2.2CDI S Sport 4dr

German power, Japanese handling, American Styling. The (almost) perfect combo.

I have owned this car for a number of years now, and I have to say I am very happy with it.
I do like my cars somewhat unique, and this usually comes with a caveat that prices tend to be higher, but in this case, I feel I have dropped on with an absolute bargain overall. Let’s look in detail as to why …

Firstly, the car is powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM651 Diesel engine. This is a very widely used engine that has a high reliability rate and is economical with a wide range of easy to source parts. This makes servicing and general maintenance a breeze and affordable. It also means that the engine is relatively smooth and powerful. The only real downside that even though the car is a 2016, this isn’t the current generation of engine, and is the ones found in the 2011 Mercs. Still a great engine.

Secondly, the car is a Nissan Skyline (it is even marketed in Japan as a Skyline) meaning that the handling is on point, especially in the Sport range. With steering tweaked by Sebastian Vettel, seats using NASA technology to improve comfort, the car really is a joy to drive. It handles well and it drives superbly.

Thirdly, technology. A rear-view camera with parking sensors, heated seats, dual-zone climate control, memory seats, electrically adjustable steering wheel, driving mode selector, lane-keeping assist, cruise control, handsfree, drive tracker including G-Force monitoring … all standard fitments. By far more toys per £ than most other premium cars.

Finally, comfort. With heated seats, which are super comfortable, a 300-mile drive is nothing. Honestly, I have driven from Preston to South London in a single hit without stopping many times and got out the car like I have been in it 20 mins – and I am a big bloke. It’s the most comfortable car I have ever driven overall.

There are however a few negatives.

Nissan have tweaked the ECU Map on the car, which means that only OEM air filters work on the car, and these are expensive. Do not even think of trying the Mercedes one, it just doesn’t work. The only solution is a remap or using the OEM filter. Then there’s a lack of people able to work on the more key parts of the vehicle, especially when it comes to electrical. So expect to have a slightly harder time when it comes to significant repairs or maintenance.

Then there’s the technology. NO DAB, all tech is last generation, no CarPlay or Android Auto … whilst everything you need is there, it’s just not as premium as the cars they intended this car to rival. All trivial and easily rectified with a on-dash display. But don’t expect to upgrade the head unit with ease, that’s a much bigger task.

Boot space is somewhat small too, as the boot opening is narrow compared to the width of the car.

And finally, the economy. It’s just not there as standard. Claims of 1000 miles to a tank are just not possible. Best I have had is 750 miles to a tank, averaging about 600 miles to a tank. That’s a 70-litre tank, so you’re looking at about 39-42mpg on a good run. This again can be made better with a remap, but this needs to be done with the right people as not everyone can work on the car.

Overall, this is a great car and it is a shame that they are no longer selling these in the country. It would be great to see a new version released, but that will unfortunately never happen. So for now, I will keep mine and run it into the ground until it can’t go no more.

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