Incidentally, this is not just my opinion and that of my friend. Nissan themselves got so annoyed with Jatco upsetting their reliability statistics that they publically shamed Jatco (big deal in Japan) in an effort to sort them out.
EDIT. I should mention too. You would be surprised how many of those Nissans you see around have already had their transmissions replaced. Funnily enough just yesterday an acquaintance of mine showed me the Nissan he had just bought for his daughter. He was the one who bought up transmissions as this car had also just had it's one replaced.
Even more interesting, his neighbors now won't touch Nissans with a barge pole after buying two against my strong recomendation not to. Both cars were disastrous (WIngroad with rust and Presage with the usual catastrophic engine failure). They now are overjoyed with what I recomended to replace them which are already proving far cheaper to run and a million times safer and more enjoyable to drive.
But your call, it's your money and your decision. I am here to help if you want my advice, if you don't No big deal and best of luck with whatever you get.
manolo,
Jul 5, 7:22am
I don't know Jazz - I think if the CVTs were so unreliable then car dealers wouldn't be selling the Tiida and the Dualis in such high numbers- surely they would get bankrupted by the comebacks right?
kazbanz,
Jul 5, 11:06am
I personally haven't seen Dualis with multi bags but I would have a decent gander inside one because IMO they space wise are about the same as a late 1990's Primera . Funny that you feel the Zio looks "people moverish" To my eye they look like a fancy station wagon. But then im a tadd biased My DW convinced me to "ditch" my beloved Brevis and grab a Zio as my regular drive for pretty much the same reason you are looking for a vehicle.-Lots of 'stuff" fits inside but it becomes a darn comfortable 5 seater too Ive sold a wingroad of the generation Im talking about to someone on here and they have had zero issues with it. My best friend bought one from me for his wife to travel south Auckland to whenuapai daily-5 years ago. On my advice a few months back they passed it down to their son who is happily using it. -At 305000km it feels a bit loose n squeaky compared to a newer one. It is though darned important to service the transmission every 60 k
db.price,
Jul 5, 11:20am
Well if it was me then I would choose a mid level new car which would still allow you to put money on the mortgage but have a good car as well. Even if you bought say a new Outback (and they are a great car) and they are offering a 1/3 1/3 1/3 deal on Outback and XV. Top of the line Outback would be $1344 a month and a XV for $1110 a month. Depending on gas use that would give you a bit to put into the mortgage.
kazbanz,
Jul 5, 11:58am
I just personally haven't laid eyeballs on one.
vtecintegra,
Jul 5, 12:06pm
Yeah not so common on those. Same as the earlier V36 Skylines - available but not often optioned.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 5, 3:07pm
Nah, they are usually out of CGA before they break. It's the second owner who usually cops it. Also, it's pretty normal for Nissan dealer to have several Tiida's with serious transmission issues in the workshop at any time. Believe me, don't believe me. Like I said, popularity is a very very hard thing to resist. Funny thing is, if we were in any other country, they would be laughing at someone considering a Tiida or similar over say a Golf, they would burst their sides when they hear Kiwis pay siimilar money for them too. Long and the short of it is the likes of the Tiida is not supposed to be an export model, it's a short life vehicle which suits the Japanese market prefectly. The transmission out of them was also tried in various other makes but was often pulled after just a year or two of production, if it even got that far.
It's a psychological game, the evidence is clear for anyone who takes the time to look in to it (heck you only need to drive your options to see the difference). But again, popularity is psychologically very difficult to overcome in the face of logic.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 5, 3:12pm
BTW. if you really want to play the true popularity game (not just what is popular here because dealers can make a quick buck ex Japan).
Buy a Golf or Passat Wagon. The Golf is by far and away the most popular car in the world, The Passat is just a bigger version of the same car. They are also incredibly safe vehicles, super efficient, well equipped and lovely to drive. Where the Nissan barely has enough paint to avoid rust the Golf is fully Galvanised, such is the quality difference.
If you do go down this track, ask me for advice though so I can guide you to the best and most reliable one for you as there are lots of options and a few to avoid.
vtecintegra,
Jul 5, 3:13pm
The Tiida was widely sold pretty much everywhere in the world except for Europe.
Not a particularly good car but they were cheap new
kazbanz,
Jul 5, 3:35pm
yea--a bit like the 04 sylphy I have atm.-4 bags. Whoda thunk.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 5, 3:42pm
I thought they were trialled for a few years (including here new) and then pulled? I could well be wrong on that, thanks for sharing.
They are easy to see why they are cheap, just put one on a hoist and have a look.
berg,
Jul 5, 7:55pm
Out on a limb here not being a wagon or hatch but how about a Suzuki Kizashi. 2.4, multi airbags, reliable as a Swiss watch. Just a thought.
manolo,
Jul 5, 8:06pm
Thanks Berg but I need a wagon or a SUV for carrying long items
berg,
Jul 5, 8:18pm
No worries. All the reps and the local AA breakdown guys swear by Mazda 6 wagons. I can vouch for the Suzuki as I've had a few but not the Mazda personally
manolo,
Jul 5, 9:45pm
Jazz I was a sales rep at Coke about 9 years back and the Golfs we had a number of transmission failures. In the shop for a while- some of us got the upgrades to the Passat while they were being fixed. Was a much nicer car!
tamarillo,
Jul 5, 9:57pm
Might depend on age of car. Later cvt boxes do seem much better and stronger. Also depends on model. The U.K. Built version of dualis seems ok with its cvt whereas tiida was never built elsewhere or for export. Buts it's more than just gearbox that hurts the Tiida IMO. It's feels like a cheaply made car all round and is totally uninspiring. And yes I've driven one and had a good nose around it. Yuk.
kazbanz,
Jul 6, 9:45am
heads up for ya- In the states its called a Versa. also badge tecked to be the Dodge Trazo in from memory USA or south America, Auzzie and NZ it was Pulsar. Heck it was even sold as a cop car in a couple of countries. I THINK the only country it wasn't sold new in was the UK. So far from the orphan you might think it is.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 6, 11:35am
Ahhh things are making more sense now! The Golfs you had trouble with were the pre 2011 7 speed DSG's. Coke had the unfortunate scenario of buying a fleet of just the wrong model at the wrong time. The 7 Speed has improved considerably but still isn't the most reliable transmission out there. Interestingly the Passat is still a Golf platform car, so essentially the same mechanically BUT it's stretched a bit and there was more budget for niceties.
To put it in to perspective, the Nissan CVT is probably worse than even the early 7 speed DSG for reliability, that's why I am so concerned. Only thing is, the Nissan doesn't give you an otherwise decent car in return for the risk.
If you liked the Passat, why not get one? They are fantastic buying and a lot easier to find with the 6 speed wet clutch DSG which is a completely different transmission and incredibly robust. There are even guys putting 1000HP through stock ones!
The 2.0 TDI especially the higher output 125kw one is a real honey of a car and very reliable. They are a reps favourite in the UK always getting top reviews in fleet magazine etc for their comfort, safety, reliability and longevity.
Just avoid the 1.8TFSI as it too has some problems unless going guite late. Parts are cheap, service intervals are long and they are comfortable and safe while having a huge interior. Why not?
Also. the Skoda Octavia hatch might give you a better balance of space and maneuverability depending on exactly what you are carrying. Don't discount one without looking in the back. With the seats down they are huge.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 3, 4:40pm
This is it in a nutshell. why take the risk on an otherwise sub standard car?
If you get a chance take a look at one on a hoist and you will see the Meccano suspension. No wonder they go out of wheel alignment so easily.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.