Nissan Tiida

Page 1 / 2
comsolve, Aug 18, 3:46pm
I'm looking for a learner car for my wife. Thinking Nissan Tiida 2005 - 2007. AFAIK it's basically just a lower spec'd trim version of my Bluebird Slyphy?

kazbanz, Aug 18, 4:06pm
Tiida would be great. same size would be allex/runx/corolla hatch.-02-06
She might prefer Demio 1500 02-07 because of smaller size body.

comsolve, Aug 18, 4:14pm
Thanks for the suggestions. My preference for Nissan is due to the "cult of Corolla" making asking prices too high. Plus, it has been my experience Nissan have noticeably better performance for the same engine size. Otherwise, a Toyota would be a good choice.

My Mother is getting a Wingroad so my wife's Tiida would make it 3 cars with the same servicing and parts.

thejazzpianoma, Aug 18, 4:33pm
Be aware that the Tiida is built exceedingly cheaply, if you took the badges off and showed a mechanic they would likely tell you it was a Chery or some other domestic Chinese vehicle.

The key problem with them is that chances of the CVT transmission lasting beyond 120K without a rebuild is very low. This is already causing a lot of rebuilds but due to the low km of most of them in NZ we haven't seen how catastrophic this is going to be yet.

Other issues are a complete lack of rust proofing and even the paint doesn't offer much protection so you can get serious rust in firewalls etc that you want to check very carefully for even in the car appears quite pristine.

If you are buying very low km and selling again well before 100K. It might be OK. Just don't go thinking it will last like a 90's primera or some such as it is the complete polar opposite of such a car.

If you want to see yourself what I am talking about, have a look at the front suspension and you will see that with little pressed steel arms (not even box section) why they go out of wheel alignment so easily.

I totally support you avoiding toyota tax but the Tiida is not the way to do it in my opinion. The dealers hate me saying this because they can buy them for next to nothing in Japan and sell them here for good profit.

I would also suggest something else to compare to, but those same dealers will then make a fuss and pretend I have some sort of agenda beyond helping people find great cars for their money.

Anyhow, make of that what you will. Best of luck with it all. If you are curious, my information comes from having spent significant time with a friend who rebuilds those transmissions and only those transmission. Plus if you look online you will see even Nissan themselves are publically angry at their subsidiary who makes those transmissions. The losses so far have put the whole company (Nissan) out of profit for one year to date.

kcf, Aug 18, 4:39pm
I had a rental Tiida for a weekend in the South Island.

It did feel awfully awfully low rent, and this is coming from a guy who loves pretty basic cars like Corolla's.

The upside of the cult of Corolla, is that you tend to get most of your money back when you sell them ;). The 1800cc ones are pretty good as an all around car (the 1500cc ones are a bit more suited to only around town use).

kazbanz, Aug 18, 4:42pm
I take your point and for your purposes it makes total sense.
That said I have to say IMO a corolla/allex/ runx of the same age as the Tiida IMO goes a lot better due to the VVTi engine -but that's my opinion

the-lada-dude, Aug 18, 4:58pm
I've seen some great looking smallish Fiats lately, . Punto ? they can be inexpensive and the ride is very good apparently . reliability . as good as anything else ?

thejazzpianoma, Aug 18, 5:09pm
The Fiat by comparison is fully galvanised, so no rush issues ever. It has a simple 8 valve motor that you can change a timing belt on in 15 minutes with about the cheapest timing belt kit you can buy for any car.

The transmission is based on their manual box (but automated if you choose automatic) so not only lasts exceptionally well, but is reliable, easy and cheap to repair. It also a very efficient transmission.

The underpinnings are very well built, compare the suspension arms etc with the Tiida. They handle well and have great boot space. Safety was exceptionally good when they came out. There was a silly article a while back where they tried to compare them to brand new cars safety wise but in the context of what you can buy for the money/age they are very safe.

The Punto was on my list of cars to recommend too. Parts seem to be on your mind, well with the Punto being globally much more popular than the Tiida parts of all kinds are cheap and easy to get ex NZ and overseas. We have multiple third party Fiat parts importers you can buy direct from in NZ.

They are a great car for the home mechanic with a full workshop manual available, cheap diagnostics software and loads of online support. Plus a lovely simple little 8 Valve engine.

Just stick to buying the petrol 1.4 and go with the nicest example you can afford. I always choose NZ new where possible too. A well looked after example will continue to be reliable and economically viable long after the Tiida has expired.

Sadly my posting this will likely attract a hoard of angry trolls and dealers but that's my experience having had a number of them now.

meow_mix, Aug 18, 5:13pm
I've heard the Tiida is a cheaply made car that is supposed to last 5-10 years and then be scrapped. The Bluebird is a size up from the Tiida, and is probably a better built car. If buying a 2005-ish car then I'm afraid I would have to recommend a Corolla.

ambo11, Aug 18, 5:24pm
Look at a Toyota Ractis. Excellent vision, Toyota bulletproof, extremely economical, and huge inside for a small car. If you buy the 1500cc version they mostly come with cruise control etc.

msigg, Aug 18, 5:27pm
comsolve, the tiida is a good for what you want, they do drive very nice, I have an older friend who said that the tiida is the most comfortable car he has driven, it's not for me I prefer the corolla ,but hey everyone is different, they are basic , cheap to run and can be bought for a reasonable price, do some test drives see what you think, some posters on here don't like japanese cars, I think you can see that, each to their own.

richardmayes, Aug 18, 5:27pm
I had a Tiida sedan rental car for a weekend and it had better back seat leg room and head room for children's car seats than our Falcon stationwagon! Didn't drive as nicely as a Corolla but it seemed like a good design for a practical little city car for people who are not really interested in cars and driving.

Jazzpianoman's concerns about lightweight construction and rust I can't comment on as I never had to open the bonnet. It seems credible though, the cabin interiors of most cars have got cheaper and flimsier than they used to be in the 90s, I would not be surprised if everything else has gone the same way!

tsjcf, Aug 18, 6:05pm
There ya go buy a Fiat and learn to be a mechanic.
And in the real world.
https://www.cars.com/articles/consumer-reports-reliability-study-toyota-thrives-fiat-fails-1420682551916/

comsolve, Aug 18, 6:33pm
I have a 12 year old Bluebird which looks almost like new. So, did Nissan specifically drop the ball with the Tiida?

I don't want a Fiat nor an 8-valve engine. I'd like something this century please, like 16 valves with VVT. That's what my Bluebird has which probably explains how it drives like a 1.8L car.

In regards to the CVT, NZers have a bad reputation for servicing autos. Adjusted for this fact - is there still an issue? (PS: My Bluebird has the 4-speed and I would be inclined to get a Tiida with the same).

We are looking at buying a car with around 30 or less on the odo. The auto will get serviced at 50 and 100km. So it's still got good oil at that 120km mark a previous poster mentioned.

I appreciate the feedback but am just trying to get an objective picture here. Thanks :-)

meow_mix, Aug 18, 6:53pm
There are a few factors at play here; Nissan almost went bankrupt during the Japanese Economic Crisis in the '90s. They were taken over by Renault, a guy called Carlos "The Cost Cutter" Ghosn restructured the Nissan range.

So now instead of bullet-proof cars like the old Pulsar, we now get flimsy stuff like the Tiida. The Bluebird is one of Nissan's premium badges so it is probably still a "proper" car.

blue35, Aug 18, 6:58pm
Are all Tiida's CVT?

ambo11, Aug 18, 7:18pm
Listing 1721134276

Problem solved.

thejazzpianoma, Aug 18, 7:37pm
The particular transmission in the Tiida is a known lemon. 120K is about it regardless of how well it is serviced.

Nissan have gone way down hill since being bought out by Renault. Renault is about the worst of the Frenchies to start with and what you are buying is well below their Renault badged standard.

in fairness the Tiida is good at what it is designed for, but what it's designed for is to be cheap to buy and then discarded after 5 years. The problem is we expect them to last longer here and also pay a price that would buy you something else which would last twice as long.

If you don't like the Fiat fair enough, there are loads of other options in your price range. However the Tiida in my opinion is about the worst you can do. There are quicker Punto's available if that was all that put you off, because otherwise they are a superior car in every way for a bargain price.

As for the other Nissan's, it seems to be hit and miss with quality depending on when they were originally designed etc. The Presage for example is another one to avoid due to the 2.5 being probably the worst modern engine you can buy, often suffering catastrophic failure before the warranty is even out. However they are problematic through poor design rather than intentionally short life as with the Tiida brief.

Hope that helps.

nzmax, Aug 18, 7:38pm
My aunty and uncle have a 2004 or 2005 import Tiida sedan with 4spd auto. They have owned it for at around 10 years and has served them well so far. They bought it at around 60,000km from memory, and now done near on 200,000. They have had it garaged the whole time they have had it, and it has no rust, and the clear coat hasnt failed on it either. They arent in any hurry to change it as it still does everything they need it to do.

thejazzpianoma, Aug 18, 7:43pm
4 Speed auto Tiida is the way to go if that's what you want. However that makes no sense if you don't want an 8 valve Fiat because you have then got yourself something that is slower and more thirsty. Not to mention inferior build quality.

By all means go Japanese but Nissan's of new really are not Japanese and they are not good European either. So best just avoided all together. It's a shame as their product of the 90's was exceptional and back in the day I would have recommended a Pulsar in an instant. However, those days are gone now and the vehicles of that era just too old now.

thejazzpianoma, Aug 18, 7:45pm
Is a manual car an option for you?
You can usually pick up a similarly aged Manual Civic in that price range. It will have twice the KM but it's going to still well out last the Tiida. Just avoid the Jazz, they are much better built than the Tiida but their CVT's are awful and build quality is also not what it should be.

nikaosystems, Aug 18, 8:27pm
FFS you obvs need to use a better mechanic.

Tiida's are popular as hell for a reason.

The end.

oliver6, Aug 18, 8:46pm
My wife has had a 2005 Tiida 1.8 CVT for 5 years. It has now done about 200,000kms, about had done 50,000 when we bought it.
No problems at all so far.
Her mother recently gave her a 2014 Yaris with 4000kms on it but she decided to keep the Tiida as the Yaris was not a patch on the Tiida to drive.
I was a bit surprised but after I drove the 2 cars back to back, there was no question.
The Tiida drives well, has plenty of grunt, is well appointed, and has been extremely reliable.

comsolve, Aug 18, 8:51pm
I have no opinion for or against Fiat. I am in the Japanese camp and that's all.


Personally, I don't care manual vs. auto fine either way - but this is for my wife. We are both in our 30's but have had a different life scenery when at the age where one usually gets a driver's license. I got my learners and restricted at 16 and full at 17. She is from the Philippines where a car is a luxury item and thus she has never had a license. So we have to get her through quickly.

franc123, Aug 18, 8:51pm
Below Renault Badged Standard lol. I just pissed myself.