The further the children are in the back the less you hear them
This was a revelation for me while taking the Nissan X-trail 7-seater through its paces in the wilds of Connemara this weekend.
It’s a practical and reliable ride with some seriously smart features, the buttons are well-placed on the steering wheel meaning you don’t really ever have to lift them off (except to pick the raisins out of your hair, nach)
It is economical too – with low carbon emissions so you are looking at a much lower tax bracket which is good news for your wallet in the longer-term. (Around €270 for the year)
The windows are vast and uninterrupted without those random brackets that force you to lean awkwardly to check the road on a t-junction. This has the double benefit of creating a really bright, airy interior with a lot of leg space.
If I had to be really picky I’d say that the road noise was quite loud from outside – but that’s nothing a bit of Ed Sheeran couldn’t fix. The interior is slick and modern with cup-holders, space for your phone and a digital speedometer which means you have no excuse for going faster than you should by misreading dials.
The reversing system is my favourite – it has those seriously handy beeping sensors as well as a screen with a camera showing the back view of the car. That is invaluable when you are in and out of shopping centre car parks with noisy children distracting you.
I always love being that bit higher up when you are driving an SV – it’s also much easier on your back when you are plonking children in and out of the car 15 times a day too.
The boot space is large and even with the extra seats up there is room for a few bags of shopping or school bits and bobs.
I have a strange obsession with 7-seater cars and for no particular reason, the X-trail hadn’t come across my radar. Although very stylish, maybe it was because it isn’t the most head-turning of vehicles.
But at the end of the day, families need a reliable workhorse of a car and I found the Nissan X-Trail did just that. I drove the Diesel manual version of the car and made it all the way from Dublin to Connemara and back without having to refuel (any stops were for humans only – to pee and to have the obligatory McDonalds)
It has the Isofix for the children’s seats and a very clever auto dimming rear view mirror so you are not blinded driving at night. This car had privacy glass too which was good news for other motorists stuck in traffic who didn’t want to see two mini-scamps making faces at them. I have three children but with playdates most Friday’s, and sharing the football runs on the weekend it does make sense to consider a car with more seats.
It is understated, powerful and most of all functional. It is a good looking car but not at the behest of its performance, which is very solid.
As I always say to my children time and time again – sometimes less really is more.
Prices are from €29,550 for the 5 seaters and for the tech Pac 7-seater SV that I drove it’s €36,700
Click here for more information or to organise a test-drive and let us know what other cars you would like to see us review or send in your car-related question Amanda.Cassidy@HerFamily.ie
