Nissan X-Trail 2000-2007 used car review
The Nissan X-Trail is an excellent all-round family car.
The Nissan X-Trail is an excellent all-round family car. The front seats won’t be comfortable for everyone.
The X-Trail was Nissan's first mid-size crossover vehicle. It combines passenger car and SUV attributes. The all-wheel drive system is switchable, which is not a standard feature in this type of car. The top GT model offers impressive performance from a turbocharged engine.
Inside and out
The X-Trail has a rugged, boxy look to it, with square sides and plastic body cladding on both the front and rear. The headlights are large and complemented by smaller fog lights below. Thick rubber strops along the sides protect the car from parking bumps. The rear taillights are large and tall for additional visibility and safety.
The boxy theme continues inside with the square and flat-faced dash. The instruments do not sit in front of the driver - instead, they are mounted in a pod above the centre console. The theory is that because the gauges are further away, your eyes take less time to adjust between them and the road.
Below the gauges is a touchscreen infotainment system, which will require a band expander to receive local stations, and the buttons for the all-wheel drive system. Two lidded cubbies are designed to hold a can of drink each, chilling them using air ducted from the manual air-conditioning system.
The front seats are covered with a fabric that is likely easy to wipe down. The seats are high, narrow and don’t have much side or thigh support. The rear bench is more comfortable because it is softer and offers excellent head and legroom. Three adults will be a squeeze, with the centre position more suited to smaller people.
The boot is reasonably large, although it is shallow. The distance from the door to the back seat is long which could make it hard to grab items at times. We think five to six medium-size cases will fit. The back of the rear seat and the boot floor are made of a textured, hard-wearing plastic that can be easily cleaned.
On the road
New Zealand-new X-Trails use a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with all-wheel drive; all Japanese models are 2-litre with the option of a high-performance turbocharged GT version and front or all-wheel drive. This review car features the smaller engine, which produces 110kW and 200Nm. Performance is good, though it does struggle a little with the size of the vehicle and will be affected by a full load on board. The four-speed automatic is smart at selecting gears, yet it is not particularly smooth. The engine is quite noisy when pushed.
The car corners well, with firm suspension and surprisingly little body roll for an SUV. The steering is very light and offers no feedback as to the condition of the road or what the front tyres are doing. The brakes are easy to engage and responsive.
The all-wheel drive system can be switched off, left in auto or locked with buttons next to the steering wheel. For day-to-day use, select 2WD for maximum efficiency; on wet or slippery roads choose 4WD for extra grip. When going off-road or on extra-slippery surfaces, you can lock the centre differential to provide equal power to the front and rear wheels for maximum grip.
Unless you have a load on the back, it is easy to turn your head and look out across the vehicle’s flat rear. We think this is one of the few cars that doesn’t need a reversing camera.
Although we could not find an official tow rating for the Japanese model X-Trail, the New Zealand-new model has a high rating for its size. It can pull 750kg unbraked (medium-large garden trailer) and 2,000kg braked (a small-medium trailer boat).
Safety
RightCar lists the X-Trail (2001-2007) with an average three-star Used Car Safety Rating, based on real-world crash data. Safety equipment includes driver and passenger airbags and antilock brakes.
There are no ISOFIX child seat mounts in the rear seat and the centre passenger gets a lap-only belt, which offers less protection than the full shoulder-type.
Reliability
This generation X-Trail is reasonably reliable but because it’s ageing any vehicle should be checked closely. The engine uses a timing chain which will not require regular replacement.
A small number of the QR20 four-cylinder twin-cam engines experienced overheating and subsequently failed heads or head gaskets, a problem suspected to be caused by using the wrong type of antifreeze. You can spot it by a consistent loss of coolant, milky froth in the underside of the oil filler cap or traces of oil in the radiator fluid.
The usual fix for an engine failure of this type is to replace it with a new or used unit, starting from $2,000. Check the plastic radiator for signs of fatigue or cracking. It can become brittle over time, and will eventually result in cracking and a loss of coolant or overheating. Luckily, a replacement is only a few hundred dollars.
Although they are designed to be cleanable and durable, previous owners might have taken this as a sign to treat the area badly.
X-Trails that have been in wintery conditions or damp climates can develop rust in the rear wheel arches. This is usually found during the inspection service when the car is imported into New Zealand, but check yourself by looking inside the arch for bubbling or metal discolouration. If you find something of concern, avoid the vehicle or have it professionally checked - rust repairs are expensive.
Cost of ownership
Nissan recommends you service this X-Trail every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Each time will cost around $350. A transmission service is required every five years at the cost of between $300 and $500.
RightCar estimates that over 14,000km of driving a year, a Nissan X-Trail will cost $2,350 a year to fuel. If you fill the 60-litre tank from empty, it will cost $120 at $2 a litre; you could travel up to 650km before the fuel light comes on.
Sitting in the cheapest ACC levy band, the X-Trail's annual licensing fee (registration) is $76.92.
Trade Me Insurance estimates cover for an X-Trail valued at $7,130 will cost $45.53* per month. That’s $3 more a month than a Toyota RAV4.
Buyers' guide
You can find Nissan X-Trails of this generation on Trade Me priced from $3,000 to $13,000 - the most expensive vehicles are low-mileage imports. At the top of that range, you can easily step up to the next generation model so the best value in this generation are cars priced between $5,000 to $8,000.
New Zealand-new
- ST - Features steel wheels, CD player stereo, remote central locking, fabric upholstery and manual air-conditioning.
- Ti - Adds climate control air-conditioning, fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels.
- Ti-L - Adds leather upholstery, electric front seats and electric sunroof.
Japanese models
- S - Features steel wheels, CD player stereo, remote central locking, fabric upholstery and manual air-conditioning.
- X - Adds alloy wheels, climate control air-conditioning and leather steering wheel.
- STT and XTT - Adds leather upholstery and high-intensity headlights to S and X models.
- Axis and Rider - Adds body kit, unique grilles, unique leather seats and other personalised options.
- GT - Over X, adds turbocharged engine, sports seats and sports suspension.
Timeline
- 2000 Launched in Japan
- 2002 GT model launched
- 2007 Replaced by new model
Details
2002 Nissan X-Trail S
$6,500 to $11,500 for models which have travelled 70,000 to 120,000km
2-litre four-cylinder110kW/200Nm (claimed)
Four-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Three-star Used Car Safety Rating
10,000km or six months
Full-size steel wheel
8.4-litres per 100km (claimed)
Regular
4455mm
1765mm
1674mm
750kg (unbraked), 2000kg (braked) (2.5-litre model)
11m
This review covers the Nissan X-Trail for model years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Review vehicle supplied by Turners Cars.
*Our insurance estimates are based on a 35-year-old male with no accidents in the last two years, garaging the car in Mission Bay, Auckland. The car is not used for business and will cover 10,000km to 20,000km a year. We estimate with no option add-ons and $500 excess. Customise your estimate at Trade Me Insurance.
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Kyle Cassidy 
NZ Autocar Magazine 