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Street Commodores |
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Each month Street Commodores brings together the best Commodores from around the country along with the latest news, reviews, tips and products available for this Aussie automotive legend. |
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F 1 Racing |
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As the leading magazine in one of the world’s most popular sports, F1 Racing enjoys a towering reputation for incisive, insightful editorial and magnificent photography. |
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Jaguar Magazine |
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In November 1984 we published our first edition of the first free standing Jaguar magazine in the world, and we are not only still standing, but here we are all these years later and haven’t things changed in the Jaguar scene in that time! |
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V8 Supercar Yearbook |
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The 13-round 2004 V8 Supercars Championship Series is one of the premier sporting contests in this country, the Ford and Holden battle rolling around Australia and New Zealand with the likes of Ambrose, Skaife, Lowndes… |
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Auto Salon Magazine |
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With an indepth look at how each car has been built, as well as the most up-to-date event coverage and do-it-yourself technical features, Auto Salon Magazine should definitely not be missed. Regulars include interviews… |
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Automotive Articles |
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Mercedes Benz Wins Two Awards |
Readers of the "off road"magazine have voted the Mercedes-Benz Unimog as vehicle of the year in the"Special Vehicles" category.The Special Vehicles
category includes cross-country vehicles which are used for transporting
cargo.
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Mercury Mariner Hybrid Review |
Review of the Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
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Title2 By Sasidhar |
latest range of video's, books and great outdoor gear and buy online today!
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Buying Stolen Cars |
Would you buy a used car--with cash--from someone you just met in the bar, and who walked you down a dark alley to show you the car?
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New Highway Use Tax Rules |
IRS option for paying the federal highway use tax is no longer available. (American News)
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Nissan Tiida Q Car Review The French influence on the Tiida is unmistakably from its, shall we say, distinct, exterior to its compliant ride, leaning cornering, and vast interior. In all ways this reminded us of the Citroen, but that isn’t necessary bad because despite the anti-Franco attitude of many this vehicle is capable of being what America has long needed, an economic utility vehicle with excellent fuel mileage and a can do attitude.
As The Car Family ages we are no longer judging vehicles so much by what they look like, but how they perform the tasks they were built for. In the old days the Audi GT was indeed ugly. But it was the best winter vehicle made and great for fast driving and canyon cutting in any weather. After all, when you are behind the driver’s wheel the exterior looks don’t matter as long as the vehicle produces. And that is what the very well priced Tiida does; it produces. The ride is remarkably smooth and fairly quiet for such an inexpensive car starting well under $13,000 (US). It has a short turning radius, an easy to access rear hatch, and the engine has plenty of poke when matched with the six speed manual transmission. Throw in consistent fuel economy numbers in excess of 30 mpg and you have a great value and a useful tool. We think that the Tiida and the Suzuki SV4 should have been the Car of the Year selection just as much as the Toyota Camry and Saturn Aura.
There is plenty of competition in this category including the terrific Honda Fit, the Chevrolet Aveo, the Hyundai Accent, the Kia Rio 5 and Rondo, the Scions, and the Toyota Varis. Of these only the Honda Fit was a better, ah, fit. The Tiida has more usable room and more engine, but the Fit is lighter on its feet and easier to shift. Despite this, unless you need the extra cargo room the hatchback provides, the Tiida’s biggest competition might be its stablemate, the new Sentra, with similar gas mileage and a more potent engine for a couple of thousand dollars more.
Mom’s view:
Mothers don’t point out someone’s lack of beauty in public. As such I have nothing to say about the shape of the Tiida outside of its Pontiac Azteckish. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the Azteck and I like the Tiida. It would seem that what was lacking in the design of both of these was commonsense. Why not just square off the rear hindquarters and call it a station wagon? Perhaps this was the result of the French influence on the Tiida, but for whatever reason, it works as a workhorse not as a show horse and if you want something less eye catching, try the Tiida sedan.
I found the rear hatch opening angle made it difficult to lift as it seemed to come right back at you rather than go more directly upward. In addition the radio station control is typical Nissan, which means that it takes a while to get used to operating. The volume control knob is a problem if you have long nails as it is recessed into the face plat for no valid reason. Outside of that the interior is quite comfortable and you don’t get the feeling of being in a small car.
If you order the Tiida SL with the CVT transmission or the six-speed manual that we had you can easily get over 30 mph on unleaded. I would recommend you pay the difference for the CVT because the linkage on the manual transmission isn’t that easy to master and the clutch has a high take up point making it difficult to coordinate if you are wearing heels of any kind. Besides the performance and fuel mileage are nearly identical for either. You can also get a four speed automatic transmission.
The ride is excellent thanks to the long, 102.4, wheelbase, but this is no sports car. It needs far better shocks and larger tires for that to happen. The all-aluminum, 1.8-liter DOHC four provides 122 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque and I swear there were more. This car flies down the highway. Thankfully the brakes are up to the task of slowing this 2720 pound four door. The front brakes are disc with drums in back. If you want ABS it is an option. Safety wise you do get six airbags, active headrests and a tire pressure monitoring system.
Tiida’s interior is spacious in both leg and headroom. You can even get three adults in the backseat if they aren’t too rotund. When you fold the rear seats down you have a significant 50 cubic feet of room. The look of the upholstery is textured suede-like and the trim is well done giving you the impression of quality. The seats are comfortable, but a bit short on and there needs to be more angle adjustments for the backrest. The steering wheel is thick and easy to grasp, but what I most admired about the interior was its lack of gimmicks. No lighted cupholders or day glow dash lighting.Overall, this is an ugly duckling from the outside and a swan from the inside. If you are into image forget it. If you want versatile and value we have a winner.
Working woman’s view:
There are a lot of standard features here including a CD player, air conditioning, tilt steering column, adjustable intermittent wipers, a cargo cover, and 60/40-folding rear seatbacks that open up the large cargo area. If you go with the more upscale models such as the SL you get a better stereo, a CD changer, and lots of other features such as remote keyless entry. I would go with this model. You can also upgrade to a more robust sound system and a $700 Convenience Package with its Intelligent Key entry system, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, and auxiliary steering wheel audio switches.
So what’s not to like? Well, this is not a sporty handling car and the engine quite prefers to occupy the rpm range south of 4500. The six speed gearbox is enjoyable to use, but it can’t be rushed and I doubt that even you hit everything perfectly you would get to 60 mph in much less than ten seconds. The clutch is very light; in fact, it was too light for me as I consistently had trouble finding the take up point because of the lack of feel. On the road the Tiida has a terrific ride, but there was plenty of body roll thanks to its tall stance, and over roughened roads find it tended to be a little hoppy. The instrument panel is placed high on the dash and is fairly pedestrian, but the volume control button is a disaster. It is shallow to grip with gloves on or even with modest fingernails.
The first thing I would do after buying a Tiida is getting some larger tires under it and find aftermarket shocks to better control it in side winds. As for the steering, the electric unit doesn’t provide as much feedback as I like. The braking was adequate, but I would certainly pay the extra few hundred and get the ABS. The bottom line for me is that this is an excellent commuter car and a great in town ride. It has exceptional value, but should be loved for its utility, not its performance. Its beauty is on the inside.
College going male’s view:
The Tiida' stereo has six speakers and an easy to understand stereo unit. It plays MP3 CDs and provides an auxiliary jack for connecting handheld players. An option is the Rockford Fosgate-powered subwoofer and in-dash six CD changer. The stock unit provides good sound quality, although as you might expect, it needs aftermarket help for the high and low end as well as for separation due to a lack of adjustments. So an audiophile should look to the optional unit for clarity.
Driving the Tiida isn’t fun, but it isn’t work either. It just does its job. I would have liked a flatter floor with the rear seats folded down, but I can’t complain about the spaciousness. The downside of the Tiida’s tiny hinny rear hatch is that the taillights extend into the bay area. The liftover isn’t too high and the latch is tucked away to avoid dirt. This does render it difficult to pull if you are short or are carrying shopping bags. Unfortunately, the way the hatch opens forces you away from the car. Call it in your face.
It is interesting to note that the window is so steeply raked that you have an additional small window near the A pillar that adds to the open feel of the Tiida. Added to that is the high seating position and you have a car that never feels small whereas the Honda Fit near feels anything but small. The seats were comfortable and the fabric looks like it would not show the dirt. Cleaning the suedish material may be another thing, though. The back seats are not as good as those in front and but both could use more thigh support.
As for the cargo area in general, the greatest problem is the fact that the rear seats don’t fold flat as in the Honda Fit, and they can’t be removed. This is a similar problem with the Saturn Vue that also has a large cargo area that isn’t well designed.
Overall, although I like the ride and performance of the Tiida, it just isn’t versatile enough for me. I want a car with a flat load surface and while they are at it make the rear view mirrors larger, too.
Dad’s view:
The Tiida creates 122-horsepower from its 1.8-liter four cylinder engine but it feels like 140 with the manual transmission. It has plenty of pep for most low speed maneuvers, and does well with a gallon of gas with 30 mpg or more recorded consistently regardless of driving conditions.
The downside is that the manual transmission just does not like to be rushed. I would go with the optional CVT and enjoy seamless driving with superior fuel mileage.
I liked the Tiida very much. Although it is not nearly the driver’s car as the Honda Fit, it is much better than the Toyota Yaris and everything else in its price category. The seats are excellent and the ride quite good. The rear view mirror is way too small, and the heater fan noise a bit loud. The heater does work fairly fast, but the air-conditioning takes longer probably due to the large window area on the Tiida. The interior lighting is not very good and there is the need to make the ancillary steering wheel controls light up at night.
You can expect to go 400 miles on a tank of gas with this Nissan and its 13-gallon tank and it takes unleaded regular so you save there, too. Other good news features for the Tiida are its large glove box with its nice section for smaller items. They also have a CD folder and nice sized pockets on the doors. The exterior mirrors can fold nearly flat against the door.
Family conference:
We liked the Tiida very much. It was a family friendly vehicle that was frugal and comfortable. When you factor in the low cost and the fuel mileage you are going to forgive the exterior appearance. Beauty is in the eye of the owner, as any French Citroen owner knows. We recommend this car highly.
-Written by The Car Family
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