jusr play her cd's
I really dont know if I could get use to a centre gauges
most of the Xtrail on the local lot are over $35Gs, all with auto

[si]

I also agree about the AUX.    Although it's a nice feature, it's certainly still a minority thing.  Please comment on ease of keeping seats/area clean, and note that the HVAC vents flow through cupholders to keep things temperature-happy.

[Loudpedal]

Centre mounted instrument cluster...

Now if only it had a "regular" instrument cluster and a VQ35 under the hood...

[airbalancer]

I also agree about the AUX.    Although it's a nice feature, it's certainly still a minority thing.  Please comment on ease of keeping seats/area clean, and note that the HVAC vents flow through cupholders to keep things temperature-happy.

if i have a hot coffee and have the cooling on, will cool down the coffee?

[Craig]

You can close the vent to the cupholders.

[Bullet Blue]

Centre mounted instrument cluster...

I would initially agree with you, however I hear that you get used to it quite easily.

[jww]

I have liked the X-Trail since it was first introduced to Canada and only have a few very minor gripes on it - each of which I think anyone could easily get used to - I am sure that I could at least. 

1. Headrest positions are way too far back of the driver's & front passenger's heads to be effective except when passive head restraint feature comes into play. In other words, you lean way back to rest your head and have a hard time seeing the road and driving in comfort. However - this is a Nissan thing, not an X-Trail thing, so it may be a bit unfair of a comment.

2. Entry into rear seating area is a bit cramped - plenty of room once you are in there, but the space between the rear wheel well and the front opening seam on the door is a bit shorter than I woule ideally like.

3. Because of the encroachment of the afore-mentioned wheel well, rear windows do not go down far enough to my tastes.

Notwithstanding, central gauge issues, are really a matter of opinion. In reality central gauges are no more difficult to drive - in fact, because the view of the gauges isn't impeded by a tilting steering wheel, I find it a big plus. And it's nice to have a HVAC duct right in front of the driver instead of only having side vents. The only downside to the central stack is that SWAMBO can critique driving speeds more readily (as can everyone else in the vehicle).

Overall, the versatility of this cute-ute is quite impressive. I really get a charge out of the Adventure Package roof rack (aka Safari Rack in Europe and the UK) but it comes at the price of losing your foglights, which can be a negative to some.

The neoprene-like seating material is actually very comfortable and easy to maintain (or so I am told). Maybe a separate opening window in the rear hatch might be useful?

[Mr Meow]

I'm not a fan on the clocks in the middle. It should always in front of the driver. Its like the unsaid rule when setting the cuttery at the table for ya posh guests. The X-trail is very nice. Its reminds me of an old Talbot Matra Rancho.
.

[Gwendly]

I actually prefer the gauges in the center since it's easier to glance at the center then past the steering wheel.

[AVToller]

I actually prefer the gauges in the center since it's easier to glance at the center then past the steering wheel.

Same here, but we've been on this merry-go-round before!! 

[jww]

Same here, but we've been on this merry-go-round before!! 

And then some ......

[sirAQUAMAN64]

There's something about the X-Trail I love. I would have thought I'd be into the CR-V most, but I'm not. The X-Trail has an adventure rich image to me even tho it's a soft roader. When sitting inside it all looks so logically laid-out with few frills and lots of function. I feel like I'm sitting in a vehicle that's nice and bright and airy - not just because of the awesome pana roof, but because of the upright pillars, lots of glass, away dashboard, and comfy seating position. It's easy to get comfy. And it looks like a more decent value every day as competitors redesign their models and Nissan introduces incentives.

Interested in the fuel economy Wing... aunt is in the market for a Tucson, but I think this should be in the running for her.

EDIT: Just realized you have the new package with the roof rail mounted 'off road' fog lamps. I think these are neat (integrated very well), but quite useless as I'd imagine you'd be blinding other drivers on the road... I would have prefered to keep the bumper mounted ones (for the road) and add the roof ones for kicks (camping, wilderness, etc).

[wing]

The roof lights ONLY can be activated when the brights are on, so you will not blind other drivers if you turn your brights off.  Unlike those that drive with fog lights on that are useless.

[jww]

...

EDIT: Just realized you have the new package with the roof rail mounted 'off road' fog lamps. I think these are neat (integrated very well), but quite useless as I'd imagine you'd be blinding other drivers on the road... I would have prefered to keep the bumper mounted ones (for the road) and add the roof ones for kicks (camping, wilderness, etc).

That's what Nissan call the Safari Roof Rack option in the UK and Europe. 

[airbalancer]

it the picture of the interior the back seat is flip forward does this stop the driver's seat from travelling all the way back.
I have found in some cars, once the seat is flip forward I could fit into the driver seat anymore

[wing]

No it doesn't seem so at all.  The headrests need to be removed though.

[bmorton]

We looked at the X-Trail while shopping for a compact SUV last month. Definitely liked the seating position and selectable AWD system. Didn't care so much for a couple of niggly interior details, the centre gauges (sorry, I know they have their fans) or what we felt to be a somewhat dated overall look. You can tell it was designed in the '90s. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, as its reliability record attests, but it wasn't what we had in mind.

That said, with the great pricing available on the X-Trail recently we might still have been swayed by an LE w/VDC if we had been shopping strictly for a 4-cylinder vehicle, but the V6 in the RAV4 was the clincher. I still think the X-Trail is a great overall package and am surprised that I don't see more of them out there.

[jww]

... I still think the X-Trail is a great overall package and am surprised that I don't see more of them out there.

We see plenty roaming around here in Ottawa. We also saw tons of them in southern Maine on vacation last week - testimony to the number of Quebecers who travel to Old Orchard Beach and environs for their vacation.

[AVToller]

I've seen an amazing number of X-Trails around Port Alberni considering the fact that the nearest dealer is 90 km away.  I'm not a "Nissan guy", but I find them quite appealing.