Nissan Terrano II Outdoor 2.7 TD

(First of all, this is an op on Nissan's NEW Terrano 3.0ltr turbodiesel, sorry but Ciao haven't got it)

Brought back from the scrap! Its been now updated and supposedly improved! What do you think? Read on....

My Dad has brought it back. The NEW Nissan Terrano is back on sale retailing between £17,000- £24, 500.

Nissan's relaunch of this supposedly great 4x4 has been on sale now since the beggining of April and sales seem fairly constant as I've seen a fair few of these out on the road.

My Dad asked me to look after it for 3 days while he went away to Spain for work. My SEAT Ibiza is having treatment at the moment after a small accident thanks to a Sunday driver, so I immediately agreed to look after this and its keys!

He brought it on the 18th April down at New Way garage our local Nissan dealer for £22,395.

So here I'm left with a powerful 3.0ltr Turbodiesel 4x4! Now its rare to see a young lad like me driving a 4x4, so strange that your more lightly to see Ann Robinson strip for page3 in the Sun! I did feel strange. I could see young lads in their metros and fiestas looking at me strangely!

HANDLING: ¬
I drove this to Leicester and then back the next day. This 4x4 gave me an awkward challenge at first, steering and handling! It seem to be more on the understeer side on both 'off' and 'on' road. I don't mind this but I personally prefer oversteer to understeer.

The steering of the car isn't hugely understeer though, its just a little vague. As for approaching corners, well, it seems to have an attitude. Maybe it was me, but I'm very sure that it wasn't. It seems to be of the pace at a corner and much attention is needed.

DRIVE: ¬
On the motorway road noise was at a low throughout the whole journey. It seems much more comfortable driving this on the road as to driving it off road.

Driving this vehicle off road seems quite good. There's a great ground clearance giving me hope that this motor wouldn't be given back to my dad with a bill for repairs and new parts.
Helping that is the very noticeaxle long-travel suspension. Take this of the 'BT Tower' and you'd no doubt that you'd end up on all four wheels.

But driving on the road is a new experience for me. With the long travel suspension and high clearance off the ground, I kept feeling totally unusual. I'm used to being in my sport low cut Seat Ibiza.

Lie I said, driving on the motorway seems fairly good, but some road surfaces are much more challenging. Road noise then be comes a little louder than wanted, and you'd need the best of headphones to keep your head cool!

POWER: ¬
So as you know, its a 3.0ltr turbodiesel engine. You can tell its a diesel like pratically all diesels, but the engines not as noisy as me sometimes. The engine has that sound but keeps calm at all speeds. The engine revs smoothly and freely all the time.

Its a five-speed manual transmission, which in effect, I prefer. A low ratio gearbox.

It does 0-60 in about 14secs which is quite fast for this 4x4 heap of suspension and steel. Top speed is 107mph but if pushed it may do a little better, but I aint gona try that on my dads new beauty!

Acceleration is fair enough, its a 4x4, not a Ferrari. It pulls of the mark fairly good and mid range speed is exceptional.

LOOKS:¬
Ever seem Jordan? Well like her Nissan have tried maybe too hard to impress. It looks at its worst from a side angle, but form the front it looks o.k.

The new Terrano has been given a new front bumper and a new grill which does improve the motors looks.

But if you looked inside then you'd find I was embarassed to let you see. Its a bland design inside looking more like a box with a steering wheel and a few cut outs.

FEATURES: ¬
Great! Nissan HAVE got this! They've added anti-skid brakes and passenger air bags. They've also added and imporved side airbags and head restraints that move forward to counteract with the inevitable whiplash. This all comes a standard.

Space inside is enough. Enough not to complain, but not enough too brag about to every man you meet!

Boot space is limited. Very limited. I'm sure you can get roof racks for this, which will help definetly. Basically, the boot is big enought to tie me up, stick me in and dirve me off to somewhere unknown where I'm dumped for dead.

Shooping at Tesco's may seem strange. To get all shopping done in this, you'd have to make 3 trips to Tesco's each time having about 6 bags! So, its enough for some, but still very limited!

-:CONCLUSION:-
This motor has its good points and its bad. Its not overwelmingly fantatsic, though thats what I told my dad. Its definetly AVERAGE in my view. I'd drive it again for sure, but I wouldn't have this as my everyday car!

Though's who are driving the 4x4 everyday, this would suit you hell of a lot, its great for off road, and as for on road driving, thats exceptional. Its also great for familys and days out, although don't expect to take too much!

Thanks!

Chunka!