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Do you really need an SUV? I find that you tend to sit up more upright in them because you're higher up and need to look down a bit more, rather like sitting in a chair at a table. When I test drove a Mazda CX-3 follwed straight away by a Mazda3 (both 2017 models), I found the seating position in the Mazda3 far more comfortable, because I could sit in it, not on the seat as I was to a dgree in the higher CX-3.
If you need the space, many makes still have decent hatchback/saloons and especially estates that have decent sized boots and room for 5 people. I know I bring this up a lot, but often how comfortable a car is to drive often depends upon the suspension set up and especially the combination of wheels and tyres - big wheels and low profile tyres (under 55 profile) are far more likely to lead to issues with ride quality, especially for people like us that get back problems.
Some cars deliberately firm up the ride (suspension) to make up for a poor dynamic set-up, ie.e. to seem reasonable to handle, at the expense of comfort. Nice for a half hour test drive, terrible to own. Sometimes its just that a specific seat design is either not to your liking, or, with many today, with the steering column, not adjusted properly for you, which believe you me makes a HUGE difference.
On my old Micra, when I changed jobs many years ago and was driving a longer journey on faster roads, including some winding country roads, I got terrible back problems. A colleague suggested I alter the seat position and gave me an ergonomic how-to booklet, adn just moving my seat forward one notch made all the difference. It took me several weeks to get my current Mazda3's seat and steering collumn adjusted just right, but I've (touch wood) never had a problem on that score driving it in nearly 14 years ownership from new.
I would test drive cars both with lower profile tyres and higher profile ones from the same basic model to see what the differenec is. You may be surprised, especially if you get the seat reasonably adjusted (you won't get it perfect) for the test drive.
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Yes, I have some problems with my back and joints that makes getting comfortable difficult and its the only car I've ever found really comfortable. I've tried literally every mid sized SUV out there (even high end ones such as the Jaguar F-pace), but nothing is as comfy for me. i changed recently to a new Peugeot 3008 SUV - which was the next most comfy car I'd tested, but within 2 weeks was in crippling pain. So its back to the Qashqui. Was tempted to try the Renault Kadjar as the interior is basically the same, but there are more 2nd hand Qashqui's around so they're largely cheaper.
You have my sympathies, that can't be easy.
As to your question, if the car has to be a Qashqai for the reasons you've given, i think i'd be inclined to just go with the CVT (especially with you having previously found a Qashqai CVT to drive perfectly fine). I say this not because because of any notion that it won't give any trouble, but because the automated manual is at least as lilely to give trouble too (and will almost certainly cost more to fix). Looking at the review on this website, there are mentions of CVT trouble, but as far as i could see, only two definite failures mentioned in the good/bad section.
If you buy a used car, make sure any necessary CVT fluid changes have been done, drive it with mechanical sympathy, and hopefully it won't give you any trouble.
BTW, as Renault own Nissan, the Qashqai and the Kadjar are essentially the same car, though i don't think the Renault ever had a CVT.
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You have my sympathies, that can't be easy.
As to your question, if the car has to be a Qashqai for the reasons you've given, i think i'd be inclined to just go with the CVT (especially with you having previously found a Qashqai CVT to drive perfectly fine). I say this not because because of any notion that it won't give any trouble, but because the automated manual is at least as lilely to give trouble too (and will almost certainly cost more to fix). Looking at the review on this website, there are mentions of CVT trouble, but as far as i could see, only two definite failures mentioned in the good/bad section.
If you buy a used car, make sure any necessary CVT fluid changes have been done, drive it with mechanical sympathy, and hopefully it won't give you any trouble.
BTW, as Renault own Nissan, the Qashqai and the Kadjar are essentially the same car, though i don't think the Renault ever had a CVT.
Thanks for that, that's helpful
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Yes, I need to be high up Engineer Andy. I'm really only comfy if my hips are at 90 degrees. I don't have conventional back problems, I have a rather more complicated connective tissue disorder that affects my whole body. So my perfect setup is a very complicated combination of being high, sitting with legs at 90 degrees with a seat that makes me feel supported, and which is both soft but firm (so generally no leather seats which tend to be too hard), some lumbar support but not too hard, a headrest that doesn't protrude forwards like in the volvo or Kia, a steering wheel that comes very close and low (which rules out loads of cars where the forward movement isn't enough) , room to stretch my resting left knee out to the side (so no curves from the gear stick towards the footwell), a small difference between the height of the brake and accelerator so I don't have to keep lifting my foot off the floor.... the list goes on and on. It really has nothing at all to do with ride quality - actually, the best car I had was my fiat panda, but its too small for me now that I have a family. But I know what I need hence having tried out every car out there so I'm back at the qashqui.
Edited by Flipjango on 25/11/2019 at 21:25
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Go for the CVT but consider changing the oil in the box more frequently than Nissan stipulate. Personally I would not take the box past 50k without a fluid change with the correct spec oils used. If Nissan are not prepared to do this seek out a specialist.
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Go for the CVT but consider changing the oil in the box more frequently than Nissan stipulate. Personally I would not take the box past 50k without a fluid change with the correct spec oils used. If Nissan are not prepared to do this seek out a specialist.
Honda quote 25K miles for CVT oil changes on the Jazz. It was once 50k but they had too many issues. Now very relaible - very few Jazz forum rpeorts of issues (in fact I cannot recall one)..
Given teh above, IF i were to buy any Nissan CVT then I would NOT with more than 50k miles and no oil change.
The Nissan CVT is notorious for being fragile in the Quascow . The service intervals are too long. The same applies apparently to most iff not all Nissan CVTs.
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What about MPVs rather than just SUVs if you want a more higher, upright seating position? Not so many around as there used to be, but it might give you some more options.
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I know there's been problems reported with the Juke CVT but i'm not sure if it would be the same box in the Quashqai.
The other thing to lookout for is the infotainment/sat-nav display which has a well documented fault that seems very difficult to fix.
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The infotainment issue is indeed one to watch. My Juke is about to be swapped for another car, and the radio will cut out or reboot at will. Cost a few missed turns as satnav also stops talking.
As for autos, I'vehad experience of DSG (Golf R), CVT (another Juke) and torque converter in BMW, one every time would plump for the TC box. CVT noisy, DSG hesitant. The later Qashqai has a DCT box.
It's what you are happy with reallybut many have found a big bill in prospect when CVT gives trouble.
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What about MPVs rather than just SUVs if you want a more higher, upright seating position? Not so many around as there used to be, but it might give you some more options.
Ooo, no thanks. Bit too 'mum on the school run' for me. I run a property development company and the builders would laugh at me!
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What about MPVs rather than just SUVs if you want a more higher, upright seating position? Not so many around as there used to be, but it might give you some more options.
Ooo, no thanks. Bit too 'mum on the school run' for me. I run a property development company and the builders would laugh at me!
I wouldn't say that the QQ is exactly considered to be a 'bloke car' either! :-) You're rather boxing yourself in, especially if you want to avoid any DSG auto boxes (understandable though) and MPVs.
I'm presuming your budget may not stretch to the latest SUVs, as quite a lot of new models have (or are about to) join the fray, e.g. the Mazda CX-30 (in-between the smaller CX-3 and larger CX-5, about the size of the QQ). If this was of interest, just make sure you get it with the higher profile 16in tyres (205/60 R16) rather than the equivalent 45 profile (I think) 18 ones. Only just started to be sold, so very few deals about.
I presume the Vauxhall Mokka X isn't to your liking either, but (see HJ's News article today) it is going out of production, and dealers appear to be VERY keen on shifting them by reducing prices significantly.
Again, I'd look for ones shod with higher profile tyres for extra comfort, or at the very least secure a great deal on one and, if allowable, swap out the OEM wheels and tyres (and flog them on Ebay etc if the dealership won't swap them for free) for smaller alloys and higher profile tyres.
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Funnily enough the Mark 1 Qashqai is still the comfiest car I’ve ever owned despite the small seats and I’m 6’5” tall with a dodgy back.
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Funnily enough the Mark 1 Qashqai is still the comfiest car I’ve ever owned despite the small seats and I’m 6’5” tall with a dodgy back.
It could be just as much to do with the penchant of car manufacturers over the last 10-15 years to increasingly fit big wheels, low profile, wide tyres and stiffen up the suspension to give their cars the appearance of good handling, at the expense of comfort.
What I like to try and do is test drive cars over 6 months old with well over 1k on the mileage, as they are a good guide to what happens to the ride quality when the suspension firms up as it wears and the tyres aren't brand new.
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Funnily enough the Mark 1 Qashqai is still the comfiest car I’ve ever owned despite the small seats and I’m 6’5” tall with a dodgy back.
It could be just as much to do with the penchant of car manufacturers over the last 10-15 years to increasingly fit big wheels, low profile, wide tyres and stiffen up the suspension to give their cars the appearance of good handling, at the expense of comfort.
What I like to try and do is test drive cars over 6 months old with well over 1k on the mileage, as they are a good guide to what happens to the ride quality when the suspension firms up as it wears and the tyres aren't brand new.
I've sat in just about every car out there in the last few weeks, and I think its actually the seat in the qashqui that's awesome, plus the pedal position. The seat is a bit like a memory foam mattress - it seems to hug the body. I could literally feel my body relax when I got into it. I've not found anything remotely similar in any other car. The nearest was probably the Mazda CX-5, which was lovely but as its a very new model, there are very few second hand ones out there and a bit over my budget. So many cars have very hard seats, even the really premium ones. The qashqui is both supportive and soft which is quite unusual in my experience.
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Seat comfort is absoutely vital, especially if you have a back problem. If the Qashqai is the only car you're comfortable in, then that's what you should get. A further advantage is that you don't have to climb either up or down into it to get in and out.
Get as new a Qashqai as you can afford - ex-demo perhaps? - so that you have plenty of warranty remaining. And you need to make sure that the actual car you buy has the same seats as the one you've sat in already.
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