jww

As mentioned in my earlier post to the forum, we will be replacing our 02 Altima which is coming off lease in summer 2006. At present, the X-Trail is at the top of the short list along with the Tuscon/Sportage duo. Rav 4 and CR-V are only remote possibilities at this point in time (I swear Honda and Toyota build some of the most boring designs coming out of any manufacturer).

As a point of reference, for those who will respond, we are likely to go with loaded versions of whatever we get. In X-Trail speak that would correspond to the Canadian LE model equipped with VTC for Ottawa winters.

So - here are some initial questions:

1. The two test drive reviews on www.auto1-2-3.com points out that the side-window defroster vents are inadequate and not very effective in Canadian winters. We live in Ottawa, so I would appreciate any feedback from owners regarding this reported shortcoming. Nothing worse that fogged up front windows that don't defrost quickly.

2. Under-floor storage. With the LE version coming with the tonneau cover, is there a place in the under-floor storage to stow it or does it become a garage stow item?

3. Entry/Exit access. I did a bit of tyre-kicking at the dealer yesterday, and it seemed to me that entry into the driver's seat is a bit impaired by the steering wheel. Even at it's highest level, the steering wheel doesn't fully swing up out of the way as it does in other vehicles (so far a common issue with cute-utes I have looked at). I also found the rear seat a bit tough to get in and out of. What are actual owners experieincing here?

Hopefully next year's model will come with steering wheel mounted audio controls and auto-headlights - my two favorite convenience features on my Altima, and probably the only two missing features on an otherwise comprehensive list of kit.

Thanks for your help.



JWW

equinox_76

I have mine since march 1st in Montreal, so I might not have experienced the almighty cold of late January/early February but I never had any problem with it, it's actually quite decent but make sure AC is on.

When I got my SE, I also got the tonneau cover but I ended up not using it that much. There isn't much room in the under floor storage and you can only drop a few small items unless you remove the spare tire, so I guess your "garage stow" is the right name for it.

As far as access is concerned, I never had any problem. Unless you are way bigger than average, then I could imagint it could be a problem. I find the issue more with the headroom, even with the seat fully down, my head gets to touch the roof when the curtain is closed. My solution for that is to simply leave the curtain open (it's nicer this way anyway !! ). It is probably good to mention that I am 6'2" which is a tad taller than most.

I hope this helps !!!

XTrail1

1- No issues with the defogger for side windows

2- Under floor storage, with the spare inside it's likely less than a CRV or RAV with the tire on the door.

3- Ease of exit/entry, I'm 5'6" so issue here

I have 48000km on mine, no issues to date. I know looks are subjective but it looks far better than the Sportage/Tucson duo, better fuel economy without a doubt, better suspension and AWD system, vented disc all around.

Avery Slickride

Defroster's fine. Tonneau goes in the garage. I'm 6-1, 220 and access is fine. So is headroom. X-Trail beats Sportage/Tucson in both fuel economy and performance, and has 30% more cargo space. You get what you pay for.

jww

Thanks to everyone - your advice is well received and appreciated.

With a have a year to decide still, I am certainly leaning towards the X-Trail. We have owned a few Nissan vehicles over the years and they have never disappointed. The fact that Nissan is a well-known entitiy is a strong point in swinging the pendulum towards the X-Trail.

I tend to consider extended warranties. For me, the cost of the investment up-front is worth the peace of mind - even if I don't use it. I realize that this is not the most finacially sound reasoning, but I have driven enough beaters in my life-time, and had enough $2,000 repair bills come out of the blue that I'd rather not worry about major components breaking and having to spend unplanned $$ if I can help it.

Further comments and thoughts on your experiences with the X-Trail are most welcome.

...jww