Nissan X-Trail Ti SUV Review

The Nissan X-Trail Ti is quite a vehicle to say the least. Inside of the X-Trail lies quite possibly the most advanced four cylinder engine along with driveline combinations that have yet to be seen to this date. I know that this is a pretty bold statement to make, but I am truly convinced. I am not just talking about off-road style four-wheel drives either. I am speaking of all four cylinder vehicles in general. You may not believe me yet, but I am sure by the end of this article you will realize why I made these claims.

The brand new 2.5 liter engine is quite a piece of work. The list of its wonderful features is as follows: multipoint fuel injection, flawless variable intake camshaft timing, variable intake manifold, electronic throttle, electronic variable four-wheel drive system, and direct-fire ignition. The good news doesn't stop there, you can get this QR25DE engine in the $31,990 base model as well. The technology incorporated in this engine is truly astounding and more than impressive. You will only find features like this in the highest levels of luxury vehicles so you can understand why I am so excited talking about it.

The engine isn't the only part of the vehicle worth your time. The rest of the X-Trail is just as notable, giving this vehicle the ability to hold its own very well among its competitors. This is an excellent 'crossover' vehicle and is definitely capable of getting its way through rouge tracks and many other situations such as mud, sand, and shallow waters. Not only are you able to enjoy the X-Trail for times like those, but it also does a very good job out on the regular road. The seating position is very good. You are sitting upright and high giving you the ultimate view of your surroundings. The leather steering wheel is certainly something to look at as well. It is not only stylish but functional as well. The instrument cluster is located in the center of the dash and is very easy to read and use. Although putting the cluster in the middle may not be the wisest thing to do as far as distracting the driver, but because of the overall attractiveness of putting them there this is not uncommon. Another feature that is built-in to the dash is two drink holders. By opening little doors you are able to slide your entire drink bottle into the face of the panel which I thought was interesting in itself, but there is another plus to this storage method. You can use the climate control system to heat or cool the drinks. So now you can keep your water cool and your coffee hot. This would be perfect for summer road trips since ice usually isn't readily available. For more immediate storage of your drinks that you would get from a fast food restaurant you can use the cup holders that swing out at each end of the dash. Rear passengers are able to enjoy a removable drink holder that is located on the transmission tunnel. There is of course a center console box as well as averaged sized door pockets. The glovebox, however, is very small which is quite strange. It wouldn't seem so strange if there weren't such a huge amount of space available above it. I think they could have used the space a little more wisely, but it's not really a big deal since I do not store many things in the glovebox anyway. Another oddity is the clock because of its hidden nature. I am unsure of why they made it so difficult to find, but it is a difficult task in itself.

As for the rest of the X-Trail Ti equipment, you are looking at a high quality of standards. The list of these features is as follows: Cruise control, steering wheel control, 6 disc CD-player, climate control, and twin airbags. The climate control does an exceptional job and is very easy to use. It does pose the same downfall as the other instruments because it is located very low on the dash, leaving the driver to fiddle around a bit which could be dangerous. The CD-player has no flaws at all and is actually an improvement from the one found in the Maxima Ti. With that said, the bass levels are deeper and the response is great coming out of the four door mounted speakers. The cruise control lacks a little compared to that of the Maxima, but overall it runs very smooth.

How does it hold up as far as driving goes? Well with the wonderful engine and smooth controls you can expect a very nice drive. From great handling to superb performance I don't know how anybody could be disappointed. So in conclusion I can say that the Nissan X-Trail Ti is worth every penny. There is basically nothing flawed with the vehicle other than just being picky with control positioning and the size of the glovebox. These issues are very small, especially when you take a look at the rest of the car. You get more than enough features equipped with it as a standard, but you also have more options as far as where to drive. It doesn't matter if you are driving through a field, beach, desert, or regular roads so you can take this vehicle almost anywhere. The quality of the X-Trail is what I expected from Nissan, which is top notch. The build is solid and the overall look is very attractive. If you are looking for an excellent crossover vehicle with an engine that goes above and beyond then you can stop your search here. If you still don't believe me then I suggest that you head down to your closest Nissan dealership and test drive one for yourself. Once you get the feel of the engine and every other great quality this vehicle has to offer, it should be easier for you to see my point. This is a solid vehicle from top to bottom and would make any owner happy for a long time.