# X-Trail Engine Strains



## lumiere (Mar 31, 2004)

Hola, recent review of X-Trail in Toronto Star (available on line at www.thestar.com see wheels) says engine strains to retain 70KPH climbing mountain highway on Vancouver Island.

Anyone with this vehicle in Mexico care to comment on handling in high altitudes, mountain roads, switchbacks, etc? Espanol ok.

Seen a few X-Trails in Guadalajara area and love the styling. Also impressed with specs and included options compared to Honda Element and CRV.

[COLOR=DarkOrange]AUGUST 2004 UPDATE, just arrived back home in Ajijic Mexico with 6202 Km on our new X-Trail. Reviewer mentioned above must have driven with hand brake on. It handled the mountains in northern Mexico quite well. First service at Family Nissan in Laredo. In and out in half an hour. Very impressed with them, will go there again, next time north. Only problem to date is fraying of bolster on driver's seatback. Think it was the hard sharp edge of seatbelt. Dealer sent pix to Nissan, but no seat backs in stock in Canada yet!

As others have stated, interior plastics scratch easily.

Ours X-Trail is base FWD, only option I think now that I would have added was alloy wheels, plastic wheel covers are pretty flimsy.

Best regards,
Lumiere[/COLOR]


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

lumiere said:


> Hola, recent review of X-Trail in Toronto Star (available on line at www.thestar.com see wheels) says engine strains to retain 70KPH climbing mountain highway on Vancouver Island.
> 
> Anyone with this vehicle in Mexico care to comment on handling in high altitudes, mountain roads, switchbacks, etc? Espanol ok.
> 
> Seen a few X-Trails in Guadalajara area and love the styling. Also impressed with specs and included options compared to Honda Element and CRV.


Finally TODAY WAS THE DAY..... I went to the dealership to "order" my Xtrail, it's the fwd fully equipped with cloth seats (leather are [email protected] wheather) I test drive it and it feels great, but the only problem is that they are in backorder, so we have to wait around 2 to 3 weeks for it, our color choices were golden, silver or red, whichever come first.

Mexico City is at 2,300mts (~10,000ft) above sea level @ I've seing them drove really fast around 100-110mph so i don't think it was affected 'cause of height, it's a light vehicle, even lighter than Altimas with the same engine, I want to receive it to drive it from my homeplace to my future homeplace (200kms~130miles) it's a nice highway with some curves to test any vehicle.

Please post when they're available there. (poor USA guys, they can't get this great light-SUV's)


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## darkelf (Jul 24, 2003)

if they cant get them locally cant they buy them through mexico and drive them home?


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

darkelf said:


> if they cant get them locally cant they buy them through mexico and drive them home?


Different regulations, and USA guys don't like to get cars in Mexico and drove them to USA.

In Mex market there are many brands not available at USA, eventough they don't get Mex cars here.

AN UPDATE.....

Last Wednesday we receive the call that our Xtrail (red) is gonna arrive Yesterday, so today Friday we are gonna deposit the rest of the payment and next monday we went for it..... I'll try to take pics today @ dealership.

The sad part of the history is that I have to take my car to my future hometown 'cause I haven't park space here at Mexico City, so I'm not gonna have my Sentra for a few weeks.


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## spaceworm (Apr 24, 2004)

Keep us updated Manuelga!!! love to see those pics. How much did you pay for it?


--Manuelga soy de Baja California y estoy a punto de decidirme por un xtrail tambien,.... haber si pones una mini-evaluacion de lo weno y malo que tiene este carrito.  

saludos!







manuelga said:


> Different regulations, and USA guys don't like to get cars in Mexico and drove them to USA.
> 
> In Mex market there are many brands not available at USA, eventough they don't get Mex cars here.
> 
> ...


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

spaceworm said:


> Keep us updated Manuelga!!! love to see those pics. How much did you pay for it?
> 
> 
> --Manuelga soy de Baja California y estoy a punto de decidirme por un xtrail tambien,.... haber si pones una mini-evaluacion de lo weno y malo que tiene este carrito.
> ...


Translation (for our English speaker friends):

--Manuelga, I'm from Baja, I'm just to choose getting an xtrail too, why don't you put an small evaluation of the pros and cons of these car.

Answering:

Of course I'll post pics as soon as I recieve it, before I receive it, my previous evaluation is:

Pros:
Driving position, I love to see above other cars.
It's one of the best equipment/price relation car in our market.
That huuuuge sunroof is great
Great Engine, power with low gas.
A lot of places where to put everything
No so big, not so small
Great audio system & I love the automatic A/C
It's a Nissan :thumbup: 
Really, really... I need it, 'cause my soon-to-be-hometown: Tequisquiapan is paved with gravestone (empedrado y adoquin), & I need a SUV 'cause my Hardened Sentra will suffer in this kindda terrain, a larger SUV will be very hard to drive at the small streets of Tequisquiapan. 

Cons:
I don't like the interior color (beige??? it's a grannys color), leather seats in black is not a choice @ hot weather all year round.
I rather preffer the JDM engine
There are not so many accesories for this SUV.

Price for the Xtrail SLX (cloth seats): Mex$241,000


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## spaceworm (Apr 24, 2004)

For the price as you say (23-25K us dlls) you cant beat what you get, that is why I am very inclined to get one. Also, you don't see too many of these around.

I had my concern about the engine, I've driven other small SUV's and while the higher stance is nice and great for cities with killer potholes and cracked pavement (the case of tijuana) I am always left with wanting more power.

thanks for your review!

sw







manuelga said:


> Translation (for our English speaker friends):
> 
> --Manuelga, I'm from Baja, I'm just to choose getting an xtrail too, why don't you put an small evaluation of the pros and cons of these car.
> 
> ...


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

spaceworm said:


> For the price as you say (23-25K us dlls) you cant beat what you get, that is why I am very inclined to get one. Also, you don't see too many of these around.
> 
> I had my concern about the engine, I've driven other small SUV's and while the higher stance is nice and great for cities with killer potholes and cracked pavement (the case of tijuana) I am always left with wanting more power.
> 
> ...


Same engine as the Sentra's SpecV & Altima's L4 (much lighter than this).

The secret within the xtrail is that it's a light car & just FWD, it's not like the Tracker wich is a heavier older design, or Honda's CRV & Toyota's RAV much heavyer cars.

I test drove before I decided to get it & it moves really fast... Of course it's not a Cayenne but it runs even faster than average cars (you know the ugly minicar invade), considering Mexico City's height it's a very capable vehicle.

My advise always before get a car: Test Drive (in your case @ tijuana's dealership)


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## lumiere (Mar 31, 2004)

*X-Trail through the mountains???*

Hola Manuelga, would like to hear how your new X-Trail handles the mountains.

If I get one it will do a lot of travelling between here (Ajijic) and PVallarta over mountain highways.

Best regards!


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

lumiere said:


> Hola Manuelga, would like to hear how your new X-Trail handles the mountains.
> 
> If I get one it will do a lot of travelling between here (Ajijic) and PVallarta over mountain highways.
> 
> Best regards!



Sure I'll make an x-tended (jeje) review of these compact-SUV as soon as I test it.

As I had seing it's a very capable car @ mountain highways... I travel a lot (~twice a week) between Mexico City & Queretaro, it's not the ultimate mountain highway challenge but I have seing them climbing up & handling the curves very well, I guess the suspension design & geometry it's not the common as other kindda truck based SUV's & the engine can pull this car @ very happy speeds at mountaing height (~8'000ft).


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## spaceworm (Apr 24, 2004)

Manuelga, i forgot to ask...what kind of a deal did you get for the xtrail?..got any discount for paying all cash upfront?..or did you finance the purchase? if so what where you offered? (damm interest rates here in mexico are high)...I am dropping by this monday or tuesday at the nissan dealer and was curious about what to expect $$$ . 

thanks in advance !

sw



manuelga said:


> Sure I'll make an x-tended (jeje) review of these compact-SUV as soon as I test it.
> 
> As I had seing it's a very capable car @ mountain highways... I travel a lot (~twice a week) between Mexico City & Queretaro, it's not the ultimate mountain highway challenge but I have seing them climbing up & handling the curves very well, I guess the suspension design & geometry it's not the common as other kindda truck based SUV's & the engine can pull this car @ very happy speeds at mountaing height (~8'000ft).


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## manuelga (Dec 14, 2003)

spaceworm said:


> Manuelga, i forgot to ask...what kind of a deal did you get for the xtrail?..got any discount for paying all cash upfront?..or did you finance the purchase? if so what where you offered? (damm interest rates here in mexico are high)...I am dropping by this monday or tuesday at the nissan dealer and was curious about what to expect $$$ .
> 
> thanks in advance !
> 
> sw


They have no discounts, specially considering that these vehicles are in back-order, We were really lucky for the fast response, I guess cash payment help us a lot, the expected are around 3 to 4 weeks,

Depending on the version you choose, you could expect:

LE: Mex$221,000
SLX: Mex$241,000 <---Our choice, leather will be terrible @ hot weather.
SLX (leather & power seats): Mex$252,000


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## BC X-Trail (Jul 26, 2006)

*X-trail uphill*

I don't live in Mexico but I drive over a 6,500' mountain pass in BC, Canada, at least 2x a month. The climb of about 40k starts around 2000'. The x-trail, when in cruise control strains just a little when sustaining 100kph (the speed limit). The tach readings vary between 3000 and 5000rpm. Not bad for a four banger!




lumiere said:


> Hola, recent review of X-Trail in Toronto Star (available on line at www.thestar.com see wheels) says engine strains to retain 70KPH climbing mountain highway on Vancouver Island.
> 
> Anyone with this vehicle in Mexico care to comment on handling in high altitudes, mountain roads, switchbacks, etc? Espanol ok.
> 
> ...


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