Nissan Note review (2013-2017)
The Nissan Note is a kind car – and that’s not something we say often about vehicles. You can’t help but look fondly upon its small and simple shape. The same sense of warmth flows through you when you drive it, thanks to its effortless, no-sweat approach. Read our full Nissan Note review below.
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Pros
- Logical interior
- Decent fuel economy
- Practical for its size
Cons
- Rivals have more updated interiors
- Uninspiring to drive
Interior
Our rating: 5/10
What the Note’s interior lacks in pizzaz, it more than makes up for in logic.
Black is the dominant colour, which gives the inside a slightly sombre look.
The icons and text for each button and the digits on the dash are white, clear and easy to read.
Tech and features
There’s not much in the way of gadgets, which only adds to the car’s simplicity.
Only on higher-spec models do you get useful cameras that show a bird’s eye view of the car on a central screen, making parking even easier.
Given the Nissan Note is quite a small car, there’s a surprising amount of space inside.
Its tall roof, which stretches right to the boot, means there’s plenty of headroom for tall adults in the front and back seats, and the legroom to match.
The car’s real speciality is just how easy it is to get in and out.
All doors are big and square so you never need to weave or contort yourself to get into it.
Plus, all of the Note’s seats are set high, allowing you to slide elegantly on to them.
Performance
Our rating: 6/10
Handling and ride comfort
What’s more significant than the way the Nissan Note drives is how it makes you drive.
It creates such an easy, calming environment, it’s almost impossible to be rushed or agitated.
It isn’t a fast car – of course it isn’t, that’s not really what it’s designed for.
The soothing effect it has on your attitude, though, means you’ll never want for more performance.
The key to these relaxing conditions is simplicity. The controls are perfectly simple to use - even an automatic gearbox is available to make it even more straightforward to drive.
It’s comfortable enough, cruises on big roads perfectly well and its tall driving position – which allows you to look out over the top of most other cars – helps make it effortless to manoeuvre.
Practicality
Our rating: 5/10
Boot space
The Nissan Note doesn’t just look a little bit like a van, it does a mighty fine impression of one, too.
It doesn’t have the multifunctional, or totally removable, rear seats like its rivals do.
They do fold down, making a space that's big enough to squeeze a full-size pushbike into.
Even with the seats up, there’s plenty of room for big suitcases, a pushchair and a large dog.
Storage solutions
Up front, along with a set of cupholders and door bins, are a pair of gloveboxes – one above the other.
The top one, with its flat bottom, is incredibly useful for storing things that need to be kept horizontal.
Running costs
Our rating: 6/10
Fuel economy
Not only do the Nissan Note’s small engines use relatively little fuel – you can hope for more than 45mpg from the petrol engines and over 55mpg from the diesel version –they’re often so economical they cost very little to tax each year.
The verdict
Interior
5/10
Performance
6/10
Practicality
5/10
Running costs
6/10
There’s an argument to say the world would be a much better, kinder place if everyone drove Nissan Notes – it has such a soothing effect on your outlook whenever you're in it.
And really, most people don’t need anything more than a Nissan Note–it’s simply that useful.
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