Its usually other people that email into China Car Times and get their questions posted on CCT, but this time its CCT doing the asking:
Is the Qashqai a good car? Are there any Qashqai drivers who read CCT and would like to share their experience?
The Qashqai is looking set to become part of the CCT garage and before lashing out 180,000RMB on a new car we’d like to get some real world opinions of it. The test drive showed that it was a nice ‘big car’ - big as in a hatchback that had raised suspension and AWD, but small enough as not to be an obtusive SUV.
We liked the old Mitsubishi Outback, it was small, it was tough, it looked good. The new Outback looks like its piled on the pounds and is now imported. What we want need is a small SUV, like the old Outback, thats excellent build quality, safe (6 airbags, at least) and is made in China via a joint venture or from a domestic brand. The car will be mainly driven by my wife. Small crossover hatchbacks like the Polo Cross, MG3 SW etc dont apply here.
The Subaru Forrester is nice, but over budget.
Ash, having had personal experience with the ‘cashcow’ in my opinion it is a damn good car, excellent Nissan quality, well proven safety record and a totaly different far more refined vehicle than the Mitsi Outlaw. Apart from some rear vision problems-mostly overcome by the oversize mirrors- I cannot fault the thing for what it is-a sensible soft roader with comfort, style and excellent road manners. Even Top Gear has given it good ratings.And to top it off I have just brought my wife one!
I never tried the old Mitty Outlander, so I cannot comment. The new one has been on a healthy British diet or something since the last one, its at least several 100kg of extra metal!
The Cashcow is indeed excellent fit and finish, you cant fault it at the price range. The rear vision is indeed a bit pooh, but the oversized mirrors are awesome. I always found the modern nissans to be lacking in rear view, but the wingmirrors on the Cashcow make pretty much everything visible.
My Livina is being part ex’d in favor of the Cashcow. The Cashcow will become the main household vehicle, canceling our two car policy.
What?! Another Nissan?
I just like the Forester so much more.
Forester is too expensive for me now! Im returning to full time education next year so 250k on a car wont fly!
The Quashqai (though I like “Cashcow” — funny) has received impeccable reviews in the German press. It come highly recommended.
Qashqai was on my shopping list (before I decided what I really needed/wanted was a sedan), so I did do a bit of research into this compact SUV. The biggest complaint amongst reviewers is the rear visibility issue, so if it doesn’t bother you then I think you’re set.
Biggest pluses for me are that it looks good and the CVT. The latter should help with gas mileage.
I didn’t get a chance to drive it, but did climb into one at the dealership. The interior was quite decent - better than what the photos had led me to believe - and with good use of soft materials. The doors shut with that nice solid feel newer better cars. But it’s less spaciousthan the CR-V. And I seem to recall the headroom was worse than I expected, although I may be getting this mixed up with a different car. Anyways, it’s something to check if you’re tall and plan to order one with a sunroof.
Note that the Qashqai is not quite the same as the similar-looking North American Nissan Rogue. The Rogue has a longer wheelbase and a longer front end (I’m guessing to accommodate the larger engine).
Gerald,
I think the Cashcow is the perfect size for a couple with no kids. If I had kids, I would choose the bigger CRV, but for now, the Cashcow has found a place in the China Car Times garage
It should be here in 10 days, a lot less than the month they were originally saying!
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How is your Mondeo working out for you?
Hey Ash, congrats on your new car! The “cashcow” is to me the best looking compact SUV on the Chinese market. The nickname is well-fitting as I’m sure that Nissan will sell a ton of these!
My Mondeo is working out great so far. It’s very smooth yet nimble, and quiet for the most part, which has helped to make my daily commute that much more bearable. There’s a bit of tire rumble but I guess that’s to be expected with 17″ 35-profile tires! Basically, you get all the comforts of a large car, without sacrificing everything that makes driving enjoyable. Everyone comments about how spacious the interior is. The downside to this is parking - it’s a bit of a pain compared to a small car, but the backup radar and dealer-installed backup camera really does help here.
Performance is more than adequate even with only a 2.3L engine, but perhaps I’ve gotten too used to driving the small-displacement cars over here.
My biggest concern prior to getting this car was the gas mileage - after about 600 km I’m averaging around 10.5-11L/100km, which is better than what I had feared given my daily rush-hour commute to/from work. I guess the 6-speed auto transmission is playing a part in this, even though 6th gear only engages when you go above 90 km/h. The trip computer is showing my cumulative average speed as being 23km/h so that gives you an idea of how bad the traffic is over here! Hopefully the mileage will improve a bit more once the engine fully breaks-in.
I continue to be surprised by the level of luxury in this car - it’s not at all like the Fords back home in North America (excluding Lincoln/Volvo). And compared to an equivalent Japanese make, I saved a bundle by going with the Mondeo. I couldn’t be more pleased!
Nissan say they have a massive waiting list for the cashcow, but from info gathered so far they only sold 632 in May, not sure on June yet. Hardly a massive list. I think many punters compare the size to a Kia Sportage, and opt for the Sportage. The Sportage is a lot bigger, so are the fuel bills.
The six speed auto gearbox is the future, as they become cheaper and cheaper, we’ll see the death of the 4 speed in mid size compacts.
The Mondeo is a very big car, I like to call it the ‘New Granada’ the dashboard is very cool from what I remember!