Nissan Note

Another advantage of the family-sized Note is that it doesn't remotely resemble a van. In fact, it's pleasantly styled to the point of looking quite sporty with its Murano-style grille stretching from headlight to headlight, low roof - clever packaging ensuring nearly as much headroom as in a Vauxhall Meriva - and a surprisingly distinctive rear end largely due to boomerang-like tail light clusters that reach forward along the roof.

If you think family cars have to be sedate and boring, you'll find yourself in for a treat when you take a Note on a test drive. Around town, it's downright nimble and, out on the open road, its well-honed chassis dynamics ensure a remarkably sporty feel.


Corners can be tackled with abandon, the ride remains flat and assured and the steering - overly light in the diesel and maybe just a tad heavy in the petrol 1.6 - still manages to make your time behind the wheel more fun than in most family cars.

Starting off in the diesel, powered by the vibrant little 1.5 dCi unit from the Renault stable, my only concern was that it felt slightly undergeared at higher speeds. There was no great diesel shove but acceleration was more than adequate.


Where the Note broke with my own beliefs was with the 1.6-litre petrol unit as that was the one that really came alive in a way I hadn't expected. I usually opt for diesels these days but not with this one. The 1.6 felt so good to drive it made me want to press on, which I did because I didn't have the family on board; but, again, a higher top gear would have made high speeds less fussy. Surely between them, Nissan and Renault can come up with a six-speed gearbox without it costing them too much?

Prices are all-important when young families are targeted and, while there are cheaper runarounds, the Note's accommodation and standard equipment, blended with its visual and practical attractions, suggest it's going to look competitive when compared to rivals.


For five pounds less than £10,000, you get a 1.4-litre, 87bhp petrol engine and base S-level trim, with anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, a quartet of airbags, front electric windows, a CD player, remote central locking, flat reclining front passenger seat, what Nissan refers to as a "friendly" lighting system, that enormous nine-litre glovebox, passenger airbag cut-off switch, Isofix child seat mountings and the sliding rear seat. Do families on the move need more?

Maybe air-conditioning, but that can be added for just £600. All in all, if it's decent-looking, versatile and excuse-proof family transport you're after, it's yours for less than five figures.


With additional equipment and more powerful engines, Note prices rise to £13,395, but for that you also get automatic transmission should you feel the need. You might, as the manual is just a shade clunky, but that and rear drum brakes appear to be the only concessions Nissan has made to keeping the cost down.


But do you really need to be a family to be attracted to the Note? I don’t think so. A small, inexpensive to run five-door hatch that can carry three across the back or, with the seats folded, provide an above-average load volume for its class, is surely certain to appeal to older folk too. It's not a lifestyle vehicle but, instead, one that fits easily into people's own lifestyles, and that has to be an attraction.