Nissan X-trail Review

An ideal family car with more space than you’ll know what to do with, we’ve covered everything you need to know in our Nissan X-Trail review. 

Overall Verdict

The Nissan X-Trail is a great option for families in need of some extra space. The ability to extend the interior to 7 seats is super versatile, great for larger families or the occasional extra passengers.

The driving experience with the X-Trail isn’t necessarily the best around. Though it’s smooth for the most part, opt for larger wheels and you’ll feel every bump and dent in the road. 

The styling has a quality feel for what you pay, and the leather seats make it easy to clean up the sticky pawprints or the kiddos in the backseat. You can choose from a range of interior materials, and even the cloth options give a refined finish.

The tech on the other hand isn’t quite up to scratch. Only the N-Connecta models and upwards come with infotainment screens, and it’s not the most advanced on the market.

Overall, the X-Trail is a great car if you want a tonne of space without a bulky car to match. It’s an ideal family car with wide opening doors to load up kids or car-seats, and a host of car safety features to keep you riding smoothly.

Available Trims

Visia

The entry level Nissan X-Trail is pretty basic, with standard features like 17-inch alloys, air con, LED lights, and cruise control.

Acenta

The Acenta takes it a step up, adding more advanced safety kit like AEB, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, and 360 parking sensors. You also get the option of an electric roof.  

Acenta Premium

The Acenta Premium is what we’d recommend if you want a good middle ground. It’s more affordable than the top of the range models, but comes with a touchscreen infotainment system, SatNav, and bluetooth.

N-Connecta

The N-Connecta improves largely in terms of aesthetics, with 18-inch alloys and roof rails. It also offers minor upgrades like keyless entry and an electric boot.

N-Tec

For just under £2,000 more, you can get the Limited edition N-Tec. It’s a great option if you want something that stands out from the crowd, with a fully black interior with glossy black alloy wheels. 

Tekna

The Tekna model is the top of the line spec, upgrading everything from the sound to safety. You get 19-inch alloy wheels, Bose sound system, leather upholstery and cosy heated seats. On top of this, you get a number of additional safety features like rear cross traffic warning, high beam assist and park assist.

Exterior

There’s no pretending that there aren't a tonne of SUVs on the roads. While the Nissan X-Trail is one of the many, it offers a stylish alternative to larger MPVs. If you want additional space without too much bulk, it’s one of the best choices. 

Like most SUVs, it has a sporty feel, but sleek lines keep it from feeling too bulky. It’s also fairly customisable, coming with a variety of different colour options.

Driving Experience

The X-Trail offers the choice between just two engines: a 1.7 litre diesel and a 1.3 litre petrol. The petrol is a good option if you’re likely to be doing more domestic trips, as it offers just 34.9mpg. It’s also worth noting that the petrol engines only come as automatics.  

The diesel engine is more popular given the car type, and offers better fuel efficiency with 43.5mpg. With the diesel, you get the option of manual or automatic. 

Driving Position

As a larger vehicle, the X-Trail is naturally a car with a high driving position. You’ll have great visibility of the road, and can adjust the steering wheel to suit your desired positioning. 

Handling

Handling isn’t overly well rated, with owners reporting that steering can be lagging. Response is generally on the slow side and you’ll find the steering wheel needs a sharper pull to turn where you want.

Suspension

Overall, the X-Trail is fairly smooth to drive. It can manage over rough terrain, but with larger bumps or potholes, you’ll likely feel it. This is especially felt in the larger 19” alloy wheels, so if you’re worried about it, the 17” wheels are a better choice.

X-Trail Interior

The Nissan X-Trail’s interior space arguably presents it as one of the best SUV cars. But do the tech and styling live up to the space?

Styling

The interior is fairly refined given the cost, with good quality materials in even the lower specs. Silver accents throughout the interior give it a more up market feel, and rear materials are durable enough to withstand some bashing from luggage or kids.

With higher specs, you can choose between shiny tan, beige or black leather. The lower specs offer beige or black cloth, but still look and feel well made.

Tech

Standard tech is generally good, but entry level models are lacking. The Visia and Acenta come without a touchscreen, and only offer a DAB radio and CD player.

The N-Connecta upwards offers better tech, with 8-inch infotainment screens that are easy to use. Unfortunately Nissan still hasn’t made it compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but you’ll likely only miss this if you had it previously.

Practicality

The X-Trail is a very practical car, with a lot of extra space just where you need it. The doors are wide opening, and seats are positioned high, making it easily accessible for passengers or car seats.

Dimensions

4,640 mm L x 1,820-1,830 mm W x 1,710-1,740 mm H

Boot Size

The X-Trail boot is average for its class, and if you compare the X-Trail vs the Qashqai, you don’t get quite as much flexibility. 

However it does provide a lot of space. You’ll easily fit a few suitcases, sports equipment or bulky IKEA flatpacks into the boot. There’s also no boot lip, making it easy to load any heavy or awkward items. If you want to maximise the space, just lower the rear seats and you’ll have space galore.

Passenger Room

Passenger room in the X-Trail is really something to be rivalled, making it one of the best family cars. It has extensive space for the rear seat passengers, with foot, knee and shoulder space all above adequate. 

If your friends or family are on the tall side, there won’t be any cramped necks. The optional sunroof does slightly restrict headspace, but 6 footers can still comfortably relax in the 2nd row. 

The third row is ideal for kids, or for adults providing it’s not a regular thing. The very rear seats are easily accessible, but leg room isn’t the greatest. That said, you can slide the third row seats back if you’re happy to sacrifice the boot space. 

Safety Features

Safety is clearly a priority for Nissan, with the majority of its vehicles scoring well in safety tests. The X-Trail received a 5 star rating in the Euro NCAP tests, and all trims come with a high level of safety features as standard.

Running Costs

The X-Trail is fairly inexpensive to run, and if you opt for the diesel engine you’ll get decent mpg. 

Insurance groups are reasonable for the model, so you won’t have to pay above and beyond just to get on the road.

MPG

The 1.3 litre petrol engine returns just 34.9mpg, whilst the 1.7 litre diesel gives 43.5mpg.

CO2 Emissions

The CO2 emissions for the X-Trail aren’t the worst, but they definitely could be better. The middle ground N-Connecta 1.7 litre diesel generates 137g/km of CO2, while the 1.3 litre petrol generates 144g/km of CO2.

Insurance Group

Reliability

Nissan reliability isn’t always highly rated, and the X-Trail follows suit with average reliability reports. 

In the 2017 Driver Power survey, 22.2% of owners reported dealing with problems at least once, and issues with the vehicle electrics repeatedly featured. However, safety scores are very high, which should reassure anyone considering it.

Warranty

The X-Trail comes with a standard Nissan warranty of 3 years/60,000 miles. It’s average but pales when you consider competitors like Renault offer 5yr/unlimited mileage warranty. 

You can get the Nissan extended warranty, however it comes with a fairly hefty price tag at £430-£569 per year depending on the age of your car.

Servicing

Nissan recommends at least annual servicing with the X-Trail. With your annual service potentially costing £152+, it’s probably worth taking out the Nissan Service Plan. This can even be split into monthly payments, and Nissan regularly offers incentives to get it.