Nissan Primera P11 Final Report - the good and the bad!

It's time for the Nissan Primera to depart, as I was offered a swap deal I could not refuse. So here are some final thoughts on what I liked, and what I disliked, and also how I felt it compared with two other British-built former fleet members - the Vauxhall Vectra B and the Rover 75.
New car here! • Another new car! What ...
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[@volvo480]

That was more a prolonged road test than actual fleet membership 😅

[@adamknopp6631]

“ I buy for comfort and handling “ (Just like TWC and Foxanne!) 😂

[@johnclarke2997]

Without TWC the channel would have fewer viewers.

[@HubNut]

TWC is surprisingly comfortable! So is Foxanne with those Volvo seats.

[@adamknopp6631]

@HubNut and handling? . There were two criteria weren’t they?

[@Jaxs2]

@@adamknopp6631 He can just about handle them, many woes from what I've seen 🤣👍

[@colingill31]

Put the Volvo seats in the Primera... Job done

[@stuarthall2180]

Gets rid of decent reliable cars and keeps the piles of rusting crap. That's Hubbers 😯

[@bobaraneta721]

My thought exactly! A pair of used Recaros would've settled the comfort issue...Mr. Nut should lose those two piles of junk in the back and give the rest of the fleet their due

[@andrewlaw]

Never underestimate the aggro a car causes you when you find it's uncomfortable for protracted periods of driving. You just can't test drive a car for 3hrs/150 miles. I had a MKV Golf that went after 2 weeks cos I just couldn't get comfy in it.

[@geofham8332]

My thoughts also. Get some money off the scrap man and scrap the junk you will never ever restore.

[@Jaxs2]

@@geofham8332 Ian gets rid of the good and keeps the bad and the ugly 🤣 but you got to admire him for it 👍 me thinks 🤔😉

[@lucasbarton1773]

@@geofham8332 do you understand how rare those cars are?

[@robingiles9444]

Back in the 60's my Dad used to berate his brother saying 'you change cars every time the ashtray is full' as he used to get so many different cars, lol ;-)

[@TheVintageApplianceEmporium]

Yup, we all said "gone in less than three months" for the Primera and we were right! XD

[@macgvrs]

"That's the level of professionalism you don't get with other channels..." , a gentle dig at self that had me chuckling. Thanks Ian.

[@youngoldboy3430]

I had a 1.8 s for 10 years, never had a car that more perfectly match my needs at the time. I have back problems but using the lumber adjustment found it really comfortable, thoroughly enjoyed the handling and the bulletproof reliability. Only thing that could improve it would be a tighter turning circle.

[@HubNut]

Ah yes. The turning circle is not great. Not as bad as PT Cruiser though...

[@jfv65]

@@HubNut Try a Volvo S60/V70. Appallingly wide turn radius...

[@torresalex]

@@jfv65 My S60's only faults were the turning circle and the boot access, other than that, perfect.

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@jfv65 you need to try a 1990 Volvo for fun and ese of servicing.

[@volvo480]

@@michaeltutty1540 but the mpg will disappoint you and Ian needs to drive long distances. In The Netherlands propane (LPG) is very cheap compared to petrol which is ridiculously taxed, so daily driven Volvo 240/740 and Saab 99/900 usually had an LPG tank. Mileages over 300,000 km were considered being just run-in.

[@mickles1975]

I bet it's a Lambo. Car youtubers get there eventually and Ian has resisted it so far. Ahem.

[@noexpensespentstudios]

If it was you know it'd be a Trattori or an Espada.

[@benholroyd5221]

with an LS swap?

[@mickles1975]

@@benholroyd5221 Nah, an XUD swap.

[@seancooke4127]

@@mickles1975 XUD = TORQUE MONSTER

[@Zadster]

Nah, he needs an old estate car. Has to be a Ferrari 456 Venice

[@stephenshippam9374]

Hi Ian good video is can't wait to see what you have got now, are you going to surprise us all..

[@jmurray01]

You are spoiling us with new additions lately Ian!

[@davidthehillbilly7995]

Does this mean Betty has arrived from NZ? If not, what can we do to make that happen?

[@scalecrawlnl]

Bye bye Peggy the Primera, hello Muriel the Mazda, preferably a 626 Wagon, guessing here, obviously. Thank you HubNut, a fun lunchtime 'vloggy' upload!

[@torresalex]

A 626 wagon is utterly gorgeous

[@volvo480]

@@torresalex and if you can keep the rust at bay, utterly reliable.

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

My grandpa had this model primera. A bordaux red sedan. With a 2.0 engine. Electric windows a/c, good stereo. He used it for his caravan travel true Europe. Nice car

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

But i would choose the mazda 626 hatchback from that time

[@tomoreilly9932]

The suspense grows.something with plush 90's seats rather than the firmer seats that took over

[@daniellee9015]

Brilliant video Ian 👍

[@hondamarsh6504]

Excellent sound quality and video!👍

[@RichieRouge206]

Oooo Chester! My home! Yeah comfort is a big thing for me, not only for my dodgy back but also my 6'5" frame. My V70 knocks everything our the water for comfort to be honest. Kinda sad to see the Primera go but also know the lack of bond with it too. Looking forward to your next fleet member

[@TheFlyingBusman]

I think the Hubnut channel needs to sample the delights of a Peugeot 406. I never keep cars too long but had mine 10yrs. Was such a good all round motor.

[@Grimwriggler]

I owned a P10 diesel for a couple of years. Lovely car , when i test drove the p11 i was a little disappointed with the looks interior and comfort. i am now on the look out for another p10 .

[@pizzalover3]

You really need a MK3 Mondeo in your life Ian. Comfort, handling, good build, very practical and the v6s sound lovely. Fingers crossed Peggy is being swapped for one of those!

[@johncallaghan4616]

Farewell Primera, it's been fun while it lasted! @HubNut - just remember to take all your belongings with you when you do the swap (watched the vids out of order and couldn't resist ! (Pretending I haven't watched the next video in advance) Eagerly await the reveal - hope it's a Lada 1200 !

[@thebaldconvict]

Got to say, I didn't expect that to be with you for long when you first introduced it :)

[@AR.24]

Yep neither did I

[@millomweb]

"Lift-off oversteer" - is with the foot off the throttle and you then use the telegraph poles to keep the back end on the road ?

[@trevorsmith1859]

I'm surprised you found the Primera uncomfortable, I owned a P10 for 7 years then the P11-144 for another 8 years and didn't suffer these problems. I agree about hunting for the torque but compared to my now Ford Fiesta 1.4 the primera went like a rocket ship.

[@TheStobb50]

How comfortable is the 2CV I’m curious on that, 2CVs is a different type of car and not for motorway driving, i’ve had a few lada cars and I found them comfortable, I wouldn’t expect that just curious

[@HubNut]

I clocked up thousands of miles in the 2CV in 2019 without issue. Very comfortable.

[@volvo480]

I sometimes wonder what designers were thinking when they were designing wiper stalks. Some older cars seem to have intermittent operation added as an afterthought, so you need to push the stalk down for intermittent or flick wipe and for continuous operation you need to push it up (Volkswagen Golf Mk2, Talbot-Matra Murena, Volvo 400 series). Ford has rear wiper operation by pulling the wiper stalk, front washer is operated by a pushbutton at end of the stalk. This confused me every time I drove my wife's Focus, when I wanted to wash the front windscreen I was wash/wiping the rear window. Modern Volvo has in my opinion the best user interface: a rocker switch at the end of the stalk to operate the rear wiper. Pull stalk towards you = front windscreen wash, push stalk away from you = rear winsdscreen. A honest mention for phase 1 Peugeot 205: front and rear washers are always operated simultaneaously! "Dites donc, quand la pare-brise est sale, on a besoin du lave-glace arrière aussi" is what they must have been thinking.

[@volvo480]

@Alfred Wedmore mais bien sûr! Une pompe d'essuie-glace économisé et opération simplifiée, c'est magnifique! Comme les Anglais dit: tuer deux oiseaux avec une pierre 😂 It was rectified in phase 2 though, where you had to turn the knob at the end of the stalk to get rear wiper action.

[@dorsetoctaviaman]

I'm sad to see Peggy the Primera go, but I think your comments about the seat comfort of the P11 being only OK when you start - then getting worse on a long journey - are valid. As a family car that was a very reliable weekday commuting car for my late wife, our 1997 1.6 SLX P11 was great, and still much missed. Cheerio Peggy! Hope you get a lot of love.

[@AndyK.1]

That’s a quick sale even for Ian ! I think the vectra lasted longer 😂

[@Jaxs2]

I think the Vectra did 🤔 and Ian once said he wouldn't like to be seen dead 💀in a Vectra ! when he was out in TUK and spotted one as a Hearse 🤣👍

[@nigelrudd670]

Watched this whilst on my tachograph break whilst delivering your Nissan is the best modern car you've had 🤓👍

[@Phil-1969]

My box of cornflakes, has lasted longer than this ownership

[@tonys1636]

Agree, I have a box of Crunchy Nut with a B.B. of 07.01.2019 half empty in the cupboard, still edible and crunchy.

[@brianfd622]

Loved the camera angle when you turned it to view the Brecon Beacons

[@HubNut]

Thanks. Those were the Black Mountains apparently... Beacons were behind me at that point.

[@dombooth86]

Awesome v log sad to see the primera go but I'm hoping to see a very hubnut family wagon join the fleet 🤔

[@stepheng8779]

Good summary, why the Mondeo sold by the bucket load, did everything better than average.

[@stepheng8779]

@Alfred Wedmore yeah every one of them was like that eh 🤦

[@danielpothier9990]

Another Hubnut cliff hanger, I am gonna need two hubnut mugs and maybe a beanie.

[@fwof3347]

Swapping for a Renault scenic??? On a W or X plate?

[@kpsmithz]

Have you ever thought about a c5 citroen estate with the hight adjustable suspension so comfortable and good cornering i had a 2003 2.0 diesel it was brilliant

[@paulqueripel3493]

I found mine very comfortable, the height/angle adjustable seat squab was brilliant.

[@jandolezal1062]

Good video, looking forward to the new car, Ian! How would you compare the handling and comfort of Primera to the handling and comfort of Charade?

[@HubNut]

The Charade is surprisingly good to be fair! It's a great little car.

[@mattw8332]

I'm sorry to see this go. Seems like "you can' t with a Nissan" in this case! Seat comfort in my 2003 Almera N16 isn't the best either. The rear wiper is on a twiddly thing too.

[@iangrice329]

Don't know what the multi link suspension is like on the Nissan but it's an utter joy on the Passat.

[@nztv8589]

funny you should say about comfort. I had a P11 Primera for 17 years. I ended up really missing it, so much so that I sat in one in a second hand dealer to see if it was really was good as I remember it. Sadly, you are right, it felt very narrow, cheap, plasticky and the seats were hard. I remembered that when I bought it I was 30 and weighed 75kg, now I'm 51 and weigh 90kg so I'm bigger. I think we tend to forget how our body changes when we remember cars we used to own when we were younger.

[@fli2011]

You need the Primera Sri seats, most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.

[@REPOMAN24722]

my n15 pulsar rear wiper had a twist to turn intermittent on and another twist for constant and another for squirt that reverts back to wipe after letting go.

[@seancooke4127]

Exciting Times Indeed. Farewell Pretty Peggy with your Marvellous Multi Link Suspenders. 😍

[@grayfool]

I'm on the edge of my seat!

[@ianbutterfield1019]

Was that Bwlch you drove through? My son helped run The New Inn pub a few years ago! Great video by the way!

[@HubNut]

Cheers. It was.

[@julianevans9548]

It's Volvo estate time, surely. All the comfort; all the space.

[@torresalex]

That would be marvellous

[@TheEmperorPigeon]

Vicki the Volvo S60 R perhaps? Guessing back here of course! Looking forward to seeing whatever the next car is going to be. :)

[@davidjones332]

If you need to drive long distances a car that doesn't give you a bad back wins over everything. It's all down to individual physiology and posture -sometimes even the cheapest and most basic seat can be more comfortable than the most elaborately designed and infinitely adjustable offering.

[@billtomo]

If you want comfortable seats get a Volvo best seats going.

[@hunchanchoc8418]

My Daihatsu Sirion had amazingly comfortable seats, but unfortunatley suspension springs that were made out of stone, I could swear.

[@edgarbeat275]

My friend owns a Honda civic and that was un comfy on the rear. His brother owned a Suzuki Swift and I was surprised with the comfort. I was expecting to be in agony. Both cars were used to take us to the NEC classic car show from Scotland. Down and back up on the same day 😀 The Civic was agony and amazing that the Swift was comfy no arse ache. Comfort rules then reliability and finally handling. In that order 😀 for me. Looks and practicality also considered.

[@BrorAppelsin]

I'd think that with all the trouble and money spent with Rita and Peggy, the Delica would've been fixed two times over and been a reliable and spacious family transport/mobile studio

[@TheShinyShow]

Don't forget the fact that he makes videos and isn't just buying a car to be reliable and keep for years and years. There is always going to be rotation for a KZbin channel, as well as he likes trying different cars. Fox, Elly, TWC, Matiz are all keepers, but they can't all be keepers or he'd never have anything to show us

[@HubNut]

To be fair, it's been a silly few months even by my standards. I do need to stop changing quite so often.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

I have to put up with turbo lag from my 14 tdi three cylinder vw pole it does not kick in till 1700 rpm after that it pulls like a train but doing ok with just over 100000 on the clock

[@frimleyfrodo]

The Brecon Beacons were in your rear view mirror. You were showing us the lovely Black Mountains towards Abergavenny.

[@HubNut]

That's not the first time I've made that error...

[@markstephenson-oliver7513]

My hyundai i10 runs of a stork you have to turn and more for the rear wash wipe. There is no intermittent option so after 2 wipes it sounds like the triangle of doom.

[@ianh.6825]

The Primera P11-144 1.8S has fulfilled my motoring needs for the past 14 years. I kept my first for 9 years and I'm into my 6th year with the second. (I keep cars for a long time). I agree about the comfort. The driver's seat is awful. I don't know why I put up with it!

[@JamesG75]

I've always thought the Citroen C5 V6 would be an ideal car for the HubNut family. I'd like to try one myself at some point although I don't think I could part with my Laguna II or 75 to be honest!

[@NathanCelica]

Still having my hopes set for the Toyota Estima! (Lucida Charm Pleasurewagon with joyful canopy perhaps?)

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool, I will enjoy the next car 😀

[@paulheath4259]

Is it gonna be a Sierra or a granada?

[@krisjones5125]

i had a primera slightly sideways when taking a roundabout a little fast. wasnt expecting it from such a heavy car.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Can't wait to see the replacement!

[@Bicyclehub]

Hope your new car has a towing hook. Caravans don't pull themselves.

[@johndilloway9762]

Shh Shhh

[@kevinsadler6369]

you said you had no intention of coming up north ?? chester 17 miles away??? dyson 19 qwid postage?? pick it up? n you can have a go in the DTI SEAT 1.4??????? S

[@HubNut]

Sorry but my travels are very last minute at the moment.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Sad to see Peggy go, but looking forward to the next Hubnut car. So if you want comfort I would say something french or swedish.

[@johnmeechan4976]

How about a mark one focus?

[@Serkix]

Lift of oversteer. OFC. Thanks, I didn't know this was a thing and caught a bit off guard when my Primera would slide out when turning hard in the wet. My U13 Bluebird didn't do that. Both had spoilers which won't really matter at 50ks so is it the shorter wheel base of the Primera that causes it to swing? Great cars. SR20 is unkillable.

[@ThePowerbloke]

Wondered how long the Primera would last in the fleet.

[@bobaraneta721]

Am confused--so the Invacar and the two hopelessly dead Skoda things meet your standards of comfort?

[@MrLMSMAN]

Gutted to see the Primera go. The best car you've had IMHO

[@theotherchannel2279]

I knew it!!! You are keeping The Rocky Horror Show. 😂

[@HowardLeVert]

Shall we have a sweepstake on how long the next car remains on the fleet?

[@brianiswrong]

Are Citroen C6's down to ' hubnut' value yet?

[@Turnbull50]

Is it a PT Cruiser

[@Kai-Peter.Schellhase]

Shame Peggy had to go. Excited about the new car, though.👍 What car is it? Only time and Ian will tell..

[@nothingmuch.3014]

Toyota previa? Or has Ian already had one of those?

[@d.p.2680]

A mix of Rover and Nissan, Would that be Jaguar X type

[@alansimpson835]

Will be sad to see Peggy the Primera go. There was something very honest about her but a man has to be comfy. I'm still thinking the next one may be a Citroen C5

[@Jaxs2]

Comfort, it surely can't be that bad Ian ,but I will agree I think its a bit boring for HubNut I'm sure you have something more interesting up your sleeve for sure 🙃👍

[@darknewt9959]

That lift off oversteer was totally dialled-out in the 1998/9 car... in the earlier P10s it was prodigious... like a family-sized Pug 205.

[@huwdavies6650]

You've found a Ford Fairmont AU in Chester haven't you.

[@owensteele1274]

I've just caught up on this channel. If Mr HubNut's after comfort and handling with good performance, I'd like to think the Primera's replacement would be a mk1 1999MY Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia 4dr saloon, in that Aquamarine Frost, or the lovely Metallic Harvest Gold they did them in first of all. I once hired one from SCOT car hire in Exeter many many moons ago, and even though I had the pleasure of driving many different cars from there, I considered the Focus saloon the very best of all!

[@jgh548]

I hope it’s a Rover SD1 or an MCW Metrobus (although that wouldn’t fit in the unit too well...)

[@dazzlerbob1870]

There are 3 not 2 things hubnut looks at when buying a car, as you stated 1 is comfort, 2 is handling, and you missed the 3rd, weirdness. 🤣

[@bentullett6068]

Well that was a short ownership. I wonder what's next, a Citroen C5 estate with citroen hydrogen pneumatic suspension?

[@bruceshaw2402]

You've only had it 5 mins ! and you keep the Olcit and Sana wrecks , but they are your cars and it is your vlog so you can do what you like , good luck to you.

[@micheltebraake7915]

Ahh, too bad that the Primera can stay so short, hopefully the next car will combine everything the three cars did not have together!

[@calibsdaman009]

Must be one great swap deal the Primera is a great car. Can’t wait to see what you get my guess is something like a 406 / xantia

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

I'm still hoping for a Saab 9-3 or 9-5, but I'm not optimistic. 406 or Xantia would be more on-brand for Ian.

[@interdec]

Every time he gets something approaching a useable daily car, it never lasts long; he’s addicted to the useless bangers though. That’s HubNuts!

[@eggy1962]

Wonder if its a renault 21 savannah estate

[@terryatkinson3182]

C5 I'd say, they are cheap and the estate is massive.

[@theteacaddy2766]

Is the replacement going to be a Bentley keeping to the British theme of manufacturing. Enjoy the channel especially for your honest reviews on vehicles that are often overlooked or much maligned.

[@ianfrench1577]

Changing the seats would make that car PERFECT

[@edwardjohntaylor99]

Aren't there any performance seats that would go in to fix the comfort?

[@HubNut]

Comfort is more than seats. The ride is also too firm for my tastes.

[@johndilloway9762]

@@HubNut We get spoilt after driving citroen's.

[@maxeluy]

Ian you know... Comfort comes from France!

[@stepheng8779]

Usually virtue of being sat in an RAC van

[@Phil-1969]

Only if she’s fat

[@oliverattwell8013]

I hope he gets another Citroen!

[@cornishhh]

Thirty odd years ago yes, but not recently.

[@stepheng8779]

@@cornishhh come off it, even today it's always a Peugeot or a Renault that's conked out on the motorway. Not as many Citroens cos nobody's buying em. Sad but fact, have to drive a long way to find a Citroen franchise near me, all changed to Kia, Hyundai & MG years ago

[@guywilloughby3383]

I worked at the nissan plant for 15 years and built every primera, I loved mk 1 2 and 3 the final car was great inside,but was too heavy.

[@gordonbartlettgb]

I had a P12, I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who found it cumbersome around town and at low speeds. Brilliant on the motorway, not so clever elsewhere.

[@guywilloughby3383]

@@gordonbartlettgb funny I never really think of them as p10 11 12. In the plant it was EC ED and then I think EQ. But for me p10=mk1 p11= mk2 the p11 face-lift was mk3 p12 =mk4.

[@aleshudek5323]

Citroën Xantia, can be good comfortable HubNut car ? 🚗

[@olds8881]

Please don't let it be another Oltcit! Peugeot 306? Excellent handling, comfortable and rather reliable?

[@niallsommerville9941]

Could not agree more about column switch gear, contributes more to the driving experience than you might think. I couldn't name a vehicle that I personally thought was perfect in that area but the Citroen satellite switch clusters came very close. I, perversely perhaps, like non self cancelling indicators. The swap anticipation forced me to buy a large bag of toffee popcorn.

[@HowardLeVert]

Having just handed back a Mercedes A-class with indicators *and* front and rear wipers all on one stalk (the other was the auto trans selector) I concur. It was bloody horrible.

[@fubard74]

Mitsubishi Galant? I always found those extremely comfortable.

[@waynetetley584]

You dont need to take your hand off the wheel in a 2CV to operate the important controls ... horn, indicators 😁. In a ripple that's just horn albeit town & country on mine 😊

[@johndilloway9762]

designed on the cheap, but work's perfectly I agree.

[@pagegreer5081]

So what about Elly is comfort able?. Truly asking because I ve never driven or rode in one. So I have no reference point.

[@TheBiggerburger]

I was wondering that, and we haven't heard much about the extreme levels of comfort in TWC lately :-)

[@HubNut]

Elly has wonderful, supple suspension and seats like hammocks. She's a great car to travel in, if a bit noisy.

[@TheBiggerburger]

@@HubNut hammocks aren't comfortable, no lower back support!

[@johndilloway9762]

Think of floating in water, no pressure point's anywhere.

[@JohnRolyAU]

Is this a record for short term ownership? Where does it rank in terms of days / weeks compared to others?

[@HubNut]

Two months isn't a bad innings for me.

[@JohnRolyAU]

@@HubNut Has it been 2 months already? eek!

[@AndyK.1]

@@JohnRolyAU Maybe as little went wrong there were no videos

[@JohnRolyAU]

@@AndyK.1 that's very true. Not Hubnut enough for Hubnut.

[@daveb1433]

My brother once had a Renault 14 for 2 weeks !!!

[@chrisbailey1966]

Swap for Magic Beans - Heinz the Hyundai?

[@JakobusVdL]

It is a pity the Primera didn't quite suit you Ian. We had a 2.0 SE manual P11 Primera here in New Zealand. A used japanese import. I was keen to get a european car at the time and we tried Citroen Xantia, Peugeot 306 and 405's which were mostly auto's because that's what they import here :-(. Before trying the manual Primera. Wow what a difference, the Primera was just so well built and lively in comparision. We owned it for about 12 years, put over 150,000km on it, and loved it - especially the high revving engine, fantastic handling (the ability to get the back to step out on the way into corners made it so enjoyable to push), and how reliable and robust it was. It was noisy on the chip seal roads here, but a switch to Dunlop tyres made a big difference. Because I get a bit twitchy with higher milage cars, we bought a Ford Mondeo Zetec to replace it. Mostly because reviews said the Mondeo was the best riding and handling saloon at the time, and it was manual. We eventually sold the Mondeo, and kept the Primera for another 50,000km. The Primera was just better, particularly more reliable, more comfortable, more lively and way better handling. When it had about 250,000km on it, we eventually replaced the Primera with a Mk5 GTi Golf. That was a step up in performance and specification, but I still miss the Primera.