Jon Bentley (The man who discovered Jeremy Clarkson) road tests the (Then) new Nissan Primera. Taken from a late 1996 episode of the old format Top Gear
I wondered at first, is it some vangelis, it does sound like a jarre and something from the oxygen, but I knew it isn't....and being so 90s, all the better for it ;)
Disagree with the reviewer. I liked the look of the P11 Primera. It has smart, neat lines. The chassis was well sorted and engines were bullet proof. The Euro designed P12 replacement was a bloated lump though. The P10 and P11 Primeras were proper Nissans not like the Renault Qashqai of today.
I had one from 1997 to 2005. 2.0i SLX with the optional 4 spd auto 'box. These cars were frighteningly good to drive, even if a little under-powered and a bit noisy on some surfaces. Like you, I didn't find the looks offensive at all. Huge boot and bombproof reliability what's not to like? At the time it was either this, a Vectra, or a Mondeo. Both of which lacked standard ABS and aircon. The Vectra drove like a sack of lard.
p12 is more than pretty, please, hold your unjustified subjectiveness....and, yeah, p11 wasn't ugly, it had some sort of elegance, but it really didn't have anything especially interesting in particular. other japanese cars also didn't have that. I think p11 is also euro designed, but of course, under japanese control of development.
I never really got why all the journalists slammed the Primeras styling. It has stood the test of time better than the Mondeo. Well built car and great to drive. What happened to the next generation?!!
The next generation model actually started to get stylish and the one after that too and that one had reversing cameras and lots of other tech that other cars in its class did not have but then they stopped making them and started making CUVs and SUVs instead
best car I ever had. Drove it from 60000km to 295000 without a single breakdown. Sold it for 70% less than purchased...perhaps it is still on the road somewhere :-)
@@satkinson8281 the word "personally" is a worded abbreviation of stating an opinion man. I'm not sure if you live in the US but it is conserved to be so here
My dads just passed its MOT for the 20th time with zero advisories and he has not replaced a single part or had a repair ever from new. He said to the MOT tester "not again! I've got it for another year!". When it (if it ever) fails its MOT he says he will get a new car...its also helped renovate countless houses with building materials carried and trips to the dump....couldnt have asked for more from it and he got it from an auction as an ex company car for a good price back then.
Rob k it is like my 1999 Nissan Primera, I have had it 10.5 years, every MOT the same. I look at other cars in case it does not pass, but it never lets me down, want to keep it as long as possible.
@@toxy3580 Hes still got it! the fuel pump went last year, the aa diagnosed it and I replaced it for him, took 15 minutes... this is the only thing that has failed which is amazing for 21 years. Really sad it was the last real Nissan, I warned him getting another Nissan won't be the same quality as its been brought by someone else.
@@robthesamplist if he wants another Nissan they are called Toyota now lol. Unfortunate but true, sucks because it means you really don't have much choice if you want top reliability. Toyota or Honda or nothing and even Honda have had a few issues recently.
I still drive one daily! Its a 1997 model 1.6 l , i do 1500 km a month on it just commuting to work + weekend drives without any problems, catch that new cars!!
Karim Errytouny / and the Indians bought Rover SUV division , and Ford before it, using old Ford parts bin. What's your point? If you knew anything about cars, you would know Nissan still can engineer cars, even more so than Tata motors or Rover. You are really comparing Rover to Nissan? The Rover car division was bought by the Chinese. They're not in Nissan level yet.
@@brycmtthw No they weren't. They were owned by Honda back then and Honda sold Rover to BMW who stripped it for Mini and 4x4 tech and then sold it to the Consortium and it then went bust because theyd'nt a clue what they were doing and I think BMW knew that would happen.
Ha ha, loved my old S reg one, in the orange. Had 17" tsw blades on it and a Powerflow cat back exhaust. It was only a 1.6si but It went ok. I always fancied a 2.0 gt, never got one though 😢
I owned a 92 Infiniti G20/Nissan Primera, and rented a Ford Contour/Mondeo and for the average buyer I would think that for just these two cars it is a toss-up. However, the Ford offered a V6 but wasn't as nicely assembled as the Nissan. The Nissan, as others here have pointed out, was a very robust car. If I could find one today with VERY low mileage and a manual transmission I would buy it. Finding an equivalent Ford is nearly impossible and I don't think it will be in as good a condition if you find one.
Depends on the Ford and where it's from. The US spec contour was a dog like most American cars, the stuff in the southern hemisphere such as the Telstar etc was just as good and well built. The key factor being Japan
with todays cars being absolute shit, Far worse than BL were making in the 70's. Im looking to these late 90s primeras as a sensiable car for today. As a MOT butter boy of the late 90s i recall this era of Nissan always Passed mots all the time never ever failed. It was only a bulb or tyre that would fail them - good performance practicality - you can work on them yourself, the engines are good and straight fallward - you can check the oil level. Its was much better car than a BMW 3 series back then - When BMW were still good - that was a 20 years ago?
They were actually sensationally good to drive. And sensationally reliable. I owned one for 7 years and 290,000km. The only thing that went wrong was the pipe to the rear washer jet becoming detached.
I have seen some with 500,000km on the clock and still running on original engines, the GA16DE & SR20DE are incredibly strong and fantastic engines, low fuel consumption, chain cam and they pull beautifully across the rev range... If you ask me, those where the best small(1.4-2.0L) petrol engines ever made.
rather have a bland car that's great to drive and will do forever fault free than a good looking car like the rest he mentioned that will be absolute poo
The fact that Nissan wanted to put in a V6 is awful. This car would be understeering like a bitch if they did that. Nissan I feel is the middle of the road Japanese car company. Not ever bad, but not every really excellent, aside from the GTR.
Well, they put the v6 in the old nissan maxima. And believe me, one of the best cars i've driven! Also the P10 and P11 primeras are underrated cars imo. I mean, just look at the axis they build in the front. Took from the 300zx and also the P10 got a steering rear axis! It's just awesome technic and it drives sooo comfortable! I got a primera p10 from '93 and i just love it!
Generally speaking, Japanese cars have never been stylish; take the badge off & it's hard to tell Nissan from Honda from Toyota. I put reliability over style (within reason). I nearly bought a Primera but the salesman would do the deal I wanted & I ended up with a 406. The 406 was a nice looking car and being a 2 litre petrol it was nippy enough, but plagued with electrical problems, more design & build quality than the individual car itself.As for ugly, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but think Ford Scorpio, Fiat Multipla.
Seamus O'Flatcap Those last two you mention are hideous aren't they? Although the Scorpio was a well equipped car and supposed to be very nice to drive. As for the Multipla, very practical. My sisters partner hs one and he loves it.
Erm.......no. I can think of worse, much worse. Fiat Multipla, anyone? This jigger is at least reasonable looking, reliable and goes well. That means a lot when you haven't the time or money to break down.
My Dad had one of these in 97 and I learned to drive in it. I absolutely loved it.
And that “Robert Miles - Children” soundtrack. This video is so 90es.
I wondered at first, is it some vangelis, it does sound like a jarre and something from the oxygen, but I knew it isn't....and being so 90s, all the better for it ;)
Disagree with the reviewer. I liked the look of the P11 Primera. It has smart, neat lines. The chassis was well sorted and engines were bullet proof. The Euro designed P12 replacement was a bloated lump though. The P10 and P11 Primeras were proper Nissans not like the Renault Qashqai of today.
I had one from 1997 to 2005. 2.0i SLX with the optional 4 spd auto 'box. These cars were frighteningly good to drive, even if a little under-powered and a bit noisy on some surfaces. Like you, I didn't find the looks offensive at all. Huge boot and bombproof reliability what's not to like? At the time it was either this, a Vectra, or a Mondeo. Both of which lacked standard ABS and aircon. The Vectra drove like a sack of lard.
p12 is more than pretty, please, hold your unjustified subjectiveness....and, yeah, p11 wasn't ugly, it had some sort of elegance, but it really didn't have anything especially interesting in particular. other japanese cars also didn't have that. I think p11 is also euro designed, but of course, under japanese control of development.
And the sr18de
I never really got why all the journalists slammed the Primeras styling. It has stood the test of time better than the Mondeo. Well built car and great to drive. What happened to the next generation?!!
@Carcrash Shawty are you drunk? 😂
The next generation model actually started to get stylish and the one after that too and that one had reversing cameras and lots of other tech that other cars in its class did not have but then they stopped making them and started making CUVs and SUVs instead
@@sharonec5419 when I said next generation I didn’t mean the facelift. The last generation primera was awful. It was no longer a drivers car.
I used to work with all the same Primera, preparing it for a full body respray. Such a simple and a nice car.
best car I ever had. Drove it from 60000km to 295000 without a single breakdown. Sold it for 70% less than purchased...perhaps it is still on the road somewhere :-)
Personally I really like how this car looks. I want one as my first car.
"I think the car looks great" although I also think it's maaad how people force their mere opinions as facts...
@@satkinson8281 in what way was he forcing his opinion? What's the point of having an opinion if you cant share it?
I agree. I have an Infiniti g20 of the same platform, it's just built in north america. Its actually a pretty rare car at least where I'm from.
@@satkinson8281 the word "personally" is a worded abbreviation of stating an opinion man. I'm not sure if you live in the US but it is conserved to be so here
im gonna buy one, this gonna be my first car
My dads just passed its MOT for the 20th time with zero advisories and he has not replaced a single part or had a repair ever from new. He said to the MOT tester "not again! I've got it for another year!". When it (if it ever) fails its MOT he says he will get a new car...its also helped renovate countless houses with building materials carried and trips to the dump....couldnt have asked for more from it and he got it from an auction as an ex company car for a good price back then.
Rob k it is like my 1999 Nissan Primera, I have had it 10.5 years, every MOT the same. I look at other cars in case it does not pass, but it never lets me down, want to keep it as long as possible.
@@iainmclaughlan1557 you need to spend a lot of money to get anything that drives a good as a primera,
shame that this was the last good nissan thanks to Renault. Nissan have been embarrassing every since the 21st century.
@@toxy3580 Hes still got it! the fuel pump went last year, the aa diagnosed it and I replaced it for him, took 15 minutes... this is the only thing that has failed which is amazing for 21 years. Really sad it was the last real Nissan, I warned him getting another Nissan won't be the same quality as its been brought by someone else.
@@robthesamplist if he wants another Nissan they are called Toyota now lol. Unfortunate but true, sucks because it means you really don't have much choice if you want top reliability. Toyota or Honda or nothing and even Honda have had a few issues recently.
My 1999 Nissan Primera is the business, had it 10.5 years. No, I don’t want it to be “stylish”, I want it to be reliable and it is.
fantastic cars... and still loads on road....
Can't remember the last time I saw one.
I still drive one daily! Its a 1997 model 1.6 l , i do 1500 km a month on it just commuting to work + weekend drives without any problems, catch that new cars!!
I have primera gt 150 and its a lovely car
I had a 2L sr20 Primera. Still regrets selling it.
but driven by those who wont ever own their own home XD
Like the part with the advert for the Peugeot 406 💪
I really like the styling in this car. For tastes colours.
Loving the music... I miss the 90s lol!
rover beating nissan to selling cars with direct injection turbo diesel engines something i still find funny 20 years later
gozza18 however, there's still Nissan and Rover is long gone
@@cargueone1971If it wasnt for Renault, Nissan who have died before Rover. It's Renault who salvaged Nissan and brought it back from the dead
Karim Errytouny / and the Indians bought Rover SUV division , and Ford before it, using old Ford parts bin. What's your point? If you knew anything about cars, you would know Nissan still can engineer cars, even more so than Tata motors or Rover. You are really comparing Rover to Nissan? The Rover car division was bought by the Chinese. They're not in Nissan level yet.
Rover was a division of BMW at the time. No surprise there.
@@brycmtthw No they weren't. They were owned by Honda back then and Honda sold Rover to BMW who stripped it for Mini and 4x4 tech and then sold it to the Consortium and it then went bust because theyd'nt a clue what they were doing and I think BMW knew that would happen.
After messing about with a Fiesta I got one on a whim when I was 20. It was the 2.0 GT. It was a beast and I loved it.
For some reason I'm enjoying these old videos more than the new Top Gear... and they're talking about an old car that didn't sell where I live...
Eggman Cause it’s more informational, rather than them trying to be funny or constantly dogging the car.
I still have one as a daily. 1997 2.0-liter.
I use daily a 99 2.0 turbo diesel
@@user-sf5iq2fl1l how reliable is it
Wow, even when it was new, it looked 24 years old! Love watching these old episodes.
You obviously are not very old if you thought in 1995 this looked anything but modern.
Gosh my dad bought a brand new primera estate when I was 9, stil remember the excitement for the new car
Peugeot 406 quality fades with time and so does its looks. Primera looks purposeful and its quality seems to really standout with age.
One of my best cars! I still in life
He lost me at the Peugeot 406 being desirable.
My parents had one of these when I was born, still have vague memories of it
I still have my Primera GT. She is a great car,
Nissan advertisements in Australia are much better than the uk ones always even the 90 ones but japan's ads are the best 🔥🔥
I have 1.6 16v GX right now as a first car :d
Nice bro, got mine P over a month ago as my first one aswell. GA16 SLX 99 Sedan.
Same, having a 96, 1.6 16v SRi. I love this machine
These cars are very common still
The GT was a machine
Shame as this car was much better built and nicer to drive than all the others but they couldn't get the styling right.
Ha ha, loved my old S reg one, in the orange. Had 17" tsw blades on it and a Powerflow cat back exhaust. It was only a 1.6si but It went ok. I always fancied a 2.0 gt, never got one though 😢
Back when Nissan were building tough cars
Interestingly enough this came to the US as the Infiniti G20.
yeapppp lol
Maybe it was ugly back then but it aged really well. Can't say the same about the Primera P11.5/P12...
Where can I get manuals of a Primera?
Ich fahre heute noch einen 96 Primera SLX tolles Auto
i have nissan primera p11 good car and power
I had an orange GT in 1998, loved it, smashed it, still angry at the guy who got in my way.
The upholstery! I never knew they could make it look that bad
I owned a 92 Infiniti G20/Nissan Primera, and rented a Ford Contour/Mondeo and for the average buyer I would think that for just these two cars it is a toss-up. However, the Ford offered a V6 but wasn't as nicely assembled as the Nissan. The Nissan, as others here have pointed out, was a very robust car. If I could find one today with VERY low mileage and a manual transmission I would buy it. Finding an equivalent Ford is nearly impossible and I don't think it will be in as good a condition if you find one.
Depends on the Ford and where it's from. The US spec contour was a dog like most American cars, the stuff in the southern hemisphere such as the Telstar etc was just as good and well built. The key factor being Japan
Dad had one T523 UEW red GX.
mi coche saliendo en la tele :)
I got one with a SR20VE.
About 4:40 is what my dad kind of wears, but he's not poor.
MOT expired 7th May 2013
Whoa.....no wonder nissan got broke in 02....
What's the name of the song at 0:02?
It’s the old top gear theme song 👍
NAME OF THE SONG AT THE LAST SECONDS OF THE VIDEO
3:55
Robert Miles - Children
thx
Unlike the peugeot or the mondeo there are still plenty of these still on the road especially in NZ really good cars.
4:08. What's that song
Children by Robert Miles
with todays cars being absolute shit, Far worse than BL were making in the 70's. Im looking to these late 90s primeras as a sensiable car for today. As a MOT butter boy of the late 90s i recall this era of Nissan always Passed mots all the time never ever failed. It was only a bulb or tyre that would fail them - good performance practicality - you can work on them yourself, the engines are good and straight fallward - you can check the oil level. Its was much better car than a BMW 3 series back then - When BMW were still good - that was a 20 years ago?
I just bought a p11 144
Northumberland? Tyne and Wear. Get your info right Mr.
Yeah we Northumbrians don't want Sunderland thanks 😂
HEY, LOOKIE, IT'S THE PREMIVERA PASTA CAR!!!!! 😃😊😋😏
They were actually sensationally good to drive. And sensationally reliable. I owned one for 7 years and 290,000km. The only thing that went wrong was the pipe to the rear washer jet becoming detached.
what engine?
SR20De (130bhp).
I have seen some with 500,000km on the clock and still running on original engines, the GA16DE & SR20DE are incredibly strong and fantastic engines, low fuel consumption, chain cam and they pull beautifully across the rev range... If you ask me, those where the best small(1.4-2.0L) petrol engines ever made.
he sounds and looks like a thalmor elf from skyrim
Anyone serched for it because they have this car?
Robert miles children ❤️
That reviewer has beautiful diction!
Had a 150 bhp gt was best car ever had. Reviewer clueless
Stop talking bullshits.
That was a great reaible car.
I still see 1997 Primera in 2020. Nowadays Nissan are crapy shitty Renault
It's shirt car
Nissan is not FUCKING plural.
***** Thank you :) Glad it's not just me who's hypersensitive to this.
Developed at the Nurburgring 😂
Whats so funny?
They made the next one shite
rather have a bland car that's great to drive and will do forever fault free than a good looking car like the rest he mentioned that will be absolute poo
The fact that Nissan wanted to put in a V6 is awful. This car would be understeering like a bitch if they did that. Nissan I feel is the middle of the road Japanese car company. Not ever bad, but not every really excellent, aside from the GTR.
Well, they put the v6 in the old nissan maxima. And believe me, one of the best cars i've driven!
Also the P10 and P11 primeras are underrated cars imo. I mean, just look at the axis they build in the front. Took from the 300zx and also the P10 got a steering rear axis! It's just awesome technic and it drives sooo comfortable!
I got a primera p10 from '93 and i just love it!
About as hideous a car as you are ever likely to get.
Generally speaking, Japanese cars have never been stylish; take the badge off & it's hard to tell Nissan from Honda from Toyota. I put reliability over style (within reason). I nearly bought a Primera but the salesman would do the deal I wanted & I ended up with a 406. The 406 was a nice looking car and being a 2 litre petrol it was nippy enough, but plagued with electrical problems, more design & build quality than the individual car itself.As for ugly, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but think Ford Scorpio, Fiat Multipla.
Seamus O'Flatcap Those last two you mention are hideous aren't they? Although the Scorpio was a well equipped car and supposed to be very nice to drive. As for the Multipla, very practical. My sisters partner hs one and he loves it.
Erm.......no. I can think of worse, much worse. Fiat Multipla, anyone? This jigger is at least reasonable looking, reliable and goes well. That means a lot when you haven't the time or money to break down.
Alex462047 I would much rather have a Multipla to one of these, any day!!
No shit! Ah, well, you can have it, then.
Name of the song at 1:00 please?
Thanks :)