Nissan Almera Tino (2000 - 2005) 1.8 SVE 5d Owner Review

For a 13 year old car it really does drive like it was new, but then mines only has 40,000 miles on it. For a year and a half it has given me no issues whatsoever, and spec is decent (especially for the year it was built). Being the SVE it has ESP, sat nav, half leather, auto climate, reverse camera etc, and everything works with the exception of the jammed CD). Meaty horn on it too. The sat nav is not up to modern standards, but it is an old system. The reverse camera, however, makes parking so easy. However there are things to consider - annoying things like the window wipers which sweep from right to left (most cars in the UK have wipers going the other way) which just sweeps water back into your vision on the return swipe. Also the electric sunroof takes away headroom, and as a fairly average 6ft man my head brushes the roof. The parcel shelf doesnt rise with the boot, nor retract back - it is a foldable thing which isnt always ideal. Perhaps most annoying is the fact that this supposed MPV actually isnt that roomy inside, three individual seats in the rear, yes, but legroom and head room is noticably worse than our Nissan Note, which is itself a smaller car (although it is narrower). However as an inexpensive used buy this will serve you well, the simple petrol engine is quiet and reliable. You will be paying £20 per month on road tax for a car that isnt particularly fast or economical, but a low purchase price should counter that. Also the headlights are prone to going cloudy. Forget fitting an aftermarket radio as Nissans combination of the climate buttons with the radio functions, married in to the ECU, make this a pain to even think about - best get an FM transmitter for your phone and use that if you want MP3s etc. On the plus side the turning circle is better than our Note and the air con is properly cold if regassed, if a little noisy. The brakes are exteremely good (again if maintained), and for the home mechanic servicing is simple with little to go wrong and easy access to all areas under the bonnet.