Nissan Qashqai (2014 - 2021) 1.6 DiG-T N-Tec+ 5d Owner Review

In the first instance I had never considered buying a Nissan, and didn't particularly like the appearance of the Mk2 Qashqai. However, when my wife declared that she would like a say in our next new car, and would like a Qashqai, I was left with no choice. A gun metal Qashqai it was to be. I was not content with the 1200 cc petrol available at that time, so awaited the arrival of the 1600 cc. as we tend to load up with luggage and food for long trip holidays. I also like a car that responds well when required. An additional requirement was for a car with a seat to slide into, rather than down to on account of age and ability. The lumber support works well in preventing poor posture. The raised positioning of the seat offers good views ahead, and the all round camera further assists in parking and negotiating tight areas. I was initially very concerned about tyre wear, and therefore the cost of replacing the worn tyres. Reviews had indicated that some users were getting 20000 miles from good quality tyres. I am relieved to say that my front tyres gave me 40000 miles over four years, and the rear tyres 54000 miles over six years with 3 mm still left. I can only assume this is due to the manner of my driving, road conditions and not regularly carrying weight at the back. The tyres fitted by Nissan at the time of purchase were Continental. Do I have anything negative to say about this car? On a return trip from Switzerland she developed a loud scraping noise that reminded me of an exhaust pipe scraping on the ground. I could not see anything underneath the car that would cause this sound. I checked under the bonnet, still nothing, so drove a few more yards and the sound reappeared. I called the phone number provided by Nissan for European breakdowns, and was soon attend to by three French mechanics and a tow truck. They couldn't find anything either. I asked them to follow me a short distance, which they did, only to see the engine protection board under the engine catch the wind and drop to the road surface causing the scraping sound. This was quickly resolved with a nut and screw together with a Gallic hand shake before continuing our journey home. The Nissan dealership replaced the board on our return to the UK. We are, overall, very pleased with our Qashqai, and look forward to getting back on the road this year, subject to government restrictions regarding travel.