Theory of perfection. In pursuit of the ideal on Nissan Qashqai

And while the search continues, manufacturers tirelessly offer the public their visions of what the ideal car should be. Words and pretty pictures won't convince drivers. But everyone needs their own idols and objects of adoration. For example, for Vadim Gagarin, the best car is not one that carries five passengers and a couple of refrigerators, but one whose "herd" of horsepower impresses any horse breeder. Moreover, the more horses, the kinder Vadim is to others. And for some, a tiny but incredibly charming Smart is enough for happiness.

Everyone has their own quirks and demands. But there must be a universal car that suits at least the average driver, if not everyone? And such a contender has been found: a "Japanese" named Nissan Qashqai, which recently rolled off the assembly line in England.

This idea has been in the air for a long time. What does a typical city dweller need without special automotive fetishes like crazy dynamics or extravagant looks? They need a comfortable cabin, decent dynamics, understandable handling, increased ground clearance, and a hint of "off-road capability." And also looks: "Make us not a tractor, but also no guests from the future."

Nissan threw all this into its kitchen blender and mixed it. The result was the Qashqai — a distinctive little car. Not ugly, but you wouldn't call it a beauty either. Though it must be admitted: the strange "face" expression and unusual rear won't let you confuse it with other cars. If I were the owner, I'd stick a couple of stickers on it saying: "You're the ugly one!" Just in case. Too many opposite opinions about its design can be heard from people pointing at it.

By the way, where does such a strange name come from — Qashqai? Wits have already compared it to a cat, to porridge, and to what comes after that porridge. But the name translates as "urban nomad." A homeless person, or what? Judging by the trim — definitely not. Soft plastic and stylish interior look very decent. For a compact crossover, aka golf-class hatchback, — quite so.

But the other ingredients mixed perfectly. The car is compact but tall — the driver sits like a monarch on a throne. All necessary buttons and levers are at hand. So it's easy to manage your little world called Qashqai. True, the control panel is overly intricate — the abundance of buttons makes your eyes widen, and setting the dual-zone climate control is so tricky that it goes beyond decency and doesn't come back.

But passengers in the second row deserve sympathy. The rear seat back straightens your posture worse than a manual therapist. Moreover, the floor is too high, and the seat profile is clearly divided into two places. There's enough legroom, unless, of course, you play basketball.

Just don't forget to pack your things in the trunk before the trip. And the little trunk let us down — only 352 liters. Only a couple of travel bags fit with difficulty. Well, okay, but you fold the rear seats — and you get a compartment of 1513 liters, you can even load a refrigerator.

What else was asked for? Comfort? It's there. True, the suspension is a bit stiff and faithfully transmits road reports to the driver and their fifth point: pothole, bump, speed bump, bump, bump, manhole. Not teeth-rattling, but you start hating our roads even more.

By the way, this nomad moves briskly around the city. The two-liter engine produces 140 "horses," and that's enough for excellent dynamics even with the CVT! There's a manual mode with six fixed steps, allowing the driver to downshift themselves, and upshifts happen automatically — without jerks. But even without the "stick," the Qashqai accelerates briskly to the first "hundred" in 11.3 seconds.

The dynamics are pleasing, but one thing annoys — the Qashqai constantly growls "Rrrrrrrr!" And it doesn't matter whether you're accelerating or braking, the CVT keeps the revs high. There's no talk of a sport mode; it simply doesn't exist. The engine hum tires you worse than a night broadcast of the Bryansk region chess championship.

It seems all the sound insulation stayed in the warehouses of the Sunderland plant, and the engine's voice persistently breaks through at high speeds. Besides the monotonous song of the engine, you always hear fresh news from the wheel arches. Additional proof of weak "soundproofing" — a snippet of conversation at a decent speed with a passenger.

Passenger: "Well, shall we go get tickets for the World Hockey Championship?"
Driver: "Yeah, I don't like Dima Bilan either!"
Yes, yes, that's exactly how it was!

But around the city, the Qashqai flies like a proper passenger car — no feeling of heaviness or bulkiness. Just as there's no feeling of speed (even despite the noise). The driver sits high and watches the road, not looking at the speedometer at all.

But when the straight section ends, boredom begins. It hides behind the first turn. There are body rolls (though minor), diagonal rocking, but for some reason there's no excitement. But what surprised most was the steering. The electric power steering seems to be there, but it apparently works half-heartedly — turning the wheel is harder than on most cars. And the reactive force isn't impressive. Well, at least the resistance weakens when parking.

So the car, though confident (especially on the highway), handles extremely uninterestingly. Although what's there to talk about — the Qashqai is just an ideal mass-market car with average capabilities.

Even its drive is average — almost full, familiar from the X-Trail. Turn the washer from 2WD mode (front-wheel drive) to Auto (plug-in rear) or 4WD Lock (imitation of center differential lock) — and enjoy life. A golden mean for many and an excellent solution for our climate. Let it be "dishonest," only plug-in in a difficult moment, but you'll manage to overcome a snowdrift or climb a hill.

And the plastic moldings around the body, as well as 200 millimeters of ground clearance, are only a plus. So let's challenge off-road! But as soon as you encounter real off-roading, it won't hesitate to throw the shiny car on 17-inch wheels with thin tires into the mud, and then you won't get out without a tractor.

And finally, about visibility. Through the rear window, you see less than through a hole in a fence. But this is compensated by parking sensors or, as an option, a rearview camera. But the side mirrors are wonderful — no one will escape your gaze, not even a Smart.

And what's the result, can the Nissan Qashqai be called the ideal car? Probably not. After all, "noisy" and "stiff" are not characteristics of an ideal. And in general, the best Qashqai is the one that costs around $23 thousand with a 1.6-liter 115-horsepower engine, manual transmission, and front-wheel drive, not an all-wheel-drive "stuffed" toy for $30-something thousand. After all, the main factor of success in creating the ideal car hasn't been canceled — the price.