When Nissan gave up on mainstream family cars such as the Almera and Primera, many thought the company had lost the plot. But Nissan knew what it was doing; its new British-built crossover offered an elevated driving position, a comfortable ride and decent interior packaging that its predecessors couldn't match, while a clever part-time four-wheel drive system kept fuel consumption to a minimum. The Qashqai quickly became Nissan's most popular model; now there's an all-new second edition, the original is even more of a bargain.

Key Dates

3/07: The Qashqai debuts, with 1.6 or 2.0 petrol engines or a 1.5 dCi diesel.

4/07: A 2.0 dCi is added to the range. 

10/08: There's now a seven-seat Qashqai+2 option, with the same engine and trim options.

3/10: A facelifted Qashqai appears, with a 129g/km 1.5 dCi Puredrive option, a redesigned nose, revised dash and suspension plus extra soundproofing.

9/11: The 2.0 dCi is superseded by the cleaner, smoother, more refined 1.6 dCi.

Nissan Qashqai (2007-2013) Checklist

• The front brake discs can wear within 20,000 miles.

• The seal for the front windscreen can leak; look for rainwater in the footwells. 

• The wheel size makes a big difference to the ride; anything with 18" rims will be very crashy.

• The fixings for the parcel shelf are fragile; some owners simply remove the shelf altogether.

• The key fob for the remote locking can fail, because of poor contacts in the key or mobile phone interference.

• Rattles from the rear suspension are common, along with premature failure of the rear shock absorbers.

We Like

• Comfort

• Handling

• Equipment levels

• Value

• Choice

We Don't Like

• Limited rear headroom

• Dated dash

• Poor rear visibility