Updated August 23rd 2006
Day 3:
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Having never driven one of these cute-utes, as they are called, I wasn’t sure what to expect for ride quality. Would it ride like a truck? Or would ride like a car? I half expected it to ride very much like a car, and it turns out I was both right and wrong.
In highway driving, I find the X-Trail to be a little noisy. Tire noise is mostly the culprit; wind noise is held to a minimum and engine noise is subdued as well. The ride quality on the highway is very smooth, none of the jarring, back and forth motion typically felt in trucks. So I guess you could say it rides like a car.
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In the city, the story changes slightly. Bumps in the road seem harsh, potholes and cracks seem to cause the X-Trail to rock, truck-like. It seems the suspension has been tuned to be stiff and truck-like, and as a result, at lower speeds, those bumps jar right through to the driver while going unnoticed at higher speeds.
If only my test X-Trail could speak: it very well may have lived a harsh life. There are a few battle scars on its body, and with only 10,000 km on the odometer there are a surprising number of rattles and creaks. There seems to be a rattle coming from the tailgate area and both the gas and brake pedals make a creak/squeak sound that is utterly annoying. Perhaps some oil is in order.
On the highway the engine turns between 2500 and 3000 rpm and is very quiet and smooth. Around town power delivery is smooth and I have never been left wanting, although engine vibrations do intrude into the vehicle while idling, not something I expect at this price range.
While tooling around town I find the X-Trail to be really easy to handle, the high seating position allows for good visibility and the small sized dimensions of the vehicle allow for easy maneuverability in parking lots.
I’ve been watching the gas gauge carefully and so far fuel consumption looks to be dead on with the expected 10.8/8.1 L/100km (City / Highway) Natural Resources Canada rating.
