Bought a '19 plate Nissan Qashqai in January to replace the seven year old Juke that had been faultless in our four years of ownership. Really love the Qashqai. Ours is the lower powered 1.3 turbo at 140PS but a 160PS is available. Love the way it drives as does my wife. To be totally honest I get nearly as much enjoyment driving it as my MX-5. All the tech works seamlessly and I can’t fault it. I know they are everywhere as they are the best selling SUV and have been for years. Could be that the reason they sell so well is that they are reasonably priced, good to drive, practical and reliable. Don’t discount the Qashqai until you have driven one.
We have the 160PS NTec Qashqai and for a 1.3L car it does shift, but I still prefer the Q5 
Ours is the N-Motion edition with similar spec to yours. Would have liked the 160PS but independent reviews said the 140PS was plenty. Turbo does it’s stuff from around 2k revs and it pulls like a train. The right spec car for us came up at a local main dealer, 18 months old with 4k on the clock and totally unmarked. Made a very cheeky offer and the dealer said yes. Motorway now saying I could sell for a couple of hundred more than we paid so I know I got a fair deal.
Re: automatics.
Seriously, try a BMW with the ZF8 gearbox. (It has to be BMW as other manufacturers program the gearbox differently and are not as good)
No longer do you have to put up with random upchanges because the software thinks you’ve been in that gear too long, eg. manual 3rd means just that, until you decide to change, - when braking hard for a bend it will drop 2,3, 4 gears in one go, whilst also Rev matching, so you’re in the right gear for exiting (uses satnav to predict corners) they are superbly programmed. In 30 odd k miles with this box there were only a handful of times it was in the ‘wrong’ gear. Just brilliant.
On top of this it’s butter smooth in normal mode, and really efficient, and unlike DSG’s creeps properly, and is pretty bullet proof, also unlike DSG’s!
And no, I’m not a BMW salesman!
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Yes, my NISMO RS has been like that, save for replaced engine mounts. Loon car to drive.
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Having in the past sold Mazdas, you can go wrong with either the 6 or CX5. They are built around the same platform so specs are similar. The 6 handles better and gives better mpg due to its better aerodynamics. The 2.2D auto is brilliant with few issues on post 17 plate cars. Fewer 6’s were sold as the UK has gone SUV mad so prices for the 6 are lower. Lots of rear legroom in the 6 and same over volume back with seats down as CX5. You just swap length for height.
I’ve owned a couple of BMW’s, long ago. A brand new black 325i, collected from the factory in Munich, in 1986. Rear shock absorbers collapsed within weeks of getting home to the UK. More weeks for replacement parts to reach local BMW dealers.
About 4 years later, I bought an 18 month old 535i ( Sport, as i recall ). A very, very capable car. Auto, A/C, leather. Fast, powerful. I never could quite get my head around why it seemed rather unengaging to drive.
In my mind , I mentally compare them both a car I owned about 5 years earlier than the 325i. I paid £1000 for a 10 year old XJ6 MK1 4.2. Auto. Leather seats well worn, the rust showing on the arches. It was wonderful to drive. Taut rear end.
The BMW 325i had a great engine, but all the rest was really just a rather ordinary saloon. With a snappy rear end. Not because it was RWD. BMW just couldn’t be ar*ed to improve that from the previous 3 series.
The XJ6 was an auto, with a big engine, like the 20 year newer 535i. Unlike the BMW it was very engaging to drive. Loved it.
I don’t have anything against BMW drivers. It’s just that I think BMW’s are a triumph of marketing over anything else.
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I am sorry but I am in the group of people you have commented on, so here’s my opinion.
Your belief (that all of us who moan about BMW and Audi drivers are just jealous of your cars because we can’t afford them) is reflected in the way most BMW and Audi drivers behave on the roads: they display the same contempt for other road users you showed in your remark, and they think they own the road.
There is nothing there for us to be jealous about, sorry if that sounds harsh.
On top of that those cars are pretty common these days.
I can understand why the OP wasn’t keen.
In my case it’s more my own memories of the office car park and the cars the salespeople used to drive when I was younger, always BMW or Mercedes, In my mind I’ll always associate those brands with that.
Anyway it’s just my own experience and I’m sure in reality there are just as many nice BMW drivers as there are nice Mazda drivers 
Yes there are. Just like there are drivers of SUV’s who do see MX-5’s, and there are also Sköda drivers who are well-off.
That’s why I said “most BMW and Audi drivers”. 
How if your search going? Any test drives lined up at the weekend?
sorting out a test drive of a XC60 so far
VW Tiguan SEL 190ps 4Motion, bought 4 years ago.
Comfortable, quiet, tows the caravan like a dream (Portugal, S France, Italy) and v good mpg considering the size and weight.
Has more toys than Santa sack at Christmas some of which I have never used, after all who needs a car that parks itself?
PCP finished in April couldn’t find anyhing better in the same price range so bought it, only done 24000 miles. We Buy Any Car want me to sell it to them for 21k which is almost 6k more than I paid in April.
Shame I cant find a better replacement but then that’s life! 
Interesting, do you have the manual or DSG?
Hi Carl, bought the DSG.
Only thing I don’t like about the car is the cost of dealer servicing!
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25 years involved with Volkswagen but now running a Volvo dealership.
I like the XC60 - if your budget will allow go for one with air suspension
Enjoy!
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Mazda CX-5 it’s the best all round car I’ve ever had
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Just test drove the XC60, really nice to drive, so much nicer place to be than the Tiguan. The auto box I only caught out once in a 1.5 hour test drive and was much more predictable than the VW DSG box. Really comfy, smooth, Sooo quiet, great ride, quite a long test drive so we drove home and my giant kids got in and gave us the tick of approval for plenty of space. The one we test drove didn’t have adaptive cruise so the dealer are looking for car in their group stock with that option.
Anyone want to buy a Golf GT TDI estate 
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Also check out discounts on new they seem to run almost 20%.
Sometimes ex demos/ management cars etc can be more expensive than new with discount.
Also the new usually gets subsidised lower rate finance.
Also get a warranty if buying used as they are fairly complex and pricey to repair.
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Forgot to say in my last post. I am 6ft 2in and my son is 6ft 4in and we both drive the Kodiaq fine. It’s very comfortable and great economy too, with Active Cylinder Technology 
I’ve owned a previous shape Tiguan for over 4 years after i bought it second hand and i love it.
It was my first SUV and it took a while to get used to the slight lean when going round corners. But i don’t notice now. You can drive it quite fast and it grips and gets you round corners with little fuss. If you want excitement, get in your MX5, which is what i do.
The Tiguan is an everyman SUV with class but not flashy. It will coset you and get you over a muddy field or flooded road as if it wasn’t there. It’s also relaxing on the motorway on long distance driving.
One of the reasons i bought it was the diesel engine. It’s pretty powerful for a 2 litre and from the inside you could mistake it for a petrol engine.
The only issue i’ve had was with the media unit/sat nav which packed up. All the rest was routine maintenance.
They feel classy and solid but aren’t expensive or too flashy. The back seats slide forward for extra boot space. But because there’s so much legroom in the back, your children should still have space. I’m over 6 foot so i know.
I will keep mine for a long time.
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