Nissan Note car review
Model tested: Nissan Note 1.5 dCi Tekna
Price as tested: £13,965
Range price: £9,795 – £13,965
Insurance group as tested: 5E
Insurance group range: 4E – 6E
CO2 emissions as tested: 119g/km
CO2 emissions range: 119g/km – 159g/km
EuroNCAP result: ****
On sale date: Now
Date tested: February 2009
Road tester: Andy Goodwin
Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 78%
The Nissan Note might not be the manufacturer’s sexiest model (the 370Z) or the fastest (the GT-R), but it could be its most surprising.
Its diminutive proportions and price are at odds with its spacious interior and sector-busting count of cubby holes and electronic gadgets.
For 2009 it has a fresh face and significantly improved running costs as well as an impressive new entertainment and navigation system.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor
The Nissan Note has been brought up to date with a reshaped bonnet, bumper, headlights and new wheel designs. The coolest feature of the Note has always been its ‘boomerang’ rear lights, which run up the back of the car and onto its roof. These now have a ‘smoked’ tinted lens for extra street credibility.
7/10
Take a pew in the Note and the first thing you notice is its raised seating position. It gives you a great view of the road ahead and adds to a feeling of spaciousness exceptional in a ‘small’ car. The dashboard design is clean and neat, while the plastic seems strong and durable.
8/10
The Nissan Note is aimed squarely at growing families and it’s highly practical. It’s a ‘mini-MPV’, with seating for five and lots of flexibility. The sliding rear seat can move 160mm fore and aft to quickly increase rear legroom or maximise boot space, and it splits 60/40.
There’s a minimum of 280-litres boot space and a maximum of 1332-litres (with the rear seats folded flat). A ‘Flexi-Board’ system cleverly uses two light but strong panels which form a boot floor with room for valuables underneath. Take them out and you have a deeper boot. Put them on their side and they can be used to hold objects in place. Flip them upside down and they are made of rugged plastic ideal for walking boots, wet suits or a slobbering dog.
10/10
More space doesn’t have to mean less pace. We were impressed with the ride and handling of the Note, which offers plenty of grip and poise for a car in this class. Based on the platform seen in the Nissan Micra, Micra C+C, Renault Modus and Renault Clio – the Note has a planted feel, which quickly gave us the confidence to drive it knowing we were in safe hands.
The gearchange wasn’t as slick as the best in class, but our test car was fresh from the factory and it’s ‘box should improve with age.
7/10
For the 2009 Nissan Note facelift the gear ratios have been revised and small tweaks have been made to the engines improving economy and reducing emissions by an impressive margin.
The 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol models accelerate from 0-62mph in 13.4 and 10.7 seconds respectively, whilst the 1.5-litre dCi takes 13.3 seconds.
We found the 1.6-litre enthusiastic and capable of a surprising turn of speed – it’s the only choice for Note drivers with sporting pretensions.
For everyone else the 1.5 dCi is the clear winner. It feels quick enough thanks to its diesel surge of pulling power and its money-saving credentials are top notch.
6/10
The revised 85bhp 1.5-litre dCi engine now has a combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg (up from 55.4mpg) and emissions of 119g/km (down from 136g/km), meaning you get more miles per tank and a cheaper tax bill.
The 1.4-litre 87bhp petrol engine returns 47.9mpg (up from 44.8mpg) and emits 139g/km (down from 150g/km).
Choose the 108bhp 1.6-litre petrol with range-topping performance and you can achieve the same 42.8mpg as the pre-facelift 1.6-litre Note, while emissions have dropped from 150g/km to 149g/km.
9/10
Nissan is ranked seventh in the Reliability Index UK top ten, ahead of Citroen, Ford and Kia. The Note feels well-built and uses a well-proven platform as well as engines and technology found in key Nissan and Renault models. The Nissan Note is built in the UK at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and more than 55,000 have been sold since its launch in March 2006.
7/10
The Nissan Note received a four-star score in EuroNCAP crash testing and features anti-lock brakes (ABS), brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). Tekna models come fitted with an electronic stability programme (ESP) to help prevent skids.
7/10
There are three trim levels of Nissan Note available – Visia, Acenta and Tekna.
Buy the entry-level Visia and you get ABS, EBD, four airbags, CD player, MP3 jack, front electric windows, remote central locking, three rear headrests, passenger airbag switch, ISOFIX childseat mounting points and immobiliser.
Acenta adds air conditioning with chilled glovebox, two airbags, front fog lamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, speed limiter, ‘Flexi-Board’ luggage floor, electric door mirrors, rear electric windows, rear cabin lights, leather-covered steering wheel, under-passenger seat storage, centre armrest, foldaway tables, Bluetooth and six speaker stereo with steering wheel mounted controls.
Even more impressive is the range-topping Tekna’s trim, with 16-inch alloy wheels, ESP, part leather upholstery, rear parking sensors, electric folding door mirrors, sports pedals, interior chrome trim, rear privacy glass, climate control, automatic headlamps and washers and Nissan Connect.
Nissan Connect (standard on Tekna, £400 option on Acenta) fits neatly into the dash and has a 5-inch touchscreen.
It looks subtle, but has big features – sat nav, traffic reports, Bluetooth telephony, CD/radio and MP3 player and iPod support. It’s the most advanced system available in this class and gives the Note a real boost as an ownership proposition.
We particularly enjoyed the intuitive iPod connection (via the same USB lead you use to connect to your PC) which allows you to search your artists, albums and playlists from the steering wheel. The sat nav was a doddle to use too.
10/10
The Nissan Note is a tardis-like car which offers more than meets the eye. Don’t think of it as just a stretched Nissan Micra – it’s a well executed model with lots of flexibility and big-car levels of equipment.
Now it has improved fuel consumption, lower emissions and the excellent Nissan Connect entertainment system it should appeal to even more young families.
8/10
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