Long-term review - QQ J11 - Tekna - 1.6 DIG-T

Reviews / Comments about the 2014 QashQai
DankoGranko
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:58 pm
Location: Prague (Cz)

Post by DankoGranko »

Hi,

So, I've finally got the car, and decided to keep track of my experience and see how it changes over time.
Hopefully this will also provide a good reference for all those interested to buy/use a similar equipment level/engine.

Please be advised that everything I will write here is just my personal opinion in contrast to what I expect from this car and my usual needs, which may be different from yours. Always keep in mind that I'm talking about MY car, therefore some of the comments may be unintentionally exaggerated (good or worst), so please take everything I put in here with a grain of salt.

I would be happy to answer any specific questions that you may have on this particular engine/equipment level, but will not follow up on any off-topic provocations or statements that are not related to this topic.
After all ... this is a topic about MY car ;)

Cheers!
QQ J11 1.6 DIG-T Tekna - Magnifico Rosso

Bullyboy
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:04 pm
Location: North Kent

Post by Bullyboy »

I have the same car ( with pano roof) looking forward to your comments
All the best
Paul
NOW- Mini Clubman Cooper S ---- WAS a 16 plate Tekna 1.6 dig-t in Gunmetal with Pano Roof
DankoGranko
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:58 pm
Location: Prague (Cz)

Post by DankoGranko »

Usage: 550 km

Got the car few days ago and managed to put some road behind my back, so these are my first impressions.

Overall
Overall I'm really impressed with the car. I've spent some good hours in the car before buying it (different dealers / test drives ... etc) so I knew what I got myself into, but despite that, the first contact with the car from the "owner" perspective was overwhelming. I had some doubts about the color, as it was my wife's choice, but these are now all gone - it is indeed a looker, and the MagRed/black/chrome combo is simply amazing.

I now find all kind of stupid excuses to get out of the house and drive the car ... I'm completely charmed ... :D

Positives
- Ride quality. Simply amazing. Steering is very precise, minimal body roll when turning and smooth suspensions (even on the 19' wheels). I'm used to the "soft" and "easy" type of steering wheel, so I don't get the negative comments about its lack of "feedback"....
- Comfortable seats. Opted for mixed leather/textile due to heated seats and also personal preference. Textile part is surprisingly nice and pleasant on touch, and the chair shape will get you sink in pretty fast. The pretty unusual shape and inclination of the head-rest proved to be good ergonomic experience as well.
- Interior layout and sound insulation. Everything you need seems to be in the right place. I was initially concerned about the inability to slide the central arm-rest, but there's no need to. Only complaint is that I cannot rest both my elbows at the same time (on the door's arm rest and the central one) ... Also, it is a very quiet car!!!! Even a couple of experienced drivers and friends of mine have noticed this right away. At 120 km/h I was literally having a conversation with my wife ..... below whispering level ...
- Engine elasticity and performance. The engine is perfect for my taste. Between 1500-2800 rpms it has quite decent acceleration, even when going on steep up-hill. After 2800 rpms it becomes a beast and can perform way beyond the car's purpose, easy comparable with other 2.0 / 2.2 l Diesel engines I've driven in the past.
- Consumption. Dividing 500 km into 60% motorway, 20% national roads, 10% city roads and 10% country roads, and I got 6.1l/100km as average. And this with a normal driving style (decent accelerations and 130km/h average speed on motorway). Personally I'm happy. I believe I can reach 5.0 if I'm careful enough, so I will try this in the future.
- Navigation. The system performed much better than expected. It also seems to be very precise in regards to your current position, and the maps seem ok (still need to check their version). I normally use Google maps as I have unlimited data on my mobile, but overall this was a pleasant experience. Also, it also carries my wife's approval :) No issues with it so far.

Negatives
- Paint. Oh boy ... Overall paint quality is poor, and can probably be compared to my 10 years old car in this regard (despite the age difference) .... The activities of washing and waxing the car highlighted some paint related issues, otherwise invisible. There are 2 small areas where the paint seems to be diluted, like a drop of petrol has touched the car during the paint procedure. Both trapped under the protective coating, therefore clearly a paint procedure failure. In the engine compartment there are also few areas which are poorly painted (savings ??). As long as the "inside metal" is not exposed or the paint is not chipped - I'm ok with it .... but still ... grrrr :x
- Rain sensor. Need to play a bit more with the settings ... but it seems to trigger the wipers a little bit too late for my taste sometimes.
- Cameras. All around cameras are great!!!!! but once you get used to them ... you start observing the low image quality they provide. Not a real issue to be honest, but just a fuss ... really. Better to have them low quality then not at all I guess 8-)
- Sound quality. Not truly negative but just plain average. My MP3 collection sounds good, however most radio stations sound like crap. I usually use my music so the sound quality of the 6 output points provided is decent with some minor tweaks. Again, not a real issue for me.
- Trunk lock. Not sure if this is me, but I have moments when I try 3-4 times until I succeed to open the trunk. I believe its something like pull the door + push the unlock button at the same time, so I suspect an idiot here rather than a technical issue .... will keep an eye opened in the future.
- No windows closing on lock. Seriously? No auto window closing at lock ? So disappointing ... Even the manual states something like ... "close windows first, then lock car".
- Start/Stop system. Well, it works pretty well to be honest, only that I personally hate it, and for my usage is pointless. Not having a permanent on/off switch is annoying. Have to do it every time you start the engine :(
- Automatic door lock. I know there are some safety concerns, but I would like to have my doors locked automatically as I drive away (like in my old car). Just another "thing to do" after I start my car .... along with deactivating the Start/Stop system (soon I'll need a check up list, like when the plane takes off ...)
- Gearbox (manual). Overall good, apart from few comments. Sometimes I find it difficult to get in to the 4th from 5th or 6th. It could be just the position and the way I'm used to. There is a friction sound when getting into 5th gear as the leather around the gear-shift folds and touches itself ( :lol: ). Don't like the transition between 1st and 2nd gear, but I suspect it is me to blame here again. Although a good gear box it feels a bit "slow" and I would have preferred something else paired to this elastic engine ... even for higher price . I'm sure I'll get used to it in time ... ;)

Other notes
The car looks well engineered as a whole, and managed to impress me at times. However the execution is lacking in some parts and this takes a bit away from what could be a truly amazing car.
Am I disappointed in my choice? NO! And I knew what I was getting into. Given the opportunity, I would have taken the same decision today.

Cheers!
QQ J11 1.6 DIG-T Tekna - Magnifico Rosso
DankoGranko
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:58 pm
Location: Prague (Cz)

Post by DankoGranko »

@ Bullyboy

Looking forward to see if you agree/disagree with my initial comments.

Personally I've opted for the heated windshield instead of the panoramic roof (as I could't afford both at that time) so can't comment on that.
QQ J11 1.6 DIG-T Tekna - Magnifico Rosso
Bullyboy
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:04 pm
Location: North Kent

Post by Bullyboy »

Thanks the mini review. I am generally pleased with mine other than the recent alarm problem I had which was electrical and Lthough solved the communication was poor by the dealer and I had to send a crappy email to get a conversation and resolution.

Any way I won't go into as much detail as you. The good as a summary for me:-
It rides and drives well better than I expected
The toys on it are great although got one eye now on possible electrical gremlins (as many others have experiences let's hope it does not happen to mine)
The seats are very comfortable and I do like the panoramic roof which was the only option (other than metallic paint) - we get the heated screen as standard
The car is a refined place to be and as you state its quiet
The navigation in my opinion does the job welll ( I know others don't like it)
Connect unit is generally good although speakers could be better but fine on digital sources

The bad
Had a recall which I believe lead to the alarm issue I suffered, although dealer says just coincidence
Customer service regarding the above issue poor
Engine is generally good but needs to be revved a bit. I find it's lacklustre at motor way speeds in high gears and if you need to go it needs to be dropped a cog. Appreciate it's not a sports car but I had the same engine in my juke nismo and I know it was more powerful on a smaller car but thought this engine variant may have similar traits but I feels a completely different unit.
Fuel economy not great for suburban driving - didn't buy it for this but thought it might be better than it is.

Overall I am pleased with the car and I can see why it won small suv of the year a couple of times. It's a decent car with a big spec for reasonable money and pulls it off well.
If the car continues to steer clear of future gremlins I would mark it very highly, however if me and the dealer spend a lot of time together in the next year or two (other than routine servicing) then I will fall out rapidly with the car.

Let's hope it performs. I would give it an 8 out of 10 at the moment but if it behaves would easily give it 9 or 9.5 out of 10.
Keep us posted
All the best
Paul
NOW- Mini Clubman Cooper S ---- WAS a 16 plate Tekna 1.6 dig-t in Gunmetal with Pano Roof
DankoGranko
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:58 pm
Location: Prague (Cz)

Post by DankoGranko »

One of my observations as well was the fact that most of the issues that people have with this car are dealer/service-related. If it’s not the lack of support from the dealer, is surely the lack of professionalism of the mechanics … Nissan should really revise the conditions under which they mark the official dealers for their brand.

The engine needs to be revved to get the most of it – true. I’m used to petrol engines, so for me it comes natural. For safety reasons I wouldn’t attempt a takeover under 3000-3500 rpms at all – unless you’re on the motorway.
Using this engine between 2800 and 4500 rpms is perfectly fine, but will obviously affect your consumption, therefore the most appropriate range for “normal” driving would be around 1800 – 3000 rpm. You could push it to 5-6000 rpms on special occasions and short period of times, but I would highly advise against going in the 6-8000 area (marked in red) if you’re planning to keep the car for more than 2 years ;)

As another note, I’m quite surprised that the engine behaves decently at very low revs, 1100 -2000. My old car would almost choke at these values …. For a very low consumption you could stay in low rpm area, but as a word of advice, do not attempt to get out of this range by using maximum acceleration (with flat pedal) as it will put unnecessary stress on the engine and may cause issues long-term.

The car also suggests the optimal gear to be in, for an optimal consumption. Following its suggestions you can find yourself shifting into 6th gear at little over 80-85 km/h. Having low rpm at that speed & gear, trying to accelerate on motorway to 130km/h will make you pull your hair off.
Wanna sprint? Down-shift to raise the revs and you will reap the benefits of this beautiful engine!

@Bullyboy – Good to see we have similar experiences. The above explanation was not targeted at you, but a general overview on how I use this engine and its limitations. I’ve seen many people complaining about the performance of this engine which makes me sad. It is a nice and balanced engine and one of the main things that attract me to this car.
QQ J11 1.6 DIG-T Tekna - Magnifico Rosso
Bullyboy
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:04 pm
Location: North Kent

Post by Bullyboy »

Danko - comments noted and well made. I do think the engine is a good one, for me it has to be worked a bit harder than I thought. You are right is probably is well balanced and it is refined. I just thought the traits from the Nismo Unit may carry over - although its probably a reverse that the Nismo unit has been heavily modified. No bad thing. But I now know 'how to drive it better' so can work the engine better.

It is a good car and again maybe a lot of the problems people have had on this forum could have been solved with better customer service/dealer service experiences. Nissan as a whole must try harder in the UK - a great car needs great back up.

Cheers
All the best
Paul
NOW- Mini Clubman Cooper S ---- WAS a 16 plate Tekna 1.6 dig-t in Gunmetal with Pano Roof
298
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:34 pm

Post by 298 »

DankoGranko wrote:One of my observations as well was the fact that most of the issues that people have with this car are dealer/service-related. If it’s not the lack of support from the dealer, is surely the lack of professionalism of the mechanics … Nissan should really revise the conditions under which they mark the official dealers for their brand.
I'd broadly disagree with that (although I'm not immune from service dept incompetence), it's not the dealers fault that Nissan have used cheap parts and you can't blame them either because Mother was slow to collate information from warranty work and issue a circular to speed up investigations- just look through the initial threads concerning the faults in my signature below to see the varied response from dealers and lack of leadership from above.
2014 1.2 DiG-T Acenta Premium in Gunmetal Grey.
duncho
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:45 pm
Contact:

Post by duncho »

I agree with Danko's experience on dealers' incompetence and professionalism, which in my opinion goes far beyond minimal acceptable level.
Judging based on Danko's nick I'm pretty sure we are from the same country, which however is not an excuse for Nissan's inability to audit their own authorized dealerships network. Again and again, the target is just sales and profit. No one cares at Nissan which customer wasn't happy. Cherry on top of the cake was when dealership rang me and asked if they can send me a customer satisfaction survey as they apparently thought that I was happy with their overall performance. I mentioned on the phone that it wasn't greatest support and explained them why.
...they haven't send me the survey yet and will never send one.
Qashqai J11, 1.6 dCi CVT, ThermaClear

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DankoGranko
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:58 pm
Location: Prague (Cz)

Post by DankoGranko »

5500KM

Lol, exactly 10 times the mileage I had on my first review :)

The excitement for the new car has gone - as expected. However, the car slipped away in the background with grace, and I still drive it with pleasure. Even this evening, I took it along for a drive in the country side, just for pure pleasure of it - not having any clear destination.
Overall - very happy so far, and hopefully my opinion will stay this way in the future.

Negatives:

- Paint - Well, no big problems yet. I do treat my car with care and use wax. I am a bit disappointed though about my color choice. In my opinion, the MagRed looks best on this car, especially when combined with chromed and black elements - but that's only like ... 5% of the time? .... when its washed and clean. Looking around at cars in general, I just realized that this may be the most difficult color to maintain, as scratches and dirt and everything else that falls on the car is soooooo visible. Even worst than black. Wish I went for the pearl white or the dark grey.... :(

- Speedometer - I've tested this in many ways and with both winter and summer wheel/tires. My speedometer shows +4km/h more than I actually have in reality and its constant across all speed range. One of the hidden "safety" features? lol - idk :)
Not bothered with it at all to be honest, but had to mention it.

- Rain sensor Something I've mentioned in my previous review. Problem solved by spending a bit more time with the settings ;)

- Trunk lock Something I've mentioned in my previous review. The problem was me. Two times to open all doors or unlock+open with the key in the pocket. Just a normal reflex now days.

- Start/Stop system An absolute pain for me. As not driving too much in the city it feels pointless and always surprises me when it kicks in, and usually not in very good moments :evil:
Also, regardless what everyone is saying, the emission savings are not great (especially on diesel) and I'm not able to see how an engine can be expected to perform a very long time with no issues when it gets started/stopped 50 times per day (in busy city conditions). Lucky I have formed my reflex to turn it off ... most of the times.

Gear stick - I stand by my initial impression. For such a nice and refined little engine I find this a complete joke. Requires long moves and attention (still) to make sure it gets in the right gear. I have driven multiple types of cars and have never had problems adapting to the gear stick within the first 100km. I still have difficulties with it and a major drawback for me. Feels more suitable for a truck than for this type of car, and unfortunately not something you can really assess during a test drive (as you will always assume you will get familiar with it). :cry:

Other minor issues:
- During that beast of the winter (with record temps in my area) I had an error for the collision system for about a week due to an "obstruction", according to the computer. Probably ice build up as it gone away and never returned.
- One time, during the winter again, my ac started to rattle pretty bad, especially from the middle air-vent. Sounded like I had a miniature helicopter was trapped in my AC system and it got me worried a bit. Started the car next time, no trace of the rattle and never came back in almost 6 months :?
- When cleaning the car, be sure you check, clean and wax the area behind the rubber sealant at the bottom of the doors (on the inside) as it always becomes a mess in there.
- Very minor cracking of the paint on the roof rails (only the heads). A very well known and discussed issue around here. If it gets worse, I'll simply ask the service to paint the heads black - and that's it.

Will add more negatives and positives ass soon as I will have more time, but overall the car feels good. Closing in to the first service now, and will make sure to check the battery before that - so I can mention it in the service if I find any issues.
QQ J11 1.6 DIG-T Tekna - Magnifico Rosso
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