[BuBooMan]

Dear BHPians, this is my first full review of a car that I own. And I am not much of a writer. So please bear with the boring sterile writing. I am guessing this is the first user review of the Nissan Terrano, so I will try to keep this as straight forward as possible.


GENESIS

My previous daily drive was a Honda City iVTEC V AT. Brilliant car for the money I paid for it. Served me well. Had absolutely zero issues. Totally hassle free and stress free city commuter. The key words being "city commuter". For all its effortless performance in the city, it was a boring old goat on the open roads. Used it for 3 years and suffered a few incidents too. Usually I am a good driver, but one fateful evening, while taking a U turn on an under construction street, I misjudged and eventually ended up in a wall. So the car was towed and insurance was claimed. Then came the shocker. Repair time - 2 months minimum. Claim procedure had taken 3 weeks already. Decided to get rid of it and find something more suitable for my needs. Now my street is forever being worked on by the authorities. First the tarmac, then the footpath, then pipelines, footpath again and so on. Even now there is a lot of work pending. Also, my work takes me where normal cars would not dare. I had enough of the belly scraping, squirming while taking speed humps, zig-zagging over bad roads. The final straw was asking my passengers to step out of the car so it wouldn't beach itself on my driveway ramp. Strangely, our old Octavia MkI takes this ramp in its stride. So does our C-Class! Started looking at new cars as the City deal was finalized.

CRITERION

1. High ground clearance.
2. Decent performance. Mid-range had to be strong.
3. Diesel with good mileage.
4. Low maintenance. Had to be an abuse friendly vehicle.
5. Budget 15L.
6. Good ride quality.

Following are the choices and my personal opinions :

1. TATA Safari Storme - This beast pulled at my heart strings. Have been a big Safari fan for a long time. The truck was big, mean, and beautiful. The TATA dealer experience was actually great and the test drive was not disappointing. Option was dropped due to the fact that it was still esentially a truck. Refinement was below average. So was the mileage. And TATA after sales was the final nail in the coffin. My wife had a Nano. And the memories of the TATA ASC are still very fresh.

2. Used German SUV - Saw a few X1s, Q5s, Touaregs, and even a mint Q7. Was tempted, but better sense prevailed. The above vehicles would have been a tough task to maintain. And they were still above my budget.

3. VW Jetta Highline AT - Now I love this car. The TD was fantastic and the new facelifted ones are very generously packed with features. Great drivers car. Too bad then, it scraped its belly on my ramp during TD. Dropped. Right then and there like a hot potato. This is the only car for which I would have gone over budget.

4. Renault Duster 110 - Now this car has fascinated me. The looks grow on you and the vehicle is a genuine gem. Too bad then, the TD car was a bag of bolts and rattled like a toddlers play thing. Clutch was heavy and body felt too tinny. Somehow, it did not appeal to me.

5. Nissan Terrano - I did not expect the Nissan to be any better than the Duster, being a twin and all. But the long TD across city roads, highways and even some off-roading won me over. I was offered a good deal on the 2013 VIN model I was looking at. My colour of choice was in stock. The Service center was impressive and my interaction with the mechanics and SAs was positive.

6. Ford Ecosport - No stock. Long waiting. Too small. Boring engine. Dropped.

Went ahead with the booking and car was delivered very much in time. The slight delay was caused by HDFC bank's loan division. They really do hassle you with their paper work. Car came home finally and we did a small pooja on the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa.

EXPERIENCE

The car is now a few days old and has not given me any issue as yet. I have driven it for around 300km all inside the city. I can say that the car has exceeded my expectations. The ride is absolutely beautiful. The cabin is quiet. Not a squeak or rattle anywhere. The engine is still bedding in, but the mid-range is there and is strong. Steering is effortless and has good feedback. It is accurate by SUV standards. Mileage in bumper to bumper commute has been hovering around 11. Slightly lower than expected, but then its too new to be judged. I will update the thread further as i pile on the miles.

My opinion about the finer points :

1. Ride & Handling - Firm at city speeds. Not jarring. Sharp bumps are felt. Larger ones don't exist anymore. I guess higher speeds will only bring out the brilliance of this set up. Tires are grippy but the side walls are slightly hard. Maintaining 29psi at all four ends. Suspension does its job in a silent manner. Body roll is minimal and the car changes directions without a fuss. Much more confidence aspiring than my City with upsize Yokos. Still to get the absolute best, non SUV comfort tires would not be a bad idea. I am not aware of sedan tires available in the Terrano OEM size.
Rating : 9/10

2. Braking - Pedal feel is average, but the bite is there. Much better braking than my City. No squeaking noticed. Much more confident that my old City and Octavia.
Rating : 8/10

3. Engine & Transmission - Engine is very good. Silent, refined and probably frugal. Low rpm torque could be better. Mid range is very strong and the engine gives out a nice turbo boost. Whistle sounds good too. Quite rev happy also. The gearbox is a little weird. First is too short. But still warrants a slight use of the accelerator to start off cleanly. Second too tall. Hence revs need to be built up in first. The other four gears are well spaced. City commuting is not the Terrano's strength. The slotting action is very good. Clutch is heavy and grabby. There is an uneasy spring kick back that I am not at all happy with in stop go traffic. The pedal itself could have been bigger. I am seriously considering an after market swap.
Rating : 8/10

4. Interiors - This is where the Terrano scores over the Duster and Safari. Every thing is well put together. Finishing is decent. Materials feel long lasting, but not agricultural like some Mahindra/TATA cars. Some areas like the hand brake lever are poorly finished. Many people have cribbed about the shoddy ergonomics, but I am not bothered by it. The mirror switch is no really inconvenient and does not require you to pull the handbrake to adjust. The slight lack of space in the footwell is just a matter of getting used to. My knees touch the door trim and centre console in all our other cars. Overall, the cabin is a pleasant place to be in. Insulation is very very good. Better sound isolation than my City and Skoda. Engine noise inside is less than E and C class Mercs. Seats are supportive. Space is slightly less than what I expected, but better than Ecosport. Honda packaging spoils you.
Rating : 7/10

5. Aesthetics - I believe The Terrano is one of the top 3 best looking SUVs in India today. It does not have a single bad angle. The proportions are just right and it has decent presence. Have noticed a few heads turn too.
Rating : 7/10

Overall, I am impressed. And the Terrano is the best car I own in terms of its range of abilities and practicality of use. It is very much like a thug in a suit. Very utilitarian, but utterly useful and refined. Would I recommend this vehicle to a friend? Absolutely Yes!

UPGRADES

My Terrano is the XL110. So it came with only basic levels of equipment. The following was done upon delivery -

1. Pure leather seat covers by Saddles.
2. JBL GTO 6.5" Component speakers and Focal 2 way at the back.
3. Windtone Horn
4. Philips Extreme Vision bulbs.
5. 3D Maxspider floor mats.
6. Rear parking sensors.
7. Leather steering cover.
8. Alloy wheels.

I plan to change the HU and put a rear camera in the future. Please feel free towards suggestions regarding the HU. I am looking at the Pioneer 2690BT which is camera compatible.

COSTING

OTR Pune - Rs. 13.xx
This includes Nil-Dep insurance, local body tax, 2+2 extended warranty, registration and handling charges.
The price is on the higher side, considering you get a lot more metal for your money if you go for the Storme. At this price you can get better built and equipped cars. But not really as good as this one as an overall package.
Rating : 6/10

Overall Rating : 8/10

As I log on the miles and send the car for servicing, I will keep updating this thread.

Thank you for your time. I hope my brief review is useful.

Enjoy the Pics! I will post more as soon as i can find the charger for my SLR.

[theMAG]

Mod's note: Moving this out of Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[tjacob]

Congratulations! Nice review, brief and to the point.

The Pio HU you're interested in buying seems have some serious problems as reported by some members.Look into some Kenwood or Sony HUs.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by BuBooMan

Enjoy the Pics! I will post more as soon as i can find the charger for my SLR.

Car looks pretty good and the alloys suit the car more giving it an aggressive look. Love the selection.

Need better quality pictures buddy. Shall wait for them!

Anurag.

[arjuunz]

Congrats on the new ride! :thumbup: The terrano looks heavy and I always preffered the terrano over duster. I haven't driven it so far, and was wondering how is feels at speeds above 100. Does it feel like an SUV? Or is it like driving a big sedan?

[Chitta Pradhan]

Originally Posted by BuBooMan

Better sound isolation than my City and Skoda. Engine noise inside is less than E and C class Mercs.

rear parking sensors.

Many congratulations for your new car.

Great compliments to Terrano indeed, better in sound insulation deptt. than big brothers. Have not driven it yet. But have driven Dusters, both 110 bhp & 85 bhp models. Impressed by their excellent ride quality & silent cabins. Reviews suggest that Terrano is even better insulated than Duster. Your experience and views just bolster that.

During my Duster drives, I took the cars till 130 kmph. After 100 kmph, I felt little more wind noise than the silence at 90/100 kmph suggests. Do share your experience after a long drive.

Thanks

[BuBooMan]

Originally Posted by tjacob

Congratulations! Nice review, brief and to the point.

The Pio HU you're interested in buying seems have some serious problems as reported by some members.Look into some Kenwood or Sony HUs.

Thank you! I will look into the issues you pointed out. Feedback I am getting suggests the bugs have been fixed in the newer versions of the models. eg. 2590 is now 2690.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Car looks pretty good and the alloys suit the car more giving it an aggressive look. Love the selection.


Need better quality pictures buddy. Shall wait for them!

Anurag.

Yes the alloys were love at first sight. Better pics coming up shortly.

Originally Posted by arjuunz

Congrats on the new ride! :thumbup: The terrano looks heavy and I always preffered the terrano over duster. I haven't driven it so far, and was wondering how is feels at speeds above 100. Does it feel like an SUV? Or is it like driving a big sedan?

Havent done those speeds yet but will update the page soon as I have highway trips coming up soon. Thanks for the compliments.

Originally Posted by Chitta Pradhan

Many congratulations for your new car.

Great compliments to Terrano indeed, better in sound insulation deptt. than big brothers. Have not driven it yet. But have driven Dusters, both 110 bhp & 85 bhp models. Impressed by their excellent ride quality & silent cabins. Reviews suggest that Terrano is even better insulated than Duster. Your experience and views just bolster that.

During my Duster drives, I took the cars till 130 kmph. After 100 kmph, I felt little more wind noise than the silence at 90/100 kmph suggests. Do share your experience after a long drive.

Thanks

Will do. Have long trips coming up. The cabin insulation is not something I expected. Kind of a bonus. Do note that the Mercedes cars mentioned here are the four pot 2.2L diesels.

[Seran Manian]

Congrates on your new buy. Wish you many a miles with Terrano. All the best. I would appreciate your view on how soft or hard is the clutch when compared to your previous vehicles. Also did you TD a 85 model and could feel the difference in clutch hardness between 110 and 85?

[wilful]

Congrats on your new acquisition! For someone who professed to be a 'not much of a writer', you have penned an excellent review. Good choice of vehicle considering your needs and yes - it is a much better looking option than the Duster.
I am a bit surprised tho' that someone who is used to driving an AT, decided to switch to a MT esp so considering our terrible bumper to bumper traffic in cities. I guess you had little choice (of an AT SUV) in that price range.

[swiftnfurious]

A "to-the-point" write up! Congrats on the buy. Looking forward to progressive updates. We need more pics please.

Have TDed Duster and like a lot of things but I'll prefer the Terrano to the Duster. One point I frown over Terrano is the un-availability of the Woodland brown shade.

Wish you miles of happy & safe journey!

[BuBooMan]

Originally Posted by Seran Manian

Congrates on your new buy. Wish you many a miles with Terrano. All the best. I would appreciate your view on how soft or hard is the clutch when compared to your previous vehicles. Also did you TD a 85 model and could feel the difference in clutch hardness between 110 and 85?

I test drove an acquaintances Duster 85. Its brilliant in the city. Instant torque at the bottom end. And the clutch is light. The kick back is like that of a normal car. A swift for example. 110 bhp clutch sucks. Its like an old trucks.

Originally Posted by wilful

Congrats on your new acquisition! For someone who professed to be a 'not much of a writer', you have penned an excellent review. Good choice of vehicle considering your needs and yes - it is a much better looking option than the Duster.
I am a bit surprised tho' that someone who is used to driving an AT, decided to switch to a MT esp so considering our terrible bumper to bumper traffic in cities. I guess you had little choice (of an AT SUV) in that price range.

Thank you! you are absolutely right. There was no AT SUV at the under 15L price point with a diesel engine. We have a mix of AT and MT cars. Each car serves a purpose. I would have liked the AT. But it was not an absolute criteria.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

A "to-the-point" write up! Congrats on the buy. Looking forward to progressive updates. We need more pics please.

Have TDed Duster and like a lot of things but I'll prefer the Terrano to the Duster. One point I frown over Terrano is the un-availability of the Woodland brown shade.

Wish you miles of happy & safe journey!

Thanks swiftnfurious. The Terrano is any day better in my view. If one is willing to pay the premium then its a no brainer actually.

[MaxTorque]

Congratulations mate. Even I am of the opinion that Terrano is anytime better than it's cousin. Though the changes are minimal, they are worth. Wish you a happy association with Nissan and Terrano.

[Wanderers]

Hi Buboo,

Congratulations & thanks for bringing up this thread.

As a Duster user, I look forward to Terrano as an upgraded Model. Like it's front & back better than Duster (my personal choice)

Terrano110 BHP base variant looks to be quite popular or may be it's sale is driven by dealer aggressive strategy & discount

[Maanspeedo]

Hey man
I am in same boat as you. Currently driving 2011 city ivtec running nicely but upset and hurt with multiple jerks on famous mumbai roads due to its suspension n low ground clearance.
My 6 month search has ended at terrano 110.
Just wanted to know from you what you miss most from city days now and what excites and makes you feel awesome about your decision when you are at the wheel.
Any suggestions specific to a fellow city owner.
Going to be my primary commute and I am little confused on how comfortable would it be. Is it a good decision ? Usual Doubts of Honda spoilt user going for a suv ..
Looking forward
M

[BuBooMan]

Originally Posted by Maanspeedo

Hey man
I am in same boat as you. Currently driving 2011 city ivtec running nicely but upset and hurt with multiple jerks on famous mumbai roads due to its suspension n low ground clearance.
My 6 month search has ended at terrano 110.
Just wanted to know from you what you miss most from city days now and what excites and makes you feel awesome about your decision when you are at the wheel.
Any suggestions specific to a fellow city owner.
Going to be my primary commute and I am little confused on how comfortable would it be. Is it a good decision ? Usual Doubts of Honda spoilt user going for a suv ..
Looking forward
M

Hi Maanspeedo,

I have now covered over 5000km in the Terrano. Service was prompt and the ASC experience good.

Coming from a City, I can totally understand your concerns about bad roads and low ground clearance. Well, those worries are a thing of the past. That has been the one biggest advantage. The other would be the punchy midrange of the 110. No more revving 'em valves off! Overall, I feel much more confident and comfortable taking this car over any kind of road, whatever the condition. Fully loaded or otherwise.

The next biggest advantage is range. 750km on a tank vs. 350 in the City. Total peace of mind. Economy is very good.

But there are a few pitfalls. The clutch is a total disaster for daily traffic commuting. Turbo lag is evident. I miss the City's low rpm point and shoot response. The City was a better car at handling corners with undulations. Somehow, the bumps which are controlled brilliantly going straight are not easily controlled when steered over. They tend to upset the line and shudder the wheel on the Terrano.

On the interior front, the plastic quality could be better. Its okay by competition standards. An intermittent squeak has developed.Space is good and the boot is HUGE.

Ergonomic flaws are easily overcome. They dont bother me. What does is the silly side skirt lip. When covered in mud, it tends to brush against your calf while egress and soils 'em pants. This thing throws up a lot of mud.

Overall, I am satisfied. The Terrano has given me the confidence to cover any distance. I am convinced of its non fussy nature and range of abilities. No special attention is needed. It suits my needs to the T and am happy to have shifted to it from the petrol powered City. Very rarely do I miss the City's AT. It was not very good in the first place. And we have other ATs if the need be in our garage.

Hope this helps. Please let us know of the choice you make.