Dualis, Qashqai are the same,  point of sale dictates name

Dear Mr Baraza,

Of late I have developed  a liking for the Nissan Dualis and Nissan Qashqai. I have the following questions about them:

1. What’s the difference between them?

2. What’s their engine capacity?

3. Are they full-time four-wheel drive or is this optional?

4. How reliable are they, i.e, do they have any defects worth knowing about?

5. Anything else I need to know?

Ouma

Greetings, Ouma,

1. “The difference is the same,” to quote some witty wag somewhere. The Qashqai is the Dualis and the Dualis is the Qashqai; the prevailing nomenclature being heavily dependent on the point of purchase: early cars went by the Dualis alias in Japan and Australia before that name was dropped in favour of the universal Qashqai tag. Interestingly, for the second generation, yet another nom de-guerre was adopted for the US market: the Rogue.

2. These cars have engines ranging in capacity from 1.2 to 2.0 spread over the options of petrol power or diesel. A bit impertinently, there is word of an enterprising individual in the UK who has managed to shoehorn an entire GTR powertrain into the Qashqai bodywork to create the world’s second most violent crossover after the Juke R, which is another Nissan and also has the same GTR running gear.

3. The 4WD is optional but not selectable. What I mean is you can either have a 4WD car or you can’t; unlike bigger, more focused SUVs, this mode is not switchable within the same car. You have to make the decision at the point of purchase.

4. The 1.2 turbo suffers engine failures and oil problems a bit too frequently, but then again opting for a 1.2 litre engine in a car this size regardless of whether induction is forced or not is just courting misfortune. Build quality is a bit  lousy and the feeders of derv suffer from a geological inclination with regard to pace.

5. Owners report that the car is comfortable, cheap to run and the in-car technology is intuitive to use. Apparently the car is easy to manoeuvre as well, so the takeaway here is the car is user-friendly and easy to live with, if a bit drab.

***** 

Man Baraza,

How good is an automatic transmission Toyota Surf for towing?

Sammy Wambua

Man Sammy,

The answer is “very”, but the limitation here is the engine output rather than the gearbox itself. Bigger engines — preferably diesel and turbocharged... and with intercoolers —are the true tow masters. While at it, stick to the manufacturer’s recommendation and don’t go beyond prescribed limits.

There is a caveat here, though. The Surfs in question hail from the last two generations: the first two suffered from saggy rear suspensions which, for reasons steeped in physics, are not good for towing.

****** 

Baraza,

The transmission problems, “ln particular (for the automatic gearbox) are never ending?”

Which Lancer were you writing about? I am an automotive technician at Simba Corp and as far as my daily experience in repair and diagnosis of Lancer problems go, “transmission problems, in particular (for the automatic gearbox)” are very, very few and very, very far between.

K.K

***** 

Hi K.K,

That is encouraging to hear. But as the puppet master at Car Clinic and Agony Uncle for the mechanically challenged, my own statistics paint a different picture. Seven years of this page offer enough time to notice trends, one of them being the proliferation of correspondence targeting the Lancer and its automatic transmission. The particular model I am referring to is the Cedia produced between the turn of the millennium and seven years since, with platform codes from CS2A to CS9W.

In related news, I’d like to hear your own hypothesis on why the vehicle commands poor resale values (there goes that topic again!) on the pre-owned front, because word on the street is that the car can be quite the garage queen when it chooses to.

Bwana Baraza,                                         

I hope this finds you well. This is not necessarily for publication; it’s between the two of us. I disagree with you regarding your take on the Prado vs Discovery. My issue is your trashing of the Prado. I hope it was in jest. The Prado and its bigger brother, the Landcruiser, are the most practical and prestigious SUVs around. That every tenderpreneur, pastor and parliamentarian has one tells a story. It would be penalising success if you denigrate a car because it’s driven by the middle-income and rising group. Personally, I’m praying to get one, God willing.                                         

Donald Mutinda   

Hello Sir,

I don’t recall trashing the Prado. If anything, the vehicle has received high praise in this column for its seven-seat practicality, bullet-proof reliability and high level of off-road ability, on-road stability (or the lack thereof) notwithstanding. The social commentary I introduced is the reason why major publications follow up columnists’ treatises with the disclaimer, “The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the standing of the media group”. That was just my own jaded eye feeding instructions to my itchy, twitchy typing finger. Your hope is not unfounded though; the comments were made tongue-in-cheek. I, too, hanker after a Landcruiser once I stop wasting my money somehow.

The people you should go after are this annoying posse who have taken to cataloguing Prado accidents and are on the verge of vigilantism, one step removed from starting a petition to ban the vehicle from our roads. The reason? They allege the vehicle is inherently unstable (which it admittedly is) but the real reasons are either none of them has ever driven a Prado, or they don’t know how to drive one. This is the same as blaming the curriculum for your own low IQ. The car has fearsome performance, especially the turbo diesels (the 1KD-powered unit comes to mind), so a little discretion with the right foot is advised, and use of the anchors prior to corner entry is the key to staying upright at corner exits. 

Note:

I, in turn, disagree with your sentiment about Landcruisers being the most prestigious SUVs around. I should introduce you to a company called Jaguar Land Rover. Their top-rung products will blow your mind, prestigiously speaking.

*****

Hi,

Why do Nissan X-Trails return coolant to the coolant box, which leads to engine overheating?

Onesmas 

This will sound rude, but where would you like the coolant channelled to?

The atmosphere? That would be wasteful. If your X-Trail is overheating, more likely there is an issue with the cooling system not entrenched in its design.

****** 

Hello Baraza,

I have a Toyota Premio 2008 that has a hard disk navigation system compatible with the G-Book MiX telematics service that has malfunctioned. Is it possible to repair the current one or will I have to replace the entire system?, Which is better,  re-installing or replacing the system?

Eutychus

Hello,

I’d say replace. Repair is not always easy, especially with technologically dense electronic setups such as the telematics systems. I also suspect the operating system was/is/will be in Japanese, so unless you already know someone who can decipher it,  you have a hard search ahead of you.

******* 

Hi Baraza,

I am a big fan of your articles and a ’90s kid like you. I am a big fan of Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz, Björn Waldergard. I am “restoring” a 1984 Celica GT 162. I am putting a RAV4 engine and gear box (it’s not what  you would call a restoration) with my mechanic. It’s a labour of love since I couldn’t afford  a twin cam engine. I  just wanted a piece of the Safari Rally legacy and would love for you to see it and offer advice.

J.Kingbull Githinji

Hi,

All the best in your project and Godspeed on your quest to attain a piece of rally history, however imperfect. My schedule is insanely tight and shifty as hell with plenty of short-notice adjustments, but if the opportunity arises, I wouldn’t pass the chance to eyeball your build. Let me know where you are doing this, I might just drop in unannounced one day.

****** 

Hi Baraza

Let me start by saying  that I have gathered a substantial amount of knowledge from your column. Thank you for the good work.

I am planning to buy my first car as my 29th birthday present. I feel I deserve it. To this end, I have been busy getting options. These are the cars I have in mind after you, from what I read in your previous articles, discouraged against my first love, the Toyota Alphard, due to the “thirst” issue.1. Mercedes C Class2. BMW 318/3203. VW Touran3. Nissan Teana4. Toyota Mark X5. Toyota Crown6. Nissan Xtrail

Now, regarding the Merc, BMW, X-Trail and Crown, I am thinking of locally used vehicles due to budget constraints. The rest I can manage “new” from the prices I have seen.

My worries:1. Fuel consumption is a big determinant. I am a property agent so I do lots of short-distance drives at low speeds. I am keen on engine size so anything above 2000cc sounds really scary.

2. Cost of maintenance: I have been told the  Merc might  be expensive, but it is long-lasting and relatively affordable compared to popular brands like the Toyota Mark X.

The X_Trail came as a last option. Please rate these vehicles for a brother on those two worries. You realise I’m avoiding the Premio, Allion and such. While I might not enjoy the luxury of choice, I honestly don’t like them. I am limited to the above options unless you highly reccommend them.

One more request please, kindly, copy your response to my email. I read online and getting your response might take a long time.

Martin.

Hello agent,

1. You are on to something: short distance, low-speed driving does not warrant a big engine.

There is a marked consumption difference in this kind of constrained environment; big engines are better suited for highway pounding on lengthy journeys than brief inner-city bursts, the likes of which you say you do.

2. This again has some grain of truth to it, but it all boils down to how fastidious you are in minding your property.

The X-Trail is a bit unnecessary unless your path leads you down to places where ground clearance becomes a priority. 

If you are a shameless badge whore, then a C180 or BMW 318 should do. You don’t need an X-Trail, the Touran is van-like and better suited for family use, the Mark X comes with an even bigger and thirstier engine while the Teana is ... well, it’s a Nissan from just around the time they got a European bailout, so go figure. By elimination that leaves us with the Toyota Crown.

****** 

Hi Baraza,

I am a Landrover diehard (with all the scary stories that come with the brand). I drove the TD5 Disco from 2001 to 2016 with no major issues. I deliberately skipped the Disco 3 due to the widely highlighted design and performance challenges but went for a 2013 Disco 4 SD TDV6 SE. I have driven it  for slightly more than a year now. It has covered  100,000 km with no issues. It is a great car.

From your experience, what should I be looking out for in terms of technical challenges and what mitigatigatory measures  should I be lining up.

Amunga

Hi,

This is the first time I am hearing about “design challenges” for the Disco 3. It is particularly ironic that you then went for the Disco 4, which is essentially a Disco 3 with more engine and paint on the bumpers. What gives?

I am yet to collect substantial empirical data on the Disco 4’s foibles, but start by watching out for when (not if) the air suspension packs up. The electronics too are highly likely to accommodate gremlins – one vehicle I tested at the Lukenya off-road “proving grounds” lit up its dashboard with glowy icons that I had never seen before... or since.  I guess the dust was to blame. Otherwise, great car.