Used Nissan Almera cars for sale

First, the downsides. It’s cramped by class standards and rear room is particularly poor, although the boot is a decent size. Refinement is lousy, too, with lots of road, wind and engine noise making its way into the cabin. The handling is reasonable, but while the ride can cope with smooth roads, its composure soon disappears on rough surfaces. On the other hand, security is impressive and safety is good, with a Euro NCAP four-star rating. The build quality is sound, even on the original cars introduced in 2000, and all post-autumn 2002 face-lift models come with decent kit.

Running Costs
If you see a large queue snaking around the corner, you can be pretty sure it’s not made up of punters eager to snap up second-hand Nissan Almeras. Still, low desirability means low prices - there are bargains to be had. The biggest engine, the 134bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, promises 47.9mpg, whereas at the other end of the scale the small 97bhp 1.5-litre should be good for 42.8mpg. Stick with the 1.5 and you’ll pay no more than group 5 insurance, but whatever trim and engine combination you go for the Almera won’t prove too costly. Having work carried out by a Nissan main dealer need not be too dear because their hourly rates are about as cheap as they come. The work will be cheaper still at an independent garage, where the rates are very competitive for the class.

Saloon
The idea of a Nissan Almera trying to compete on equal terms with a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf is a bit like Stirling Moss pitching up at Silverstone, hoping to have a crack at the current Formula One hotshots. However, if you can live with all the pensioner jokes, the Almera doesn’t make a bad second-hand buy. First, the downsides. It’s cramped by class standards and rear room is particularly poor, although the boot is a decent size. Refinement is lousy, with lots of road, wind and engine noise making its way into the cabin. The handling is reasonable, but while the ride can cope with smooth roads, its composure soon disappears on rough surfaces. On the other hand, security is impressive and safety is good, with a four-star Euro NCAP rating. Build quality is sound, even on original cars from 2000, and all post-autumn 2002 face-lift models come with decent kit.

Running Costs
If you see a large queue snaking around the corner, you can be pretty sure it’s not made up of punters eager to snap up second-hand Nissan Almera. Still, that lack of desirability means low prices - there are bargains to be had. The biggest engine, the 134bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, promises 47.9mpg, whereas at the other end of the scale the small 97bhp 1.5-litre should be good for 42.8mpg. Stick with the 1.5 and you’ll pay no more than group 5 insurance, but whichever trim and engine combination you go for the Almera won’t prove too costly. Even having work carried out by a main Nissan dealer need not be too dear because their hourly rates are about as cheap as they come. The work will be cheaper still at an independent garage, where the rates are very competitive for the class.