We say Clever little large supermini/MPV thing that's capable, well-built and well-priced.Performance The Note’s 1.4 and 110bhp 1.6-litre petrols are good around town and hold their own on the motorway, though the former does lack power, while the 1.5-litre turbodiesel is a similarly good engine, albeit a noisy one.Emissions 67mpg combined and 110g/km is possible in the Note with the 1.5 diesel engine.Driving Not the most controlled ride, though the Note copes well around town and cruises reasonably well.Feel The diesel clatters away but the cabin is well-insulated. Fairly firm ride.
Space The Note is TARDIS-like, with a big cabin for five and boot that extends to over 1,300 litres.Equipment CD player and electric front windows as standard, with aircon as an option. Aircon, alloys, luggage board and six-speaker stereo at £1000 extra. Gadgets and leather beyond that.Price The Note offers good running costs and residuals but the pricing places it competitively with similar crossover cars like the Fusion, but more expensive than genuine superminis.
It’s generally cheaper than the Honda Jazz, which is the most obvious competitor.Quality While the Note’s cabin may not appeal to all tastes it should be durable, and Nissan have a good reputation for reliability.Safety ABS with EBD and four bags are standard. Only four out of five Euro CCAP stars for crash tests.
Pros Good space, good drive.Cons Firm-ish ride at low speed.Alternatives Vauxhall Meriva, Honda Jazz, Ford Fusion, Ford C-MAX, Renault Modus
