Nissan X Trail

"Also have been told that it is much wiser to have a Nissan or Toyota when travelling in outback areas as parts are more ready available than some of the other imported makes. Mind you I would hope to not need spare parts when travelling. "

I would forget that bit for a start . . . I doubt too many "outback" places would have X Trail parts laying around . . .

The X TRail will tow it OK, but kinda depends on where you intend towing it to.

Bigfella,
"it is much wiser to have a Nissan or Toyota when travelling in outback areas as parts are more ready available than some of the other imported makes"
I have never needed 'parts' beyond the spares and bits that I carry, but I am sure if something were needed it could be transferred to the nearest town within a day or so.Bob

How did you find the dash gauges in the middle??

Personally I think that should be illegal, forcing people to look away from road just to see the speedo etc...

All that is for is to save Missan $ from changing cars from one country to another.. make them all in the middle..

Bigfella,
have you had a look at the Mazda Tribute/ Ford Escape. They are about the same price as an X-trail but will tow better because they have an extra 2 cylinders and are 3.0l engines. The X-trail will tow 1000kg but I wouldn't want to do it too often especially in hilly country. They are also better than the x trail off-road because they have a bit more ground clearance and a centre diff lock.

Cheers

G'day bigfella,
I do'nt own a X-Trail but a good friend of mine does. I've driven his while towing my Jayco campertrailer and found in a bit under powered, expecially up hills, as it would continually hunt for gears. It also has another issue in that it will only stay "locked" in 4wd mode untill 30klms, and then returns to "auto select" mode. These are my only problems with it. As a solo vehicle it does everything it was designed to do, very well. Can I suggest that you test drive the Escape/Tribute. I have the Ford Escape and find that it out performs the X-Trail is most situations, particually towing, as it's 3lt V6 out performs most in it's class at 156kw. It actually tows the Jayco better than my Ford au3 wagon as it is better sprung in the rear.
As for outback use ........ remember none of the vehicles I mention were designed for serious off-road use, but driven within their limitations, all will get you where you want to go.
Regards,
Bazza ( the Escape is soon to have a Prado as a stable mate )

XT Should tow 1000kg fine..(but I'd hate to tory and tow 2000kg with one torque is way up in rev range) ..... for the money maybe consider Kia Sorento loads more torque, rated to tow 2300kg...and has duel range...

The Escape etc... only rated to tow 1600kg?? and again torque way up high in rev range...cant beat low down torque for towing1999 Pathfinder
17ft Evernew 'All Roads' van

Thanks for the quick replies guys.
I had a very bad experience with Ford years ago and have never got over it. I just can't get myself to even think about any type of Ford. I know it is silly but that is how it is.
I am very impressed with the X Trail and so far the changeover quotes I am getting with my Commodore as a trade in are leaning towards the X Trail. I don't intend to tow my Camper Trailer off to really rough areas so I am confident that the X Trail will do the job.
Just seems the best value for money for what I want.
Once again thanks for the answers.
This a great forum and I for one who has never owned a 4wd have got heaps of info from it.
I also like the odd bit of banter that gets thrown about from time to time.
I am heading off to Victoria for a couple of weeks at the end of the month.
Will be visiting Bendigo, Ballarat and the Grampions.
Keep an eye out for a Commodore Acclaim Wagon (With "Country Brewer" written on the side towing a Camp-o-Matic Camper. I will have some good homebrew on board and might share with a fellow Explor Oz forum reader.
Cheers

I have had an xtrail for 15 months and Im pretty happy with it (although I have a GQ as well). It goes well on forest roads ect, Ive even done a couple of Tag-a-alongs in it (but clearance and lack of low range make it more interesting). I havent towed with it though.
If you get one a few points to consider:
- get seat covers thrown in or buy some early. The trendy easy clean seats are not.
- get nissan to throw in the boot mat. The plastic floor looks great in ads but things slide around.
- Even if you get the ST, ask for 16 inch wheels. The standard 15 inch Toyo Tranpaths are expensive to replace ($255). The size is unique so if you want to throw on ATs it becomes a hassle. The 16 inch is far more common.
- Sounds like commonsense but make sure Nissan put the tow plug on the top of the towbar. They have a habit of mounting it on the bottom - but it doesnt last long.
- Dont get a black one, it never looks clean, and the scratches in the carbon fibre bits seem to be difficult to polish out.

Dont be concerned about the center dash, it takes bugger all to get used to, actually has some good uses as well, for example the passenger can see the trip meter. Same as for the 4WD Lock, not working above 30kms - when you really need to lock 4wd in an xtrail - you are probably not too concerned with going quick. The auto select works well and meets most requirements

I dont really want to say this in public but the cup holders are great, and the drink coolers in the dash actually do work (i know - cup holders should be seen but never discussed!!!)

cheers

Your choice of vehicle is great if you really do not want to go OFF road seriously as these vehicles do not have low range and do not wade very good as the air intake is in a vunerable spot which makes it prone to water intake in the donk.
Best advice is buy a 4b that is a real 4b with low range etc & not a Claytons.
RegardsDodg

bigfella
your obviously a Nissan man - but did you look at a Subaru Forester.
Has a torquey 2.5L motor, low range and 16" wheels and a whole lot of 'off road points on the board' !Subaru Forester
size isn't everything !

Bigfella,

I've got one on order and hope to get it in the next week or so. I've had a "real 4wd" before (GQ Patrol) and loved it most of the time. However its sluggish performance, savage fuel consumption and truck like suspension/handling get to be a pain in the arse as we all spend 95-99% of our time on road. In addition to this, the bulk of the off-road work I do, can be accomplished by the X-Trail.

Ignore the nonsense you get from the likes of Garyinoz. They've never even driven one, but are somehow expert on them. They can't seem to fathom the fact that we have different needs to them. Commments such as, a Falcon wagon will go anywhere a X-Tail will, just conform that they don't have a clue.

I tested a new and a used X-Trail. The auto will do 0-100kmh in 9.6 seconds which puts it well into 6 cylinder sedan territory. In addition it will get you off road, and from people I have spoken to who have driven them, further off road than most expect. For example the bloke at the local auto shop has a GU patrol and his Father has an X-Trail. They travel together and he said the terrain has to get pretty rugged before the Patrol is noticeably better. He also added that its main weak point is its tyres. Accordingly I have ordered mine with BFG All-Terrains fitted from new (these are the most aggressive available in the size).

If you type X-Tail in at the top and do a search you will find some interesting reading. You'll find comments like "try fitting a dual battery and see how you go", again the ravings of fools who wouldn't know their arse from their elbow. Piranha produce a system and I have arranged an auto elec to fit it before I take delivery.

I have had very useful contact from Colin the Subaru man. He understands the way we think. The Subie is a great vehicle from all reports, but is too small in the back for my liking. With the seats folded down in the X-Trail I can lay down in the back comfortably (I'm 5'11').

It's a compromise vehicle. It does 90% of what I want (not what someone else thinks I need) from both a sedan and a 4wd. What could be better?

Regards,

Jim.

Bigfella, the replies that stipulate a low range as mandatory before you purchase any 4wd are pretty justified, even if you arent gettin into serious 4wdriving!

Especially since you are thinking of towing a fair amount with it. You have a very small capacity 4 cyl engine and you need revs to get any power, trailers do not allow you to get those revs, you have to slip the clutch!!

Whether you are reversing in a tight spot (caravan park, off road etc) or towing a boat up a slippery, steep boat ramp, the ability to drop it into low range and climb under control and no load on the clutch is great!!! You dont have to be extreame to appreciate that bonus, you will do your vehicle a favour!!

The last time I used low range was climbing the ramps on to a vehicle ferry, quite possible to do in high range but sooo much easier in low!! Especially when you are halfway up and the line stops, no jerky starts, wheel spinning or clutch slipping, just drive on up!

Just a thought, it might make a difference!

ps dont listen to the people who say you shouldnt low range with the front hubs unlocked, quite possible and within reason no possible damage to vehicle. Think of the load on a single axle with an LSD or a locker!! Low range wont hurt it!
Goodluck with your purchase!

Matt.

Hi BigFella

I have just come back from holidays, towing my 14ft tinny with a bit of luggage in it, and the XTrail did it easily (but it didn't weigh 1000kgs though). I have towed my parents van (over 1000kgs), and a trailer full of rubbish (1200 kgs), and once again no problems. I wouldn't want any more weight than that though, I have issues with towing more than the weight of the vehicle (1440 kgs). We have an auto, and I just disengage the overdrive when I need to maintain speed on hills etc.

We did plenty of beach work on our holiday, together with some soft and deep sand tracks getting into some camp grounds and onto the beach. The Xtrail handled them all with no complaint. You will find that even though the "4wd Lock" disengages at 30kph, if the wheels are still spinning, the rears will still engage above 30 kph. We have had a number of trips to state forests, and a few trips to Noosa North Shore / Double Island Point with no drama at all.

I will be replacing the 15" Toyos at some point with "A/T's" and I have found that there are about 8 possible tyre replacements (I am going to go to either 215/75/15 or 225/70/15 though). We also have some aftermarket alloys so I don't have to look at the ugly plastic wheel trims.

The centre dash is not an issue at all, I find it very easy to use. Get yourself some seat covers, and either buy a mat for the back tray, or make one yourself. We made our own as we had some carpet left over from our house renovation.

As you can see from some posts, there are forum members who have no idea of why we chose to purchase the vehicles we do, they can't accept that we have made informed decisions on how we spend our money. If I wanted to do serious off-roading every weekend, climbing rocks, crossing rivers, going through mud pits, I wouldn't have purchased an XTrail. I am extremely happy with my decision, as the XTrail does everything I expected of it (and more).

By the way, I had a Prado attempt a beach exit in front of me last week, it took him 5 attempts, I did it in one. He had kindly waited for me, thinking I would have no chance of getting off the beach.

You will not be disappointed with the XTrail, but do like I did, drive all of the others in the class, and pick the best compromise to suit you.

Good luck

Mark FC

Sunshine Coast