Nissan X-Trail T32.II ST (5-Seat CVT FWD) (2014-2022)
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Basic but fit for purpose – A Nissan X-Trail isn’t a luxury car, but it does make for a long-lasting family car. There are lots of hard plastics, and functionality appears to be the first goal of this car over luxury appointments. It may seem cheap by touch, but the materials used will last a lot longer than softer plastics and leather. Although, hard plastics do have a… Read more
tendency to rattle and squeak over time - it’s the reason why us car reviewers usually despise them.
At $37,565 drive-away, the ST-X model of the X-Trail wasn't a terrible deal. You get a lot of space, Apple CarPlay, automatic headlights, satellite navigation and a 360 degree parking camera (of questionable quality).
Really, you’re buying this car for the space. There’s space for five adults to be carried around, or for a family with growing kids. There’s also plenty of cargo space in the boot, making the X-Trail the logical budget-friendly choice for those looking for an SUV that’ll carry the most people and luggage.
Be warned though, that you could be putting that cash towards a far more updated version of the X-Trail in the coming months, or a more modern feeling Hyundai/Kia product.
Nissan offered a 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with the X-Trail and a capped price service program. It’s part of the appeal of buying a new X-Trail, however keep in mind Kia offers a 7-year warranty if that’s what you’re after.
Over the long term, it’s a simple car, mechanically speaking. The only main issue our reviewers said they encountered were some concerns about the CVT automatic transmission, but this seems to only be found with older models.
A Nissan X-Trail isn’t the most luxurious vehicle when it comes to sound.
There’s an uninspiring exhaust and engine drone as this is a utility family car, not some track-focused performance SUV.
Along with the engine sound, the speaker system is just fine. You’ll want to ensure that speed-sensitive volume adjustment is enabled. Road noise can become more apparent at higher speeds and on coarse roads.
A basic SUV like this doesn’t weigh as much as you might think.
Braking is as familiar and easy as it is on your family’s hatchback. The X-Trail feels nimble and smooth to operate when slowing down for, say, a set of traffic lights or even a school zone.
It’ll be easy for a learner driver to master within a few moments of driving.
This has a 2.5L non turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 126kW and 226Nm, with all that power being sent to the front wheels via a CVT transmission.
It isn’t a terribly heavy SUV, since this is only FWD, so power to weight is around 86.4kW per tonne. Acceleration feels more rapid than it actually is thanks to a sharp initial response from the motor and transmission. Once peak revs are reached, that’s where the X-Trail feels a little slow.
Unless you’re constantly overtaking on country roads, the X-Trail has no problem keeping up with traffic on your daily commute and on the highway. Loading up this SUV with a few more passengers and a lot of luggage, however, will put this weaker powertrain to the test up steep hills.
There are simulated gears programmed into the CVT transmission, however, when in Drive, you’re only going to experience one.
Shifting into gear is as traditional as it gets for an automatic. There’s nothing complicated about engaging and using this gearbox. It simply gets the job done, and always ensures the engine is at the lowest rpm, and in the optimal rpm range for rapid accelerations.
I found the X-Trail to be supremely comfortable. Plenty of tire wall, suspension travel and height over the ground allowed for it to make traveling from A to B as easy as it should be. Whether touring on the highway, navigating potholes or making tight turns, the X-Trail is able to do it all smoothly.
A vague steering feel does nothing to encourage any spirited driving however.
The X-Trail is relatively fuel efficient, despite lacking a turbocharger and having a naturally aspirated petrol engine. I saw figures around 8-10L per 100km of driving.
My issue with this old design of the X-Trail is the interior. It’s a bland design and really is built with the ethos of ‘function over form’.
Amongst a sea of hard plastics and fake stitching, there are plenty of hard buttons. These are used to control menus on the centre touch screen, climate controls and drive modes. Unfortunately, there’s only one USB port for the entire cabin, highlighting the fact that the new X-Trail is rapidly approaching to replace this model we see here.
The centre touch screen serves best as a display for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, via a wire.
There’s a large manual hatchback, which reveals the main appeal for buying an X-Trail. Its cargo carrying capacity is 595L of storage with all the seats up, and 945L with all the seats down. Seats fold in a 40:20:40 split, further justifying just how practical this SUV really is.
If you’re lacking space for smaller items, you can open up the boot floor to reveal plastic compartments. This is ideal for dirty luggage or to keep small items from rolling around.
The second row is great for a growing family because they can take advantage of the ISOFIX points and the acres of headroom, feet room and knee room. It’s going to be annoying to charge all of those devices just with one USB port, but at least your passengers will be able to bring their bags and be comfortable.
It’s a back to basics SUV that’ll serve as the family hauler for a growing family. It’s got plenty of space, it’s easy to drive and it’s easy to use. That’s what makes this basic X-Trail so appealing, and makes me appreciate it being sold right up until the new one lands here later this year.
*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.
The car I cannot wait to part with! – Unfortunately my Nissan X Trail 2020 model failed to deliver on comfort, fuel economy and extras and I cannot wait to part with it. Whilst the size is good on the inside of the car and boot, there is little else I have been impressed with. I feel Nissan stripped the car of all added extras such as seat adjuster on the side of the seat. I… Read more
purchased the car to drive to work In and use over the weekends, as a result it is used daily.
Our main issue is the poor suspension that we have had checked numerous times and have been advised it is standard and nothing is wrong with it. Most of the family get car sick in this car whilst not in my husbands car, I have also found to to be quiet jerky and far from a smooth drive.
The very best – The very best of the best, you can only win with this
poor service – My complaint is with Nissan Australia, 6 months out of warranty and wont do good will on a safety issue, front radar collision module on my 2018 Xtrail because I bought it at a auction & not a used car dealer. Very poor service , the car itself is a good car, this seems to a common fault with Nissan ingeneral when searching the internet Show details
Absolutely rubbish – I had this car for loan for about a month and it was so bad we tried to avoid it as much as posible. We generally used it for school drop offs and shopping. The cargo space is nice but still only 5 seats. The interior belongs in the bin. It was all cheap plastic and the front armrests on the door were very uncomfortable. The infotainment was just… Read more
a screen about half the length of a smartphone and wasn't touch screen, and was hard to navigate.. The drive train, could be better. Like seriously... a CVT, it was hard to drive and would have much preferred a normal 4 speed even automatic transmission. FWD isn't bad but would have preferred RWD not FWD. The engine was alright, pretty gutless. If you were to buy this car definitely buy the top trim.
Great Spacious Car – I use the car to commute to work as well as family transport. The Xtrail is great with plenty of space and leg room for both driver and passengers. The ST has all the basic tools, if you would like a bit more accessories then its worth to invest int he ST-L. We bought our Car from Brighton Nissan, Jimmy did his absolute best to help us with the car as well as Chris, Niraj and Antonio. I would definitely recommend Nissan Brighton. Show details
The greatest car I’ve driven!! – It’s a family car for us, so comfortable to drive. Seats are amazing. Great for long trips. I’ve never felt so safe in a car. Great price compared to other similar cars. Show details
Xtrail dangerous to Dogs – Rear floor compartment on a 5 mth old Xtrail cant handle two dogs eg Golden Retrievers. The material bends, dislodges and drops the dogs into the hidden compartment. Complained to dealer who advised me he knew exactly what I was talking about as he had fallen into the hidden compartment of another Xtrail the day before. No offer to fix, just note.… Read more
Totally upset now that my 6yr old dog on her way to be put to sleep fell into the compartment screaming in pain. Its useless and given Nissans incompetence I intend to cut a sheet of chipboard into shape. Clearly used cheap materials to save fuel consumption.
Simple, reliable, cheap - second time XTrail purchaser – Traded our old XTrail (2013 - last of the old school boxy shaped T31 ones) in for the brand spanking new 2019 equivalent (read: base model). We were just SO happy with everything our old one offered. The space in the old, classic 'boxy' design was the absolute winner for us, as was the weather proof boot lining that came standard. Clearly we… Read more
weren't buying the XTrail for the 'looks', we were all about the practicality (however, I fell in LOVE with the squareness of the old one and I'm still rather sad to have said goodbye to it).
The new XTrail is much 'prettier' - more rounded and modern (but to me, it just looks like every other car on the road now). Personally, I feel this 'modernisation' of the exterior is at the expense of the old school features I loved the most about the classic XTrails.
PROS + Has a reversing camera (unlike our old model) + Comfort & good looks + Fuel economy, insurance and ongoing costs are reasonable
CONS - Camera screen is extremely basic and small. Also, it doesn't beep as you get nearer to obstacles. - Screen isn't easy to navigate and so dangerous when you're first learning the ropes. - Smaller interior in this new model compared to old boxy shape (we used to get 3 car seats across in the old model but now we're only able to get 2 in reasonably - thankfully one child had just graduated out of a seat, so this wasn't an issue, but given the last one could do it so well, it wasn't even a consideration when upgrading). Still, comfortable if you're just using it like a regular car and this isn't a consideration. - Doesn't come with roof rails as standard on the base model (like it used to). - Indicator cancels much earlier than previous models (or other cars for that matter). I'd say it cancels about a quarter of a turn earlier. Not a problem when going at speed, but when in bumper to bumper, lane changing traffic, it keeps cancelling and you need to put it back on all the time. Not ideal.
Can't really think of anything else. I'm just glad we upgraded both our cars at the same time and that this is now our 'small' car (we also got a 2017 Kia Carnival SLi which has scooped up the features this one has left behind so we've actually got an outstanding vehicle combination for our needs with a growing family of 5 people).
Perfect family car – We have owned this car for about 8 months and I can’t fault it. We have a baby and a toddler and their seats fit comfortably in the back and an adult can sit between them (although it’s a bit cramped). The boot is huge and the telescopic back seat means we can choose between more boot space or more leg room depending on what we’re doing. I… Read more
struggle to live without the 360 degree cameras in my other car now. A very comfortable and quiet drive and strong enough to tow a trailer. My only small gripe is the GPS system seems to send you on long and strange routes but I just use my iPhone map connected by Bluetooth.
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