My family has an affinity for Nissans. Not because of brand loyalty or preference but rather because we had an uncle who worked at Tan Chong Motors at that time… I bought this car from my family before I moved to the big city for a job. This car has been in my family since my university days way back in 2016. Without further ado, here’s what it’s like to drive the Nissan Almera for the past six years.
My Nissan Almera’s Exterior
For an economy sedan made in 2016, the design has stood the test of time. The Nissan Almera has a much more well-rounded proportion, particularly, on the A and B-pillars compared to other economy cars offered in Malaysia. They blend in seamlessly with the body to give it a more sleek and aerodynamic look.
Keen-eyed viewers may notice the car donning a Nismo body kit. As a disclaimer, this car is a Nissan Almera Spec E (base spec). My family paid extra for the Nismo Bodykit at Tan Chong Motors as both boys at home were into cars.
With the extra body kit, the car has red undertones on the front bumpers along the side and finishes on the rear skirts. The faux diffusers at the back serve only for looks. Although, it does make the rear look more meaty compared to other Nissan Almeras that don’t have it.
Of course, for what it’s worth, we can’t expect an economy car to look like a continental car. But, amongst the economy sedans that were sold in Malaysia back in that year, the N17-generation Nissan Almera stands out the best.
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Nissan Almera Interior
Stepping into the interior and you’ll find that the Almera is designed for function rather than form. Plastic furniture is everywhere inside the cabin to save weight. If you’re someone who values simplicity in life, you might find solace in the driver’s seat. There’s the wheel, two pedals, a gear knob, and a signal and wiper stalk each. Operating and driving the car is essentially child’s play.
It even has a key-in ignition system and a lever handbrake too, a dying feature in cars nowadays. No fancy, high-tech features mean there is a very low chance for the car to cause problems. Being the base spec (second cheapest to the manual unit), there isn’t anything worth shouting out about.
Despite how mediocre the car is, the cabin is roomy with ample legroom for both driver and passenger. The cloth seats are quite comfortable, dare I say, much better than most cars with leather seats I’ve driven in.
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Driving experience
What the Nissan Almera lacks in speed and acceleration, it makes it up to you with its handling. Take it to the hills and this car starts to shine. Despite its cons, the car takes corners quite well. What the car lacks in straights, it makes it up to you at turns.
However, the suspension is quite hard so remember to go easy on bumps and potholes. The sedan sits quite low to the ground which helps with cornering (and helps my elderly parents get into the car easily).
The car wobbles when you drive faster than 110 km/h. First to second gear is just a dreadful climb before it can reach full velocity at the third and fourth. The throttle takes half a second to respond, possibly through its fly-by-wire pedal controls.
Fuel Efficiency
Despite its performance flaws, the car is quite fuel efficient. Accordion to manufacturer claims, the N17 generation Nissan Almera nets around 7.3L/100km/h*. It gets me an average visit to the petrol station once per week after the work-from-office order came at the end of the MCO. It can fill my car with a full tank of petrol for less than RM65 and a full tank can last me a whole week in slow, city driving.
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Safety Features
For an economy car, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its higher-specification siblings. The E Spec comes with only one airbag, power steering, two ISOFIX anchors, and a basic reverse sensor.
Don’t let the lack of features in this car deter you. On the flip side, driving this car for six years has trained me into becoming a very cautious driver.
Maintenance
The maintenance on the Nissan Almera is relatively affordable. Here’s how much I spent on average to keep it running
As mentioned before, a full tank costs me around RM65 or less on average. My routine servicing costs me around RM250 per month, and a full set of 15-inch tires costs me less than RM1000, the road tax is around RM90 and the insurance costs me around RM927.70 with a 55% NCD.
Problems
In the fifth year of my ownership of this car is where the problems started to show up. It begins with the brakes squeaking every time the car is about to fully stop. Our workshop suggested changing the rear drum brakes. However, another problem suddenly arose when trying to source spare parts for this car.
The rear drum brakes at one point were quite hard to source as Tan Chong Motors has stopped selling the brake sensor separately. You now have to buy a brand-new brake drum set as that was the only way to obtain that brake sensor. Furthermore, I had to replace the timing belt once due to incessant squeaking noises coming out of the engine.
This issue, however, has yet to plague the N18 generation Nissan Almera yet. But according to owners of the latest model, Tan Chong Motors advises shorter service intervals compared to the previous generation due to its turbocharged engine.
In addition, the pegs to hold the front bumper in place were made out of plastic. I only discovered this problem recently after moving my stuff from Shah Alam to Damansara. The pegs probably melted from the engine heat after a whole day of driving. Luckily, the pegs are easily sourced from any workshop.
Other than these problems, this car does not miss a beat. It still gets me around where I need to reliably.
In Conclusion
To summarize my experience driving this car for more than five years, I’d describe the Nissan Almera as akin to a slice of white bread – neither amazing nor terrible; but it gets the job done nevertheless. The N17 generation Nissan Almera is a car you would get if:
1. You’re looking for a reliable Japanese-branded car at a low price.
- Has excellent fuel economy to get you around town.
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