Buying a used Nissan Tiida (2006-13)

Australians had been buying Nissan Pulsars since 1980 and any newcomer was going to need outstanding attributes to overcome resistance from some of the car market's most conservative participants. Space and plenty of features for the price were in its favour but ultimately the Tiida did too little to ensure its survival.

A quick glance through the new Nissan's specification sheet would have revealed lots of Renault in its DNA and a shape that incorporated more Megane than Murano.

The Tiida had its own platform though and came as a Hatchback or four-door sedan. The wheelbase was 65mm longer than in the Pulsar and there was more interior space. On paper, the 1.8-litre, all-alloy, double-overhead-camshaft engine with variable valve timing sounded exciting, but there the mystique ended. All that Nissan managed to extract was 95kW which it did at a lowish 5200rpm.

Promoting a French-designed car to Australian buyers apparently required a gushingly-American actress. We were therefore assailed by TV ads featuring lots of soft-focus Kim Cattrall and hardly any vision of the new product's controversial rear end.

Four versions were available with pricing that began below $18,000 and ended with the auto-only TI at $26,490. The entry-level ST was still OK though. Despite running on steel rims, it came equipped with air-conditioning, remote central locking, a CD player and power mirrors.

Spending $3000 more bought an ST-L with alloy wheels, a full set of head and side air-bags, power windows and uprated interior trim.  What early Tiidas of all specifications lacked was a lap-sash belt for the middle rear passenger, knocking it out of contention with a lot of fleet purchasers. Given the spacious accommodation provided for those in the back, this piece of penny-pinching was inexcusable.

Series 2 Tiidas were sold here from early 2007 and were upgraded to include ABS brakes, brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. However
they retained rear drums and el-cheapo tyres.  

Only the Ti offered uprated trim with leather seat bolsters and 16-inch wheels with lower-profile rubber. It also came with a body kit, six-speaker sound system and a leather-rimmed steering wheel. For similar equipment in a manual-transmission car, check out the Q six-speed which is quite scarce in the used market.

The Series 3 Tiida that appeared in 2010 brought minimal change but gave Nissan the chance to further uprate the specification of its struggling contender. Sales that initially had exceeded 12,000 annually were by 2010 below 5000 and 'value adding' was seen as the easiest way to revive buyer interest.

The ST manual held steady at $17,990 but gained power windows, a multi-function steering wheel and some external embellishment to go with minor changes to the front and rear styling.

Ti pricing dropped to $25,000 which you might imagine would make lower-spec versions almost unsaleable. However that wasn't the case and Ti S3s are very scarce when compared with the numbers of ST and ST-Ls in the used market.  

Early 2013 saw the Tiida experiment run its course. Nissan after six years realised that its ugly duckling would never morph into a fleet-sales swan and went back to selling Pulsars.

The Tiida has been built in half a dozen places around the world and sold under almost as many names. However, not even international associations could convince Australian buyers that it was a better car than what had come before.

On paper, the Tiida looked to have plenty of power and features for its price segment but owners often couldn't mask their disappointment. The model's primary market then and now consists of people who want as much interior and luggage space as they can get in a compact package and more features than were typical for the price.

Well-shaped seats with lots of adjustment but with oddly-positioned adjusters look after those up front but it was in the rear where this car scored points over rivals. The extra 65mm of wheelbase was devoted almost entirely to rear legroom and while cabin width was down by 10mm on the Pulsar, the back seat would still accommodate three adults. If you needed more legroom the back seat adjusted just like the front ones.

Access to the moderate-sized luggage area was easy via the sedan's big boot-lid but wider objects needed juggling to be fed through the hatchback's fifth door. All models had full-sized spare wheels.

While not in any way a ‘driver's car’ the Tiida never totally embarrasses itself either. Tight and possibly bumpy bends show up lifeless steering and moderate grip levels but no nasty tendencies. Plunging down a long and winding descent will probably send the brake pedal soggy as the bean-counters' preference for rear drum brakes becomes apparent, but around town you won't notice.

If you're bored by the four-speed auto's bland acceleration, have a go at the six-speed manual. 0-100km/h still takes around 11 seconds but it feels faster.

Closely spaced ratios allow gears to be skipped en route to sixth, which is still low enough to deal with 60km/h traffic and not protest. Full throttle away from the lights will have the tyres scrabbling and in wet conditions some people will wish for the traction control that wasn't even offered as an option.

If you really do love your Tiida, sniff around the wreckers for a set of the taller, wider Ti wheels then team them with some good-quality 55-profile tyres and uprated shock absorbers.

In a car of this size you expect fuel consumption in the 7-8L/100km range and that's what you get from a six-speed Tiida. Around town it will most likely use 10.5L/100 but take to the highway and a steady 100km/h and consumption will drop to around 6L/100km.

In ANCAP evaluation the Tiida somehow managed to score a Four Star safety ranking. Crash tests show the cabin holding together pretty well, but absence of stability or traction controls and that antiquated rear belt mean it must lose out against better-equipped cars in this price bracket.  

>> Tiidas suffered some electrical issues including some that saw cars recalled for rectification. The service history, accessible via dealership computers, will confirm the car you're considering has been fixed.

>> Early cars suffered fuel pressure problems which made cold starting a potentially battery flattening experience. It was fixable and in some overseas markets there was a recall, however a scan of Nissan's recent recall list shows no local action and some cars might still be suffering.

>> There are isolated reports of the electronic 'drive by wire' throttle control lacking smoothness or failing altogether. When testing a Tiida, drive at constant throttle for a while then accelerate hard to see if it surges or doesn't react as it should.

>> Clunks or rattling from the front end suggest strut bearing wear and/or worn bushings. Worn constant velocity joints make a high frequency ticking noise when the car is turned and accelerated simultaneously. None of these repairs are especially costly but make allowances when negotiating on a car needing imminent repairs.  

>> Early Tiidas will have had close to a decade of Australian sun exposure so check for trim deterioration and cracked plastics. Also test control stalks, steering wheel functions and, where fitted, the power window switches which do fail.

Used vehicle grading for a Nissan Tiida
Design & Function: 12/20
Safety: 8/20
Practicality: 15/20
Value for Money: 15 /20
Wow Factor: 7/20
SCORE: 57/100

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