Owner Review: Reliable, quiet and with huge space - My 2015 Nissan Almera E (N17 Facelift)

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Basic information

2015 Nissan Almera E spec N17 facelift 

Reason why I bought this car

I needed a new car to replace my ageing 10 yr old Kancil. GST implementation was starting, prices were about to go up.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM 80k
• Models that I have considered include: Honda City, Toyota Vios

The reason why I choose this car

My first NEW car ownership, the 2015 Nissan Almera N17 facelift, E spec. From the standpoint of a Kancil owner to a huge Almera, you actually “slowly” love the car. Pun intended. Despite the list of unflattering names for the Almera, I like cik Mira the most.

How did I end up choosing cik Mira? Honestly, it was the price point and handsome looks. The Nismo body kit sealed the deal. It is not the best technology car among its Japanese cousins, however it is the best value at that time. I chose the E spec, funny enough I prefer it just because of the barebone spec that it comes with. Let's be honest, the 1st gen looks really fat at the rear (thus the nickname “Almari”). The IMPUL aftermarket body kit did not even help at all, an afterthought really. Come early 2015, the new facelift was introduced quietly. The Nismo body kit made it look more expensive and sportier. With the GST starting soon, I needed a new car. I just went for a test drive at a Nissan showroom and sealed the deal right after. Within 2 weeks I got my car! For those curious, I did test other Japanese makers and I did not like it.

User experience

• I have already done 140,000 km
• My average fuel consumption is 13.5 km/L

The first 3 years of ownership. There is nothing to complain about. It is a slow starter from standstill but the moment you hit 70kmh, it is so smooth. It gave me no problems whatsoever. Early in the ownership, the 1st year itself, I added the front stabilizer bar to reduce the swaying. It greatly improved the driving experience as well as instill confidence on highway cruising. Then that is the end of my warranty. 

In the 4th year, came the dreaded rear wheel bearing noise on the driver’s side. The famous aquarium feature, the rear boot will be flooded with rainwater. There is this rubber gasket that seals a hole for additional accessories cabling. Over time it shrinks and hardens, in some cases it falls off according to other owners. When torrential downpour, water goes in from the rear right side lamp drainage. I found it early, just sealed it permanently with silicone glue. The 5th year was the famous fan motor. Surprisingly, the carbon brush died before the bearings (it is more common for bearings to fail first). In my 6th year, I just changed the halogen headlight bulbs.

There is nothing much apart from wear and tear items. Nissan fit this car with long life maintenance parts. Very rarely you need to change any major parts other than the regular oil changes. Battery lasted 3 years at least for the E spec models. The brake pads are ceramic. Long life, clean and quiet. Spark plugs are platinum type. Like I said, it is a very value for money car in the long run. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• It was a really quiet car! You will be surprised at times when you accidentally crank the key twice. It really is that quiet. 
• Comfort suspension. It absorbed bumps and potholes like a breeze. It’s a very efficient cruiser on highways, comfort was the best. You tend to drive faster than the national speed limit.
• The E spec barebone spec. I didn’t like the VL spec’s UFO look, like an auto AC interface. I like the fact it was still using a physical key to start the car. I also prefer basic radio with buttons. I don’t like the glare and heat from the touch screen and it is way easier to just feel the buttons without leaving your sight on the road when driving.

• The huge space you have. The door opens wide. The door opening was big, you will never hit your head on the door frame. Headroom is plenty. Ingress and egress is effortless. Rear legroom space was its main selling point.
• The low dashboard line. Yes it's not the best looking one but it is the only car that had a low dashboard. I could easily see over it and look at my front bonnet. I came from a Kancil standpoint. The feeling of high seating was there as well.
• Cheap oil changes. It is like maintaining a super compact like a Kancil/Axia. It only needs 3 liters of engine oil, 2.8 liters of ATF oil for automatic.
• It is really a low tech car just the way I like it.

Cons

• It is not a city car. It is a slow car from standstill. The automatic gears are tuned for cruising efficiency. It suffers from city driving, fuel consumption is high too. I got used to driving manuals, so I drove it like a manual sometimes by manually selecting the gears during traffic crawls. 
• The comfort suspension caused side to side swaying at 90kmh. It is particularly obvious when you are behind a huge freight truck. Only way to fix it was to drive slow at 80kmh or drive it above 130kmh. Other permanent solutions: Front strut bar or some call it stabilizer bar. Lowering the height by adding sport suspension.
• Not very ergonomic driving position. There is no proper place to rest your arm/elbow.
• Spare parts were expensive back then. Now it is relatively affordable.
• High labor cost or is difficult to DIY. It requires removing many plastic parts before you get to the engine. It takes more time to access or replace a part.
• The fan belt squeaks at a very early mileage like 20k – 40k KM. Only solution, change the new belt.

Ratings

Total Score: 4
Performance: 3
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 5
Ride Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 4
Price & Cost: 4

Summary

With this N17 generation came to an end, reliability and parts are more assuring compared when I owned the car in 2015. It is a no frills, A to B car that gets you there comfortably. Would I still get it now? YES absolutely with the TOMEI body kit, OMG is one of the best looking one now in the market. I am still a happy and proud owner of this Nissan Almera N17 facelift.

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