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08/09/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Nissan's X-Trail 4WD has long been one of the front runners in the new-car sales race in what is one of the hardest fought of all Australian market segments. On sale here since October 2001, it has enjoyed success since day one.
A major reason for this success is that the X-Trail isn’t a soft-roader, with lots of looks but not a lot of traction, as is common in this class. Nissan X-Trail isn’t a toy, it’s for the owner who wants to get serious about off-road driving. Not in extreme conditions, that’s what the Nissan Patrol is for, but serious enough to let them tackle just about any recreational off-roading with ease.
 One of the Nissan X-Trail’s big features is a complex 4WD system that offers very good traction through a variety of settings. Most drivers simply leave it in ‘automatic’ as that’s the best for variable surfaces. It can be used on all roads and will happily adapt to bitumen if required. However, Nissan X-Trail doesn't have a transfer case for torque multiplication when climbing or descending steep hills. This will be the limiting factor in off-road use, but, realistically, few drivers will ever miss it.
On-road, the X-Trail handles reasonably well for its class. It’s no sports machine but will hold onto the road in a stable and predictable fashion. Always keep in mind that 4WDs don’t have the same safety in corners as do low-slung passenger cars.
Nissan X-Trail was upgraded in December 2003 (tagged as the 2004 model). This gave it an even more striking front-end appearance that was modern and aggressive in its stance. A virtually all-new X-Trail arrived in Australia in October 2007. It continued to use a similar external styling theme of earlier models, though it no longer had the controversial centre instrument panel.
This new model for the 2008 season had a further upgrading of the already good 4WD system. Now called All Mode 4x4-i, it has three settings: front-wheel drive, 4WD-lock or automatic. In the latter mode the system monitors all its sensors to distribute engine torque between front and rear axles with up to 50 per cent of the available to the back wheels if required.
 From the start the Nissan X-Trail had a big 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with plenty of torque. The large capacity means there’s good grunt from low revs. However, it’s not all that happy to run to the top end of the rev band, but was never really intended for that sort of use. A 2.0-litre turbo-diesel option was introduced in August 2008, but hasn’t reached the used-car market at this stage.
Five-speed manuals were fitted until the all-new October 2007 model (the X-Trail T31), when a six-speed manual was installed.
Similarly, the older versions (X-Trail T30) had a four-speed automatic transmission, the newer ones featured a six-speed auto.
The X-Trail has good front seat space, legroom in the rear is better than average for this class. The rear seats have the versatility of both split-fold and double-fold. The boot is an exceptional size. A clever feature is a pair of drink holders that are cooled or heated by the ventilation system. Quite a few others are now offering this system, but Nissan was in the vanguard.
Nissan X-Trail is relatively easy for the home handyperson to work on. But, as always, we advise that safety related items should be left to the professional mechanic. If you’re doing your own work it’s smart to have a workshop manual on hand.
There are plenty of Nissan dealers throughout Australia, even in the remotest of areas. Not all in the deep outback may carry spare parts for an X-Trail, but should be able to get them shipped out within a few days.
 Insurance costs are about average for this class and most companies seem to rate the vehicles at much the same price. Try shopping around if you like, but make sure you are comparing apples with apples when doing so.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Check the body sides for scratches that probably mean it’s had some real off-road use. This is more common in Nissan's X-Trail than in most others in its class. Some of these body repairs can be pretty expensive if they involve multiple panels. Be sure to get a quote from a panel beater, though a scratch and dent specialist may be able to do the work as well.
Look at the underside of the body and mechanical components for signs of damage, or sand or salt encrustation. The latter probably means the X-Trail has been driven in surf. Salt has a way of finding its way into the smallest of openings and the resultant rust can be a real worry.
Make sure the engine starts easily and doesn’t hesitate when asked to accelerate suddenly. Ideally the start test should be done with the engine completely cold, first thing in the morning is best, as faults will show up more readily.
Try all gears in the manual or automatic transmission and see they are working correctly. Manuals that are noisy and/or harsh in their changes could be about to cost someone a lot of money. An automatic that hunts up and down unnecessarily through its ratios could be due for an overhaul.
CAR BUYING TIP
Have an inspection by a 4WD professional after you have done your own preliminary checks. That’s because 4WDs are more complex and therefore more expensive to repair than cars.
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