Nissan's cheque is not in the mail

I've recently been driving a bunch of compact-to-medium soft off roaders and the one that stands above the rest is Nissan's X-Trail diesel. I know I said in an earlier post that I wouldn't write about soft off-roaders any more – the ones without low gearing, with no ground clearance to speak of, and dangerously shallow approach and departure angles. However, if you're in the position of needing a machine of this type in your family, do try the X-Trail diesel. It's not a good looker, but drivers of "proper" off-roaders will like its general "feel" and the stoic nature of the Renault-Nissan motor. It's also roomy for its size and well built. Look for more in the January issue of Top Gear NZ.