Used Nissan Grand Livina L10/L11, when boring is best. From RM25k; common problems and fixes
Dinesh · Apr 15, 2022 11:37 PM
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Occasionally, and we mean it like how often Halley’s Comet comes around to be visible on Earth once every 75 years, will we agree that boring can be best. Why the outer space reference? Well, because the car in question today; a used Nissan Grand Livina; despite the “grand in its name,” is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum in terms of excitement.
Nonetheless, if you’re on a budget for a 7-seater midi-MPV there’s unfortunately not many options on the market that are as effective as the Grand Livina.
Back in the day when Nissan’s Malaysian sales could hold a candle to the likes of Honda and Toyota; circa 2003 to 2013, the Grand Livina was the backbone of that stellar period for the carmaker before Nissan dropped the ball… as well as many key models that caused it to slip off into oblivion.
In fact, the Grand Livina even held the throne as the best-selling non-national MPV in 2010. While that might’ve been it’s only claim to fame, it still holds some weight; about the equivalent to 7 people, as a promising budget used option as a people-mover.
Nissan Grand Livina variants offered in Malaysia
The L10 Grand Livina arrived on our shores in 2007 with 2 engine options available; a 1.6-litre that could be had with a manual and automatic as well as a flagship 1.8-litre trim exclusively with an automatic transmission.
Power for the HR16DE 1.6-litre mill came in at 106 PS and 150 Nm of torque which was sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. Although the engine code is similar to the mill in the Latio, the Grand Livina lacked variable valve timing, hence the lower output.
As for the MR18DE 1.8-litre engine, it had variable valve timing and produced 128 PS and 174 Nm of torque that could only be paired with a 4-speed automatic.
However, in 2009 some excitement was injected into it as Nissan aftermarket tuner Impul waved its magic wand on the Grand Livina and conjured up a number of accessories for the MPV.
The mouthful but creatively named Nissan Grand Livina Tuned by Impul came with a bodykit that comprised a new front grille, lips for the front and rear, side skirts and an Impul rear wing.
Aside from that, it also rode on a set of Impul sports suspension that lowered the ride height by 25mm. This gave the mundane bus somewhat better handling without sacrificing comfort. Of course, completing the sporty theme was an Impul Blast II exhaust muffler that had a tad bit too much droning and a set of 17-inch Impul Aura SX-10 wheels wrapped with Dunlop Formula D rubbers.
A minor facelift arrived in 2011; emphasis on the word “minor.” The notable differences were only a revised grille and a new colour for the dashboard.
The big change arrived in 2013 in the form of the facelifted L11 version. Engine options remained the unchanged but Nissan introduced a heft of upgrades that included a the new front façade with the V-shaped grille, keyless entry and keyless start and a new black and beige interior colour combo.
However, the most convenient upgrade would surely be the new folding mechanism for the rear seats that now didn’t require users to move the headrest.
The pre-facelift wasn't a looker but did the job just as well.
Reasons to buy a Grand Livina
Nissan made no qualms about who the immediate target in the crosshairs of the Grand Livina was; the Toyota Avanza.
However, given that the Grand Livina was a unibody platform with a MacPherson strut setup in the front and torsion beams in the rear, it had the distinct advantage of being more comfortable and refined over the semi-ladder frame Avanza that may have been more suited for hauling heavier loads but would also rearrange the rear occupants’ spine on rougher roads.
In an impromptu survey carried out within the imaginations of the WapCar staff discovered that 9 out of 10 chiropractors voted against the Avanza due to the fact that on a good day but driven on a rough road, it might very well correct the spines of people and thus, put chiropractors out of business.
(the survey is completely fictional, just like you believing an Impul Grand Livina is more exciting)
The L11 facelifted Grand Livina, easily distinguished by the front grille and taillights.
Used market prices for the Grand Livina
For the pre-facelifted models, you’ll be looking at anything in the range of RM 20-35k depending on the variants; of which there were many.
Facelifted models do overlap a little with the pre-facelifted ones; in the typically questionable Edaran Tan Chong Motor business acumen. You’ll find some pre-facelifted models overlapping with the facelifted ones.
Depending on the type of transaction you’re considering for the purchase; cash or loan, the recommend variants will vary. For the first few years of the pre-facelift models, loans are out of the question.
Nonetheless, if you are considering a cash purchase that will give you an advantage in terms of negotiations. Milk that cow for all its worth in terms of pricing since you have the upper hand. Dealers will most likely be looking to offload non-loan qualified units and that works in your favour.
The facelifted Grand Livina with the Impul package was the most aggressive looking.
However, if a loan is your purchasing option, that would make a facelifted variant the obvious choice.
In that case, a facelift 1.8-litre trim is the obvious choice. You’ll get the better looking MPV with some key feature added such as the aforementioned keyless entry and keyless start.
Another factor that works in the favour of the facelifted model is the longer service interval. The L11 facelift requires an oil change every 10,000 km while the L10 pre-facelift had a much shorter interval of just 5,000 km.
Picture courtesy of Brohizat Workshop. Pictured are the lower arms with refurbished bushes.
Common problems with the Grand Livina
As mundane as it may be, there’re still some minor problems it suffers from. We spoke to the owner of the creatively names Brohizat Speedwork Workshop and he was kind enough to share with us 3 common issues with the he described as a “butterfly effect.”
In sequence, the issues are the lower arm bush, crossmember bush and steering rack. The symptoms are pretty common for these issues on any other car. You’ll find that the Grand Livina feels floaty at higher speeds and experiences clunking or rattling noises if the road surface deteriorates. All that equates to an uncomfortable journey for everyone.
Seeing that the Grand Livina is based on the Latio platform, it’s unsurprising that the latter suffers from these issues as well.
Picture courtesy of Brohizat Workshop. These are the Impul rims you want to get.
The reason behind the butterfly effect description is that the lower arm bush; if left unchecked, will cause the crossmember bush and subsequently the steering rack to deteriorate.
If you’re unlucky and come across a model that needs all 3 areas rectified, Brohizat Speedwork Workshop estimates you’ll have to part with around RM 1,000; all in.
A pre-MCO convoy with the Grand Livina club. Who says they can't have fun?
Another less common issue is the 4-speed automatic transmission. On rare occasions, it has been known to refuse shifting into gear. The easiest solution is to drop in a halfcut unit that will set you back approximately RM 3,000.
As always, prevention is better than cure and the workshop recommends replacing the fluids at the recommended intervals to avoid any untoward incidents.
Conclusion
In terms of reliability, the Grand Livina is considered relatively problem-free. Mix in the fact that it was the best-selling non-national MPV in 2010 and you know that there’s some of that winning bloodline left in it; even though it’s past its heydays.
You can check out some prime examples of used Grand Livinas here at the Carsome site, most of which are Carsome Certified.
“Better late than never.” Some despise it, others begrudgingly agree with it but he swears by it… much to the chagrin of everyone around him. That unfortunately stems from all of his project cars not running most of the time, which in turn is testament to his questionable decision-making skills in life. A culmination of many wrongs fortunately making a right; much like his project cars on the rare occasions they run, he’s still trying to figure out if another project car is the way to go.
