Nissan Note (2006 - )  

Easy to drive and manouevre into small spaces, roomy cabin with plenty of headroom in the back, some clever and practical features inside, economical dCi diesels, well built.

Ride is a little firm on 16-inch wheels, smaller engines can be noisy on the motorway, no reach adjustment in the steering column.

Introduction

Nissan isn't afraid to do things differently and this shows in the Nissan Note. It's a small yet practical car that's somewhere between a hatchback and a mini-people carrier. This means it looks neat and compact, yet has plenty of passenger space. In fact, adults in the back of the Nissan Note will be impressed with the amount of legroom room and yet it still has a decent boot.

This means the Nissan Note is an ideal small family car with access to the back particularly good thanks to wide opening doors - useful when you're fitting child seats. Driving the Note is also a doddle thanks to light steering, easy to use controls and good forward visibility, while there's a decent choice of engines ranging from the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol up to a 1.5 dCi that can average 62.8mpg.

Practicality is another strength with rear seats that fold down flat at just the pull of a handle plus they slide back and forward to increase either legroom or luggage space. There's also something called a Flexi-board which creates a hidden storage area in the boot - one side of it is carpet while the other is wipe-clean, ideal for muddy wellies. You can also remove it to create a deep boot large enough to carry a pushchair or buggy.

The Nissan Note was facelifted at the beginning of 2009 with a sharper front end (with new headlights and grille), improved levels of standard equipment and more efficient engines.

Next: What's Good »

Last updated 12 March 2012
More at the Nissan website  

Related News & Road Tests

Cars For Sale

New Cars Used Cars

Best monthly deals on new cars

Also Consider

  • Honda Jazz 2008
    Neatly styled. Increased room and better performance than original Jazz. More fun to drive. Very versatile. CVT-7 returned in February 2011 replacing i-SHIFT.
  • KIA Venga 2010
    Space-efficient and compact people carrier, large boot and flat-folding rear seat, available with a four-speed automatic 1.6 petrol, easy to park, good visibility.
  • Citroen C3 Picasso 2009
    Decent practical family car. Very roomy in the back. Good load capacity. Drives and rides well. Best with 1.6 HDi engine.
  • Nissan Micra 2010
    Low emissions and fuel consumption from 1.2-litre engine, roomy and seats five, decent value for money, Bluetooth as standard.

Honest John's Car Buying Advice

Get the low-down on how to buy and sell cars the hassle-free way

Sign up for Honest John's Email Newsletter

Road Tests • Buying Tips • Deals