Elegance 2.0 TDI CR (140bhp) 4x4 DSG 5dr Auto Hatchback

The best all round car out there

When Nissan launched the previous Micra they invented a "micra-speak" language combining two words to signify the good things about the car. One word I love was compact and spacious which became "compacious". A car with a small footprint that is however very spacious. Never thought that of said Micra to be honest, but of this Yeti? You betya!

It has a 4,2 length but the amount of space inside is amazing. And it is not "stupid" space either. It is where you want it with acres of headroom front and back and you do not feel as if the roof is on top of your head as in a Nissan Cashcow. Add the amazing Panoramic roof and it just feels airy and spacious. And this roof opens too. It is not the stupid fishbowl that most manufacturers now fit that can't open to let warm air out. Parking the car in the heat with the roof on tilt lets all the hot air out BEFORE you get back in the car. And should it rain the rain sensor in the windscreen is always active and will close the roof and any open windows should it detect rain! Neat.

This space is wonderfully flexible too with rear seats that move forward and back (the outer ones since the middle one can inexplicably not move forward or back). You can remove them all and leave them at home to make even more space or just remove the middle one and move the outer ones inboard. And in this configuration with them moved forward as far as possible a baby seat is very close to the people in the front of the car. Perfect. The backrest angles can also be adjusted.

Build quality is top notch. Just look up a well known weekly magazine's driver reviews and the Yeti came number one out of 100 cars for build quality. Yes, it is even better built than your average Porsche!

And just like a Porsche I've taken mine to a track as well! And what an eye opener. Our famous Sunday evening BBC car programme host liked it around a track as did another supercar magazine so I just had to do it. Hardly any noticeable lean in the corners and the 4x4 system just effortlessly puts the power down out of corners. And to boot it still has an amazing relaxing drive when heading home on any motorway or country road. Excellent suspension setup I have to say.

With my winter rubber fitted it went everywhere in the snow I cared to point it at (though a 2WD Yeti with winter rubber would have done the same!) and it showed no sweat being taken off road either.

And in Elegance spec tons of big car kit too like cornering bi-xenons and fog lights, heated leather seats, auto lights and wipers, etc. And as options my car parks itself, warns me of low tyre pressure, has an electric driver's seat with memory that remembers three seat and mirror settings (and seperate one's for each of the car's keys to boot!) and has an excellent upgraded 12 speaker audio system to name but a few. Short changed I've never felt in this car. It is not as cheap as chips no. Make no mistake. But to spec a VW Tiguan to the same spec will cost thousands and thousands more. Not to mention a BMW X1 or the forthcoming Audi Q3.

So all in all a spacious, well built, well equiped, distinctive and scarce, great handling, fast, fairly economical (mine is a 140hp DSG) beastie my Snow Monster is! I can't recommend it more.

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