Pre-loved: Nissan Tiida 2006-2013

by Ewan Kennedy    Nissan Tiida has come and gone from the Australian new-car market, on sale here only from February, 2006 until February...

by Ewan Kennedy 

 

Nissan Tiida has come and gone from the Australian new-car market, on sale here only from February, 2006 until February, 2013.

Were there problems with it? No, other than that it wasn't called the new generation Nissan Pulsar and potential buyers were either confused, angry -- or both.

Marketing can be a weird business . . . 

The Tiida is far from being the best looking car ever sold here, but its boxy body results in a spacious interior.

The front seats are almost as wide as those of a six-cylinder car, due to clever design that sees the adjustment levers being placed in the frequently-wasted space between the two seats. 

There's as much legroom in the back seats as many large family cars, as well as good headroom and shoulder room to go with it. 

The boots of both the sedan and hatch are large, with the topline Tiida Ti hatch having a further useful feature of sliding rear seats so that you can further increase the length of the luggage compartment if you don’t need full legroom in the back.

Ride comfort is good, with a reasonably supple feel from the suspension.

However, the electrically-assisted steering is over light and on the vague side. 

Noise and vibration suppression are impressive, giving the sort of refined feeling that you would normally expect from a car of the next size up.

It has gained an undeserved bad name because of Nissan’s decision to use the Tiida name for the Pulsar replacement.

It was a bad move that was rectified by the return of the name Pulsar when it replaced the Tiida in 2013. 

Anyhow, the Nissan Tiida is a bargain on the used-car market and smart buyers may care to get in there and grab one.

In March, 2010 the Nissan Tiida got a comprehensive facelift that saw its front extended and reshaped, and a new radiator grille fitted.

Topline Tiida Ti had its side skirts painted the same colour as the rest of the body to visually take some of the height out of the car.

It’s still on the boxy side, though.

Power comes from a 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine with good torque from about 2000 rpm upwards.

The engine is somewhat reluctant to rev and can be noisy as the redline approaches, but it’s certainly not aimed at the sport sedan market so that’s acceptable. 

Tiida has a six-speed manual gearbox, making it a leader in the class at the time.

The shift is surprising noisy and gives a real clunk-clunk sound with every gear change.

We find it irritating, owners say you get used to it.

The automatic transmission is an old style four-speed unit, so you're doing a fair few revs on motorways and during country driving.

Nissan Tiida originally came from Japan, later a Nissan factory in Thailand provided the majority of Australian imports.

Build quality is almost as good from the Thai factory as from the Japanese one.

Nissan (nee Datsun) has operated in Australia since the mid 1960s so has a strong, experienced network of dealers.

There are more dealers in country areas than is usual for Japanese vehicles in this class.

Pulsar was a big seller in the bush, but Tiida didn’t do so as well. 

Spare parts prices and servicing are reasonably priced and we seldom hear any complaints about parts availability. 

Insurance premiums are mid-range in price for this class and there are seldom any major differences from company to company.

It’s always worth shopping around, but be sure you’re doing an accurate comparison.

The sedan

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Check for crash damage or previous repairs.

Sight along the doors and look for ripples in the finish of the panels.

Look for paint colours that don’t quite match from panel to panel. 

Tiny specks of paint on non-painted surfaces such as windows, badges and brightwork are another sign giveaway.

Tiida is popular as a family cars so look out for a damaged interior created by rowdy kids. 

Look at the condition of the boot mats in case heavy loads have been ripping about during cornering or braking.

Make sure that the engine starts easily and idles smoothly from the moment it ticks over.

Be suspicious of any rattles from the bottom, these may indicate slow pickup of the oil.

Check for smoke from the exhaust if the engine is worked hard, driving up a hill in a high gear is a good test.

An automatic transmission that has harsh changes may need be overdue for a service -- or worse.

 

HOW MUCH?

Expect to spend from $1500 to $3500 for a 2006 Nissan Tiida ST; $2000 to $4000 for a 2007 Ti; $3000 to $5500 for a 2009 Ti; $4000 to $6500 for a 2008 ST Plus; $4000 to $7000 for a 2011 Ti; and $5000 to $8000 for a 2013 Ti.

Facelift

 

CAR BUYING TIPS

Take a friend with you when shopping for a used car.

That way they can keep the chattering sales person at bay while you check out the car without interruptions.

Used car prices have generally increased during the period of new car stock shortages.

Start looking at adverts for used vehicles several months before you intend buying.

That way you can get a feel for the price being asked and whether they are rising and falling, as dealers need to clear stock due to overcrowding.

Keep an eye on adverts for new cars that say there are specials on particular models.

This can lead to a lot of traded-ins taking up too much space in yards and they will be discounted to get rid of them.

If checking a used car at a dealership look at other cars on the lot. 

This can provide an insight into the quality of the vehicles in which the dealer specialises.

If buying privately ask for proof of ownership and make sure the insurance covers you for taking a test drive.

Take a slow walk around any car you're considering, looking for obvious defects.

It amuses us how many people dive into tiny details, only to discover later a major ding somewhere on the other side of the car.

Ideally any road test of a car you're getting serious about should be done with the engine stone cold. Early morning is best.

If you're serious about buying a vehicle, tell the seller you would like to take it for a good long test drive.

If they insist on coming that's understandable, but try to avoid them "selling” the car to you.

Put bluntly, ask them to shut up,

In their later years, cars with a reputation for being long lived and trouble free sometimes attract buyers who have no intention of ever servicing them.

The next owner may suffer as a result.

 

RECALLS

To browse recalls on all vehicles go to the ACCC at: www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/cars/

 

BE SURE TO CHECKOUT OUR OTHER USED CAR REPORTS