Car Review:
2015 Nissan Navara D22 2.5 litre common rail turbo diesel 4 wheel drive, high+low range etc, white crew-cab/ute. Extras: tow bar, steel bull bar, deep river snorkel, roof racks, tonneau cover, Lightforce spotlights, ultra-sonic 'deflectors' for cattle and kangaroos on the road, 16 inch Goodrich hybrid tyres on alloy rims. The last of the D22 range.
Distance travelled 4,000km from new.
The D22s have been around for over a decade as basic workhorse crew-cab utes and from what I can tell haven't changed much at all, if at all. Like all Nissans, they are made in Thailand, as are the Toyota and Mitsubishi competitors in the range.
My one, brand new, came also with 4 ashtrays and an actual cigarette lighter, something you just don't get anymore.
It seats 5 people at a squeeze but is much more conducive for 4 people of normal human size.
It is the last of the D22 range. The NP Model replacements are all about at least $10, 000 dollars more and feature some internal comfort improvements, but alas, no ashtrays or lighters.
The fuel consumption is about 9L/100kms.
I bought it because I liked the look of it, I live in a place where 4WD capacity is useful and even, in cyclone season and for long trips West or North,is essential, and because it was at least $10-15,000 cheaper at last model run-out than anything similar made in 2015 or even back to 2010.
There is nothing hi-tech about it, but it does work very well and it's smooth enough for highways and will deal with rough-as-guts terrain very capably.
Switching to Hi-range 4WD you do get a giant improvement in road-holding and not much of a bump in terms of fuel costs.
In many ways it doesn't steer very well, nor does it speed very well....being not actually a 'car' per se, but if you like small trucks, well I doubt it can be bettered for the price, or by paying $10,000 more. It is a good vehicle, tried, proven, simple and long lasting with spare parts always available due to its long history. The air-conditioner is brilliant and can bring the heat down from an inside temp of 60 degrees all day in the sun, to about 12 degrees in 5 minutes, which is just the way I like it. All in all, after still only 4000 kilometres, it's a fine long time keeper car-truck and you sit up high in it, and so the view is good, it's comfortable enough, you can stack furniture in the tray, and fishing gear, and it's much more fuel efficient and will last much longer than my last car, a very sophisticated and savvy 2010 Volvo C30 SSRI sports coupe, and at half the new price.
No comments:
Post a Comment