Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 25/10/2024 at 15:15

Edited by SLO76 on 25/10/2024 at 22:25

I drove a petrol engine car, 2 litres 6 speed 5 door manual gearbox from 10k - 180k miles. It was bedevilled by Renault electrical parts, much less reliable than the earlier owned P10 that I took to 170k miles and suffered fuel consumption that I can't recall ever getting to 40 mpg. The ride was not appreciated by passengers, in part because of the 17" wheels, but this was slightly improved after I switched to 16" (and much cheaper) wheels (the size of the factory supplied spare). I serviced by the book using a smaller but franchised garage, still suffered several issues over the years that cost too much to make good. But engine pulled nicely, was possible to use 6th gear from 30mph, I never replaced the timing chain, used the car to commute much on a fast dual carriageway, with cruise control was on it was a relaxed drive, driving across France cruising at 130kph (80mph) was easy too. Has the SatNav been updated? If not it is old and you would do better with google maps (or similar) which will be more up to date.

Hope my comments were of use, sold my Primera in 2017 so it's a few years now. Also, as a matter of current note, I doubt the car would be ULEZ compliant, and not sure where it would fall for French Crit d'Air classification.

Ignore the negative comments.

I owned a Nissan Primera P12 1.8L (manual gearbox) until 2024, when I finally decided to sell it. Mine was a low-mileage model, and the only reason I held onto it so long was that I struggled to find a better replacement. I wanted a car with a naturally aspirated engine, one that was enjoyable to drive, and ideally a hatchback—but most manufacturers have traded hatchbacks for SUVs.

I still miss my Nissan Primera. It was Japanese engineering at its best, with a touch of Renault styling.

Whenever I went on holiday and rented newer cars in places like Spain or Greece, none of the newer models impressed me enough to sell my Primera. In fact, driving those rentals only made me miss it more. It had comfortable seats, solid handling, excellent visibility, real buttons, a true spare tire, and a good-sized boot for luggage.

The only downside was the lack of modern tech, like USB ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, or DAB radio. An FM transmitter with Bluetooth did the job. I used a power bank to charge my phone, paranoid about burning out the old 12V socket. I was n't sure if those those cigarette sockets were tested for prolonged phone charging, especially on newer USB-C devices?

I used my phone as a sat nav and to stream music from my phone. The centre console had the perfect slot to keep it steady—just add a non-slip mat so the phone doesn’t slide. No other car I’ve seen has that ideal cubby space.

My only advice? Make sure you find a well-maintained example. Even as mine aged, I took it to Nissan for servicing. Oddly, they didn’t change the spark plugs—probably assuming all new cars have plugs that last ages. Overall, repair costs were minimal. The underside of my 20-year-old Primera had less rust than many newer cars.

The closest equivalent to my Nissan Primera Hatchback was the 2012 Mazda 6, but the gearbox just didn’t feel as “slick” as Nissan engineering. Gear shifts in the Primera were incredibly smooth. I liked the Honda Civic on a test drive, but it was too small for my needs.

I love a car that’s enjoyable on winding country roads and corners. The Primera isn’t exactly heart-pounding, but it’s far from boring.

Now I’m in an SUV, which I bought reluctantly. It feels a bit wobbly on those big tires.

Old is gold!

PS. My Nissan Primera was ULEZ compliant. On Spanish / Greek roads, they are better designed for smaller cars.

Edited by Warning on 31/10/2024 at 01:44