Ah the Qashqai, the compact 4×4 family hatch, with a deceiving amount of interior space, dynamic SUV abilities and a pleasing pull away at the lights, si sighs.
‘it’d be great if you could post what you HONESTLY think about the car now that you’ve had a month or so cruising around town.’
More than fair enough I think, so here are some words on the subject.
The Urban pitch is an interesting one. SUV special abilities are not at all crucial to driving in the city, they’re great outside it [and the South Coast brings out the best in it], but through no fault of the Qashqai, the Brighton and Hove city has it’s own problems.
Namely, and certainly not the Qashqai’s fault, the inordinate amount of parking restrictions laid down by the councils here.
Rightly, or wrongly, each permit holder area and pay machine seems to have it’s own resident parking warden. They fight over turf sometimes, the biggest warden with all his accessories intact usually gets the smaller wardens to back down and return to their smaller patches. It’s a spectacle in the summer, but they get narky in the winter and it’s best not to antagonise them.
It’s only natural of course, but anyone thinking they can cruise around, grab a coffee, pop in on a mate, pull up by the sea front in Hove etc, in any vehicle, has been guided up the wrong dead end and if they find themselves in such a position, should always put the hazards on and not wind the windows down under any circumstances.
Sure, if you’ve got twenty quid change in your pocket each day to feed the machines it might work, but the niggle takes the shine off the positioning of brand Qashqai.
Brighton is best accessed by a cycle, it’s just built like that.
Right, question time. [It’s just easier this way]
Has it been enjoyable to drive?
Certainly. Very comfy, quick to pull away, not as noisy as diesels can be.
Is it what you expected? Yes.
Best features? The heated front seats and the volume control for the stereo in the steering wheel. Also, passengers love the sky window, unfortunately I cause on-coming traffic to swerve every time I gaze up out of it.
Worst? I had to pause here, so that’s good. In that pause I wrote this line and still am writing it, so now I reckon I’ve filled this space enough and I still haven’t thought of a negative feature.
Have you put it through its paces? Not really. Can I enter it into Arlington stock car races? It’ll look great on Youtube and the footage does need an update. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVPsGx1hdIQ
Technical stuff e.g. acceleration, steering, brakes, etc? All lovely, genuinely, very pleasurous – if that’s a word.
The important stuff e.g sound system, comfort, does it make you look cool…?
Interesting one. Outside the city, i feel cool driving it.
But you said ‘look cool’ and I presume you mean in the city?
It’s always embarrassing clogging up the lanes and sometimes I feel as if I should either have a, ‘sorry, I’m a blogger’ sign [or worse], or just hire some kids so it looks like I’ve had to pick them up from school and that’s what hazard lights actually mean.
WOULD YOU BUY ONE?
Right now, no, but that’s no reflection on the Qashqai, which I’ve become very fond of. In a prosperous, family-scenario future? Then yes. I like the prospect of sticking it on the Newhaven ferry and driving around France in it. Fund it and I’ll happily blog it…
With the Qashqai, it’s easy to take part in some ‘get-up early’ events, like this Cycle Sportif Spring Classic. There are three Rides to choose from:-
