Why I bought a 7 year old Nissan Terrano diesel done 83,000 km

I loved how good of a mechanical package the Terrano/Duster were - I like it plain and simple - less drama.

BHPian barath_rudraksh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After months of mental toil, I have found my love in a Pre-worshipped Nissan Terrano XLD. The car is '15 made and has clocked 83k kms.

My journey to the Terrano

I have always been a very confused person while choosing my car. My shortlist has always been a mix of cars from different categories since the car didn't have any purpose to solve. The only criteria I had was to buy a driver's car with a good GC and also with a decent FE (hence it had to be a diesel). So my primary search was to buy a fiat (punto/linea) since they handle great (my previous car was a petrol figo and I loved the way it handled and drove - except for the not-so-powerful engine).

My quest to find a well maintained fiat took close to a year and Still I wasn't happy with any of the cars I TDed. They were either abused, or poorly maintained or just not available for sale

So I slowly started TDs of the other cars in my list -

1. Maruti S-Cross 1.3D

2. Renault Duster 1.5dci

3. Ford Figo 1.5tdci

I liked all the above cars for one reason or the other but they just didn't make it to my home for obvious reasons - the S-cross was way out of my budget, the Figo 1.5tdci was amazing to drive but the issues reported by 1.5 TDCI owners scared me off the figo.

The Duster made it to my list as it was good to drive and also had a good GC and the k9k diesel had a good reputation. Though I liked the duster, the Injector issues and the EGR issues that are said to peep in after 80 to 90k kms left me worried and made me stay away from the duster.

I came across a Nissan Terrano that was up for sale. I had never driven a Terrano untill then. But I was pretty sure it was just another duster with a Nissan badge. I spoke to a couple of mechanics and somehow they all were more likely to recommend a Terrano over a duster any day. When I asked why, they told the Terrano has seen lesser issues when compared to the duster. I didn't do further research and went straight away to TD the Terrano.

May be because of the intro I was given, I seemed to like the terrano more than the duster (slightly better aesthetics). I loved how good of a mechanical package the terrano/duster were - I like it plain and simple - less drama (though many hate this, I seemed to like it).

The car had a proper service history and after an inspection I booked the car. Despite of having a proper service history, the car had it's own niggles - creaking noise here and there, hard clutch etc. Otherwise, the car was amazing to drive (it is the 85ps variant). The hydraulic steering amused me but it takes some time to adjust to (coming from an EPS). But I feel the steering feel is not consistent throughout the travel - in the middle it feels vague but on turns it feels like it handles well. I will leave this doubt of mine to be answered by experts.

Reasons I chose the Terrano:

• The Looks - Definitely Masculine

• The k9k engine - even though I have never owned one, the reputation it has gained gives me hope.

• I heard it throws decent FE numbers (would love to hear your's)

• The drivable nature - almost no lag

• Spacious

• Humongous boot space (I love it even though I don't have a need for it yet)

I welcome advice and suggestions on how to ensure a happy relationship with a Terrano, tips on maintenance, good and bad to expect from the car etc.

I am planning to drive it until the odo reaches 1.5L at least. Wish me luck and make me wise. Thanks in advance.

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