For sure never a moment under 15. I've had one for a couple weeks now. Under 50000ks and I can literally see the fuel gauge dropping. Barely have to tap the accelator and it's trying to jump past 2000rpm
I have been driving NE51 for couple of years and still love this car. If you keep it tuned, regularly serviced all will be good. Few advises: Install heavy duty tires on front wheels (it's heavy car and roundabouts are damaging left one quickly), use bit thicker engine oil, switch to 2WD if there is no reason for auto (rain, mud, etc...), feed with 98 petrol, keep an eye on air-filters and drive with common sense, I am sure you will be happy. I have noticed that this car shines when it comes to long distances, in fact It looks to me like that was whole point in designing it, make a car that can take 5 members family for trip from Fukuoka to Sapporo. My trip with wife and two kids from Sydney to Canberra was very comfortable and absolutely smooth. Daily shopping ? Probably better job for Yaris. And I have to mention it's Bunnings friendly 😀
Ive owned 6 E51 Elgrands ranging from 2003 to 2008. Other than regular servicing, the only problems ive had was a flat battery and a bad coil. Even drove one across the simpson desert on family vacation loaded to the ceiling. Never missed a beat. Nobody makes vehicles like that anymore.🙂
My family and i owned a 2003 e51 vq35 egrand and was nothing but reliable and epic on our farm..imported it from Japan with a 111,000kms and sold it after 5yrs with 220,000kms and the only thing i fixed apart from the usual oil change and filter's was rear wheel bearings because we loaded with every farm equipment or animal feed(couple of tons at a time)..absolutely wonderful work vehicle
Sorry totally disagree. You must be the unluckiest guy in the world. Have had Range Rovers, Jag XKR, Maserati and tonight my 3rd Elgrande was delivered. I was more excited than when I bought any new car. 20 years old and was perfect in every way. My last one did 233,000 miles and never missed a beat. Am 80 years old and owned over 60 cars - to me, the Elgrande cannot be beaten
I think it’s a brilliant car that you cannot compare with any other car. The technology and comfortability its outstanding same as a look of the car. You can buy a Mercedes people mover that maybe give you the same comfort and technology but maximum 2L diesel and nearly $100k… . 3.5L V6 engine is excellent also I only can recommend this car to everyone it’s an awesome car for a good value of money. I am driving a Rider S Autech 2005, its a perfect family car. Good review
Here in the UK 🇬🇧 I have a 3.5 Rider professionally covered to a camper, absolutely ideal for travelling all over the country to bike racing meetings towing a big doubled wheeled box trailer with race bikes and gear. So easy to drive and comfortable, plus very reliable.
I loved my E50 1999 Deisel Elgrand, that thing was amazing, could lay the seats down and sleep in the back, drove it from Brisbane to Falls Creek to Melbourne and back home. In the end it was starting to get a bit troublesome to repair and had an issue that no one could figure out (or wanted to figure out). Was so sad to see it go. Long live "The Beast"
Most modern Nissans have a bad reputation for reliability, but that VQ35 is one of their most reliable modern engines. Usually the issue with these Nissans is the transmission, especially the CVTs.
The cvt in the E52 is an updated version and is not prone to failure like some older nissan models. Service it regularly and enjoy happy motoring for years! Mine is a dream to drive and has much better fuel economy then an E51.
The El Grand is a terrific beast. I recently borrowed one from a mate to pick up a motorcycle I'd just purchased & it was easy to get in & strap down. It was stonking off the lights too, for a van, even with the bike in the back. Forget the sound system though. It has Bluetooth, but only works for phone calls. For actual music you're basically stuck with what's on the radio.
We had a 2004 Highway star for 4 years. Best breed van ever. We got a new 2015 KIA carnival platinum and both the wife and I preferred the Elgrand. Drank fuel, but was a great driving car.
@@Juicefpv I have a 2020 Sportage which we love, and assumed a Carnival would be the automatic choice Glad to hear that actually the other brands do it as good or better 🔥 Means more work to figure out which is best, but it's worth it 👍🏻 Thank you for sharing
I have the 2003 E51 highway star 4wd with all the bells and whistles. There are language conversion stickers for the dash so you read in english. Changed the stereo head unit over so I can play all regions DVD with USB. Mine is a 8 seater and had a towbar made for it so I can tow my boat. Also converted a Isuzu crash bar and fitted with LED spotlights. I also fitted it with mud tyres which gave it great mileage wear. Only draw back is fuel economy. But it has great power. Love it.
I think this is the first grey import that you guys have featured on the channel. As for buying this, the Carnival or a 7 seat forbie I'm going to have to say I'm going to hold off on making that call until you've managed to review the Toyota Alphard and possibly the Toyota Noah. The safety features overview this week made me think of the old 90s live action kids sitcoms or Total Dramarama lol. Definitely a surprise in terms of the car you chose to review but a pleasant surprise at that. Keep up the good work guys as always and have a good weekend as well and I look forward to next week's batch of videos as always lol 👍.
We have a 2002 E51 Highway Star (8 seat config). Current clock sitting around 300k. Bought 60k at $20k. Comfortably seats 6 adults & 2 children unlike a Kia Carnival. Fuel economy ~9.8km/Ltr cruising ~7.0 km/Ltr urban on 95 RON, better on 98 RON, do NOT use 91 RON. (Nobody buys these for fuel economy - weighs 2.1 ton empty). The thing fly's when you put the put the boot in (its tuned for torque). Entertainment system no longer relevant without modifications - get a series 3 - more options Engine oil consumption - yes - even after a rebuild and replacement of the PVC valve - standard VQ35DE issue. Drive it hard and you will be replacing pads and rotors - a lot. Suspension parts available in Australia. Cat issues - yes - do your research and get it in writing before buying. If they have failed, you will dust a motor expensive to repair. Engine parts normally ex Japan and don't ask me why as the VQ35DE was the workhorse of Nissan cars of this time. Problems - none really if you have a low km car, after that your costs will increase significantly - ours skyrocketed after 300k Body parts - a wrecker and eBay will end up been your best friend. Nissan Consult II - Software available via Nissan - good quality OBD2 Bluetooth recommended - Car Scanner Pro for Android or IOS recommended. Towing - a serious grey area. UK owners are towing vans with these things - refer to Elgrand OC UK forums if you're an owner. GPS Navigation - available for Australia in English via Xanavi in Russia - pricing varies - Series 1 forget it - Series 2 possible. Outstanding recalls - ensure yours has no outstanding recalls prior to its importation - Nissan has a website for this - refer to Elgrand forum Modifications - many - most related to entertainment system - suspension - interior. Once again do your research. The NE51 - 4WD version - more parts so higher maintenance - engineered for snow - research via RU-vid. Workshop and Owner manuals in English - Available via a publisher in NZ - refer to Elgrand UK OC forum Nissan parts list - available via a Russian hosted website - invaluable research tool for finding parts - gives Nissan Elgrand part numbers. Mechanics - do your research - tight as hell in there and your mechanic is not going to be happy - common problem with Asian V6 cars. Import compliance - look for the compliance stickers (I'm Australian) Built like a brick shithouse - you won't be denting the body work by leaning on it. Insulated like a Swiss Alpine lodge - your AC and heater won't let you down - in fact I have to normally turn the AC up as it freezes me. Fitted with a space saver spare Tyre - I hate those things - now very common - can fit a full sized spare if you remove the spacer underneath Diagnostics functions - has heaps - all hidden - refer to Elgrand Forum OC UK Would I still recommend this car now in 2023. If its capacity you're after and you cruise a lot - yes. If you want modern fuel economy and the mod cons - no. Towing is a hard one. This car is now 20 years old for a 2002 series 1. Recommend a series 3 at least - same engineering - just refined. I see this car in Perth now a great deal, both as a people mover and increasingly as a trades van. As ReDriven has stated it depends on your budget and needs.
My 2005 E51 does everything l need, a joy to drive. Noticed the other day too l had to brake hard and suddenly and found my seatbelt actually pull’s me back into the seat … very surprised with that feature.
I have had a base model Elgrand for 10 years. When I got it it was just imported with 60k on odometer. Loved it and was really sad to see it go. It fitted furnitures from IKEA and camping gear and all with kids sitting in the second row! Great family car! My new large SUV is prettier from the outside but no where near as practical inside. Running cost was fine for this size vehicle; avg 15L/100km city and 12L on highway using 91RON. Had a window motor fail and some bits came loose, nothing major and quite easy to get parts and repair
I own a Nissan Elgrand and it’s a fantastically practical people mover and it has 360 cameras and sensors only issue is it’s thirsty for a 2 tonne vehicle the comfort is marginal I have owned the Honda equivalent and the seats are more comfortable the v tech engine shuts the 4.2 engine on cruise control down to 3 cylinders way more economically efficient the the Nissan but not 4wd i use the Nissan for towing a trailer with all around vision being way better than the Honda which was a night mare for reversing the trailer!
Funny that you didn't even said about the paint. Mostly they come un G30 paint that change color in green and pink when is sun outside. You can make with the seats an entire bed in it. It has AV input and can connect an amazon firestick with help of an cheap adapter to have music/youtube, whatever you want. Sooo many thinks they should have been shown😂
I have almost this exact model, it really has been phenomenal. 17k to buy with 47k on the clock and over the last couple of years it has been flawless. I had to replace the power steering pump at one stage and a second hand pump was $250 delivered and a really simple job. I can't complain about anything (fuel consumption noted) my only advice is avoid the non bose 11 speaker optioned vehicles... There is no kit to replace the stereo in these and it took a lot of electronic hackery to get an aftermarket stereo in this one. They non bose 11 speaker optioned ones are super rare, but it would have saved me about a week of work being able to buy the kit.
@James the bose 11 speaker one you can just buy a kit for, the standard one you don't need much for but my one which is the non bose 11 speaker is a bit of work
@@willsonj there's 3 versions, the simple base model with no speaker in the middle of the dash, the other two have it, one has bose written on it, the other is the one he's talking about, the 5.1 theater system which I got with my top of the range XL, there are kits to make it pretty easy but you bypass the amp and lose some of the speakers in the process.
These are awesome, just don't let the battery go dead flat. Voltage alerts on all computers stop it from starting again till you pay someone alot of coin to clear them.
We bought one last year - 2005 Highway Star with a brand new campervan conversion with lifting roof. One or two teething problems but competently fixed under warrantee. Love it. Only real downside is fuel consumption, particularly here in the UK
I got a 2006 highway star. Fuel is the issue …I get 28 mpg on an average trip. Not awful but when fuel went to £2 a litre the Elgrand barely moved of the drive.
I had one - a Rider Autech with 60k on it (as I have been told:) I've kept it for 4 years and loved it. I travelled with the family across NSW, VIC, QLD... I've done 70k or so. Tyres oil and one Coil on 5th Cyl replaced. thats it. Cool van with fantastic driving position, good steering, and good acceleration, you may even drift this van. The ride is fantastic. It looks cool as well. In my opinion much better than Tarago/Estima. Unfortunately, in 2013 Alphards were unavailable in AU. Being a drummer (with a big set) it was a great van. Just fold up 3rd row, move the 2nd row and there is space for the whole band's gear! So yeah, Great memories, I sold it because the kids are grown up and we did not need 5 individual captain seats anymore. the cons - Beige leather rubs easily from jeans (once I resprayed the front seats) A velour interior would be a better option. After the engine had done 120k the chain began to make a noise. A chain calmer is a well-known problem for VQ engines, but I did not touch it. Everything is in Japanese, it was possible to re-program it (600-800AUD). I just replaced the stereo system. Great BOSE sound with factory SUB.
Greate video. I was looking for this exact review around 6 months back. Still decidied to go with elgrand anyway. Paid 9K NZD with 140k kms on the clock for Highway star trim with 3.5L, 4wd, blindspot cam, half leather seats and cruise control. Took out the last row to convert to a camper. Btw, second row rotates on everey trims. That's the main reason I got the Elgrand. The van is a pleasure to drive. I get about 6km/L - 7.2km/L depending on city or highway driving. The previous owner had to replace cruise control sensors and I had to replace crank shaft positioning sensor recently. Only thing I dont like with the trim I got is the ground clerance. Both the front bumper and two massive exhaust are too low for most driveway.
Such a great video (and had a few laughs too as we can relate with crazy kids). We purchased our 2005 elgrand this week for $13k. It's done 100,000kms. Very happy with space price and what it offers. Hoping it continues to be a car that can endure the thrashing of our growing crazy kids
“They can be quite arseholes’ love it 🤣🤣🤣 But it does show you what we here in Australia where/are missing out on it was definitely a big step above of the ever so popular Kia Carnival of the time.
The best video review I've ever seen mate. Hands down just top stuff. I have sangyoung turismo not sure if you've done a review. I would definitely would love to see that.
All I have done in 6 years is a front wheel bearing. I'm booked in for a service because I have been pretty slack. It doesn't miss a beat. My only complaint is the fuel cost as it is quite heavy.
I am a viewer from the United States and most of the time I am a little jealous of the vehicles that you review that aren't available here. In this instance I'm glad! That thing is hideous!
you have weird taste, these look great.. though this one has totally clouded headlights and I prefer the cream interior option.. the shape reminds me of the old bedford vans
As someone who has been driving one for more than a year and doing all the work myself I can offer some advice to potential buyers. Assuming you are buying one in top notch state... -make sure you can either do all the work yourself or have enough cash to cover this, some garages will try to rob you and in most cases will do half arse job - you can check recall history with Vin number on Nissan jp website, this will give you idea about recall jobs that were done, cats, fuel gauge etc. - being JDM some parts might be tricky to get altho there's bunch of chineesium copies on ebay - fuel - yes, 4x4 3.5 v6 need petrol, you can drive like a granny and it will still get nowhere your average 1.6 tdi in terms of fuel efficiency. - 4x4 - now this is a big one, people are idiots and switch the 4x4 mode while driving, this is not allowed -4x4 is only to get you out when you're stuck -towing - some companies in UK put towing bars on them and folks tow a caravans while in 4x4 mode - double whammy. - if you crash one, say front end damage, repair bill will easily reach £8k given the prices of used components. Do I love it? Absolutely! Although this is not a car for everyone.
You only need to delete the primary cats (the ones closest to the engine) which are for the cold start and not a legal requirement outside of Japan or so I was told when I got mine
great video you know your trade great clear explanation my purpose to buy one of these is for travelling not to cart people around in wouldn't buy black it's not a safe colour either white is a nice clean colour rip out the rear seats can put a mattress in it just unsure of engine size I need comfort also i am 6ft4 tall can make a nice camper depending on price range as they have improved the older models are pretty ugly actually with the later models the body kits exterior looks nice if you want mags like on the white one looks awesome
Had mine 3 years done 60k miles in it it had 78k when it arrived in uk and I am first uk owner. Mine is absolutely nothing but reliable it’s such a lovely smooth drive. Worst problem mines had was a split in the radiator. We are looking at getting a second one.
Cars that have had structural damage in accidents in Japan are written off and can't be returned to the domestic market. So they are repaired and exported to other right-hand-drive markets.
Yes, but a lot of perfectly good cars are also sold to those markets. You just need to check the paperwork and see if it was in an accident. It's pretty simple.
I have one a 2.5 V6 E51 Upgrade model & its a late 2005 model H/Star owned for 2 years, It's the best vehicle I have ever had full 7 Seats, Kids love it & everyone who has a ride in it Loves it, Its Auto as I'm sure all of them are, On a run it will return 35 mpg if sticking to the speed limits, around town 20-22 mpg but the drive is well worth the fuel consumption & its like sitting in an armchair, My sister has the same 3.5.V6 Model & its similar on fuel but as its 240 bhp it does pack a decent punch, I actually disagree with you in the comments as with every vehicle if you don't maintain it correctly your asking for trouble, Ours is serviced on time with original parts & have never missed a beat & its covered 80k miles.
Can you do me a little favour? I'm seriously considering one of these but I'd like to know the height and width of the boot load area. So from floor to ceiling mainly, but also side to side between the rear seats when they are folded away against the sides of the load area. Any chance you could take some measurements of yours and let me know? Also do you know if the rearmost seats are easily removable? Thanks for any help!
Don't think you've quite worked out how the centre middle seat slides forward between the front seats when unfolded. Wheel bearings and suspension bushes can go and quite normal to fit a bigger battery. No mention either of the quirky Japanese satnav, electric curtains, fold down TV screen/DVD player or 100 volt mains adaptor. 2008-on models better with 360 degree all round cameras for ease of parking. Watch out for aftermarket wheels which may be hard to replace. Catalyst problem was fixed in 2004 model year with a recall for older models. LPG conversions occasionally done to improve fuel economy but you may lose the spare wheel storage. Parts may be available from breakers and engine/service parts readily sourced. Most of the non-navigation controls are in English and you can unofficially get an English language version of the official workshop manual along with user guides. Later E52 model slightly smaller and awful CVT auto box.
Are you kidding? I would go for this in a heartbeat over a 7 seat SUV. Most 7 seat SUVs are either ridiculously huge like the Chevy Suburban or Ford Expedition, or they're crossovers which are somewhat compromised in terms of practicality, and beyond that project a false image of ruggedness and go-anywhere capability they can't actually back up.
it's thirsty like any car with the VQ engine but I don't drive many k's so I can deal with it.. engine access looks bad but you can remove the cowling and panel the wipers are on to open it up
As I always say everything comes down to maintenance. These elgrands are not cheap to run. I recommend servicing every 10,000ks to keep an eye on oil consumption which is a notorious issue with these. As are timing chains
These are cool and I reckon people movers like this are way better than SUVs. Still, I think I'd stick to an Australian delivered Tarago V6. Access with the FWD V6 is better and that Toyota engine is a gem. Pretty quick too and not such 'polarising' looks. A lot of the same cool practicality and priced much the same. Estima is basically the same and parts are probably more available too, with a bit of that JDM quirk. Not sure why this was never compared to the Tarago in the video and only the Carnival? Tarago is based on the Camry not a commercial vehicle too. Just don't get the 2.4 4 pot.
I see these around and just how good or bad they are l do like the space very spacious a lot of room and fir practicality excellent l will never buy one because l have no use for one now l know about them thanks for the review
I'm looking at buying a 2005 Nissan elgrand. It has Ball joints and something else that needs replacing. For Less than $700.00 New Zealand,For $7k I do like the look. Because it I AM a single man with two small dogs. Your opinion please.
This is the biggest crock of verbal rubbish I've ever had the misfortune to come across. The Elgrand does not have a bad reputation. It is the nicest car you will ever drive . If you buy a fresh import you will not be disappointed. Ours is 18 years old and immaculate. If you are going to review one at least get a nice one which most are ❤️😡
11.4L/100km in a 2.5L elgrand, good luck finding ANY elgrand that the rear electric windows work on and I'm yet to find a driveline part that doesnt share a part number with an Australian delivered nissan.
People getting terrible fuel consumption are driving these wrong. These things coast like nothing else! Slowly accelerate just past the speed limit and then take your foot off the gas completely 500m before the corner or intersection you're approaching - you'll get there still doing 45kmh and still need to use the brakes! Fuel consumption will never be great but it can be mitigated. As for repairs - it's all about finding the right mechanic who will just bite the bullet and drop the whole engine/trans out the bottom. The 3-4hrs combined to remove and reinstall the engine can save $800 in overall labour costs.
im planning on getting a Toyota Alphard for my family car - just need to double check if it will be okay to tow my MX5 on a trailer if i ever make it a track only car - not sure if i could bring myself to my a Nissan - it does look like a decent car though - simular looking too - has all the same practicality - and im guessing costs less then an Alphard 😊 Could you do a Toyota Alphard review? 🤞 here is some inspiration - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zqMA0GlkHgY.html 😁 also keep forgeting to say - awsome job with this channel - whenever anyone asks me about what car they should get - i direct them to your videos and cheatsheets 👍
A shame he subjects his viewers to swearing while doing a car review. He also said that the children of it's owner were a...holes. immediately moved on to more pleasant car reviews and reviewers.
