Nissan Primera P11

RLan · December 25, 2009

Hi guys,

Still looking for a car . While doing my research I came across Nissan Primera P11. Appearntly it's a nice car with good handling and performance. And cheap too. I like the looks as well (Especially P11 GT with big alloys ). Just wondering if you guys could give me some hints about the car. Preferably by owners or people who had used it before. (Because most of my friends are trying to discourage me saying it's a Nissan and it's unreliable.)

I'm thinking of a 2.0L, Manual gear car. I'm not too worried about the 2nd hand market. What I wanna findout is,

(1.) How is the reliability like?

(2.) What parts of the car needs close attention? (Engine, suspension etc.)

(3.) How is the parts availability? (a quick look on the search facility reveals that parts are readily avialable, anyway)

(4.) Maintanence? (Expensive?)

(5.) Any major issues that this model had, that I should be aware of? (like air flow sensor thing on FB15)

(6.) Anything else that you guys think worthy

By the way, how is the handling of this car compared to Honda EK3. I hear they say EK3 got good handling and stuff (only until they've driven a BMW E39 or a E46). Anyways, hope to hear some good news from you guys. Cheers.

Devinda_Z · December 25, 2009

RLan said:
Hi guys,
Still looking for a car . While doing my research I came across Nissan Primera P11. Appearntly it's a nice car with good handling and performance. And cheap too. I like the looks as well (Especially P11 GT with big alloys ). Just wondering if you guys could give me some hints about the car. Preferably by owners or people who had used it before. (Because most of my friends are trying to discourage me saying it's a Nissan and it's unreliable.)

I'm thinking of a 2.0L, Manual gear car. I'm not too worried about the 2nd hand market. What I wanna findout is,

(1.) How is the reliability like?

(2.) What parts of the car needs close attention? (Engine, suspension etc.)

(3.) How is the parts availability? (a quick look on the search facility reveals that parts are readily avialable, anyway)

(4.) Maintanence? (Expensive?)

(5.) Any major issues that this model had, that I should be aware of? (like air flow sensor thing on FB15)

(6.) Anything else that you guys think worthy

By the way, how is the handling of this car compared to Honda EK3. I hear they say EK3 got good handling and stuff (only until they've driven a BMW E39 or a E46). Anyways, hope to hear some good news from you guys. Cheers.

Good car- The SR20 is one of the best 2000cc 4 cyl units out there

It does handle very well for whats essentially a front wheel drive passenger sedan - get a P11 "Camino" if you want the best set up

I'm trying not to take offense at what your rather ignorant friends have said about Nissan's & reliability - likely narrow minded typically - run with the crowd Toyota Corolla driver types - just ignore

The P11 Camino is a very sensible yet entertaining choice as a daily run about with just the right amount of gusto i reckon

VVTi owns one and there are other owners/past owners around - i'm sure they'll add their comments

VVTi · December 26, 2009

Go for it. Don't waste a minute pondering!! Best bang for your bucks.

The SR20 is indeed the best in the business for the displacement. Like Devinda said, Nissans are only for those who appreciate good affordable motoring. Not the Petrol Sniffers.

and no, the SR does not have any issues electronic or otherwise. Its a chain driven DOHC 16V. Its a basic engine that happens to belt out about 140-150Bhp as it is.

Just maintain it properly and no gimmicks with oils. Both A*W and PitStop recommends the normal local engine oil with 4000km intervals. Most P11s came with SR20 but some came with the QG. So watch out for that.

Camino is the top end of P11s and comes with all the gizmos, CVT, sunroof, Climate Control, ect ect. But try to find a manual, loads more fun.

They handle like rockets on rails. Easy to maintain, no surprise repairs and looks good. Parts are available freely and not that expensive.

However the front multi link suspension needs to be done properly as if one part fails the rest fails too. So you have to keep a regular eye on them. Each service i would go under the hoist and check each boot and each bush. The replacements I did in 2007 still held good till I sold her.

Go for a Brand New P11 manual models as they came with suspension hardened for local conditions. The meter will have 220 on it instead of the 180 and its not restricted.

Have done 200 on the 100 foot road without even breaking a sweat.

Only draw back will be no ABS and no airbags for the BN import models. Mine was a Agent sold car.

But the rest of it all is all good.

Unfortunately I sold mine a week ago for 12.5. The guy who bought it knew his stuff about the P11 and did not even negotiate. If only you asked this last week!! I would have thrown in the K&N filter and the 17 inch alloys as well. Instead of it now lying under my bed. Gave the car as it was before I fixed my toys.

One final note. I have a E36 323i as well and compared to the way she handles, and the way the P11 handles, I'd say I felt more confident throwing the P11 around as for some strange reason, the P11 feels more sure footed. I do miss the P11, though.

One final note, Ek3 Vs P11.... Apples and Oranges. I had a Ek3 Vti for a brief period as a company car and ........ compared to the P11... ha ha ha ha ha. the p11 is streets ahead machang.

Hondas are like the cheap whore you lose your virginity to on a night out with the boys. P11 is the girlfriend who shows you the whole kama sutra!

Edited December 26, 2009 by VVTi

maersk · December 26, 2009

VVTi said:
Hondas are like the cheap whore you lose your virginity to on a night out with the boys. P11 is the girlfriend who shows you the whole kama sutra!

Elvis_Pil · December 26, 2009

"Hondas are like the cheap whore you lose your virginity to on a night out with the boys. P11 is the girlfriend who shows you the whole kama sutra!"

A very misinformed & insulting statement to make about a brand (& car i assume), that has won Jap car of the year on several occasions. Not comparing- but Nissan nearly went bust until Renault took over. Everyone can do Top gear presenter bravado these days..

To add to the topic:

The car if definitely bang for buck compared the slightly inflated market price of ek's.. that been said, its slower to sell. The Camino is the top of the range model. The car is very reliable but will need to go through the engine rebuild process after 150k clicks, like most jap cars. Its got 4 disk breaks and a tough suspension- which may be prone to more wear considering the size of the car. I've never found an issue with parts and the advantage of the p11 is there are loads of after market stuff available.. More than outright power- what I like is the additional torque you get from the larger engine, that makes it a much more pleasant daily driver compared to the 1500 market segment. The biggest draw back of the car is the fuel consumption- which is high compared to the 'vulgar' Civic.

RLan · December 26, 2009

Devinda_Z, thanks for the quick feedback. Well I don't like to run with the crowd either. Appearntly Primera is a reliable car in Europe that's why I decided to ask you guys for info, despite my idiotic friends' efforts.

VVTi, cool. Thanks for the excellent info. What engine you reckon is the best SR20 or QG? How do I know what engine is in the car? (Sorry if I sound bit idiotic. Driving BMWs has made me dumber. )

I'd buy a manual over a CVT anyday. Especially after hearing about problems related to CVT gearboxes. Anyway, I believe that, if you really wanna enjoy driving, it's gotta be a manual.

All in all, it sounds like a nice car. I don't think you'd do 200kmph within 100 yards, but I get the idea.

I'd prefer to have ABS and airbags, because I've got a habit of being in the overtaking lane most of the time.

Too bad that you have to sell it. (I could've got a nicely looked after car from you ). But I won't be getting the funds till mid January anyway. By the way, what does K&N filter do? If you could send me a photo of your alloys, I might be interested. I'll send you my e-mail via PM.

I never liked E36 though I've driven so many of them while I was in England (my friend use to sell them.) The best handling car I've ever driven is a E46 325i. Even then I don't like 3 series that much. (Unless ofcourse it's an M3, E46 preferably). I had a BMW 5 series E39 523i SE. I love that car. I used it for nearly 3 1/2 years never had a problem (apart from viper motor replacement). All I did was to service the car when I was told by the car computer. On the motorways we used to do 120-140MPH without a sweat. Now I come Sri Lanka and drive an EK3 (My Brother-in-law's), feels like it's gonna fall apart after just passing 120Kmph on the speedo. Well, no more BMW luxeries. Back to reality. Don't want to have a Beemer here, unless I become a multimillionair.

Well your comment about Honda's being whores is bit too hot. Becareful of Honda boys who'd be looking to you Lol

Elvis_Pil, thanks for the feedback bro. Don't get too worried about VVTi's comment. Sometimes it gets like politics when it comes to brand loyality. I know Honda is an excellent make as well. My first ever car was a Honda Civic Glacier 1994. Still miss that car. (had to sell it after I bought the beemer due to parking problems.) Just asked about EK3's handling and P11 handling because so many people claims that EK3's got good handling. Personally I've driven 2 EK3s, but none of them can come anywhere near BMW E39 when it comes to handling (despite E39 being a heavy car).

To be honest I'm not really bothered about 2nd hand market. But this is my first buy in Sri Lanka. (May be I'm still in UK mindset when it comes to cars. Hope it won't be trouble in the future.) Well, personally I'd pick performance over fuel anyday. I don't wanna drive like a Maruti guy just to save some little money on the fuel. Since the car is cheaper compared to others it's an added advantage as well.

Anways, cheers for the tips guys. I might be able to check out some cars next week. I heard there is a red 2.0L manual 1999 P11 in somewhere in Kohuwela.

RLan · December 26, 2009

By the way, is it the P11 GT that sri lankan people refer to as Sports version?

VVTi · December 26, 2009

Ok, not a cheap whore, but perhaps a one nighter with some too eager woman whose name you cant remember... Come one mate, if it wasn't for Fast and the Furious, not many in Sl woud have given a toss about the EG8. Back in the day (Pre F&F) people wouldn't touch a Honda with a barge pole. I know because I had a 87 Honda Accord and it was a hell to find parts as simple as a Carb replair Kit. You had to go after that jerk at Teck Motors. Only Motorcade used to bring down filters for the Hondas. back in 97-99.

There was a time when people couldn't sell a EG8 for 550k! (when prices were not as bad as they are now)

Being an expert on Fast and the Furious (and the sequels) and having a Mugen sticker doesn't make one a true Honda aficionado as well. The Power of Dreams sticker is now stuck on 3 wheelers too.

Hondas are great cars, but I think our market has killed what is essentially a great family car. Most of the Hondas are doled up in such a tasteless manner than one doesn't know if he is looking at a Honda or a long distance truck in India.

Today I was following a Honda with such a big exhaust that I was scared to overtake him as he would have taken it as a challenge to drag and would have taken out my ear drums when accelerating.

Edited December 26, 2009 by VVTi

VVTi · December 26, 2009

RLan said:

RLan

The 100 foot road is a stretch between Sooriyawewa and Mirijjawela in the South. You can see quite a distance on a clear day and the road is more or less straight for about 18 Kms. Watch out for cattle, Peacocks and sometimes Elephants, not to mention humans.

Not worried about the Honda Boys at all.. I let them pass me... else the noise and the falling body kits.... and the blinding neons! or the big rear wings might snag something...

Elvis_Pil · December 26, 2009

Machan EG8's were rocking our local race tracks long before F2F.. Anyway point taken on the movie contributing to the damn market price of the car and other comments

VVTi said:
Ok, not a cheap whore, but perhaps a one nighter with some too eager woman whose name you cant remember... Come one mate, if it wasn't for Fast and the Furious, not many in Sl woud have given a toss about the EG8. Back in the day (Pre F&F) people wouldn't touch a Honda with a barge pole. I know because I had a 87 Honda Accord and it was a hell to find parts as simple as a Carb replair Kit. You had to go after that jerk at Teck Motors. Only Motorcade used to bring down filters for the Hondas. back in 97-99.
There was a time when people couldn't sell a EG8 for 550k! (when prices were not as bad as they are now)

Being an expert on Fast and the Furious (and the sequels) and having a Mugen sticker doesn't make one a true Honda aficionado as well. The Power of Dreams sticker is now stuck on 3 wheelers too.

Hondas are great cars, but I think our market has killed what is essentially a great family car. Most of the Hondas are doled up in such a tasteless manner than one doesn't know if he is looking at a Honda or a long distance truck in India.

Today I was following a Honda with such a big exhaust that I was scared to overtake him as he would have taken it as a challenge to drag and would have taken out my ear drums when accelerating.

Elvis_Pil · December 26, 2009

I'm not sure of there been GT's in the local market.. but the 'Sports version' can be either the Camino or the Hyper CVT M3. The latter having the more powerful 180hp odd VVL engine and the other having the 150hp SR20DE motor. IMO I prefer the handling on my old ViRS- the suspension was stiff, but I always liked the confidence you can take into the corners.. the P11 and 12 tend to have a bit of swing from the rear and feel heavy out of the bends..

RLan said:
By the way, is it the P11 GT that sri lankan people refer to as Sports version?

Edited December 26, 2009 by Elvis_Pil

RLan · December 27, 2009

VVTi, true what you said. Too many EG8s with big exhausts polluting the air. And they tend to do stupid mods (exterior) as well. Like you correctly said they take offence when they are overtaken (happened to me many times as well). And the nosie is just unbearable. I really don't understand the point of having car making so much noise but without same kind of performance. (Oh well, that's why we are different from each other after all). I like understated power. Power you don't have to show until you really need it.

Sorry mate, I took your comment "100 foot road" totally wrong (what an idiot I was ). I thought you meant you reached 200Kmph on a 100 foot stretch of road. Now I realize that you meant "adi seeya paara"

Elvis_Pil, thanks for the info bro. GT looks nice. I hope those so called sports version has a decent body kit. Don't want the CVT at all. But I like the sound of VVL engine How about fixing a turbo to the P11?

Never driven a ViRS or a P11, so can't comment on them.

Cheers guys.

VVTi · December 27, 2009

RLan said:
Sorry mate, I took your comment "100 foot road" totally wrong (what an idiot I was ). I thought you meant you reached 200Kmph on a 100 foot stretch of road. Now I realize that you meant "adi seeya paara"
Elvis_Pil, thanks for the info bro. GT looks nice. I hope those so called sports version has a decent body kit. Don't want the CVT at all. But I like the sound of VVL engine How about fixing a turbo to the P11?

Never driven a ViRS or a P11, so can't comment on them.

Cheers guys.

Ah. I did dabble on the thought of dropping a SR20DE T. Even had the engine sourced through a mate in Japan. But then after checking out each and every possible forum, website, came to the realization that unless i extend the nose by 5-8 inches to accommodate the turbo, there is no way I can drop it in. The SR20DET comes in the S15 if I am not mistaken and thats a RWD, so dropping it in to the P11 would have been impractical. So dropped that idea. Like Elvis said, the P11 is a tad heavy but there are things you can do to lighten her up. But that depends on whether you want it as a daily runner or that weekend rocket ship.

RLan · December 27, 2009

VVTi said:
Ah. I did dabble on the thought of dropping a SR20DE T. Even had the engine sourced through a mate in Japan. But then after checking out each and every possible forum, website, came to the realization that unless i extend the nose by 5-8 inches to accommodate the turbo, there is no way I can drop it in. The SR20DET comes in the S15 if I am not mistaken and thats a RWD, so dropping it in to the P11 would have been impractical. So dropped that idea. Like Elvis said, the P11 is a tad heavy but there are things you can do to lighten her up. But that depends on whether you want it as a daily runner or that weekend rocket ship.

Well, I better forget about the turbo then. I intend to use it as a daily runner anyway. (but having bit of extra power is always useful, you know ) For the rocket ship, I'd definitly get a RWD car. Something like a 300ZX would be nice