Nissan Almera Classic is another budget car. Even in new condition, this sedan is not too expensive, and if you pick up a used car in good condition, you can get by with very little money at all. And we must not forget about the famous Japanese reliability. In theory, this simple car should be quite reliable. But practically? We'll find out now.

The Almera Classic body is not subject to corrosion. But there are complaints about the paintwork. After only 3-4 years of operation, it can come off the handles and moldings, although it remains quite stable on all body elements. There are several complaints about the interior. It doesn't make too many creaks, but it looks too simple. Sometimes you will have to deal with problems with electrical systems. Usually, after a mileage of 60 thousand kilometers, the immobilizer begins to malfunction. Usually, owners do it very simply - remove the terminals from the battery and thereby reboot the car. They say it helps. Also, before purchasing, do not be lazy to check the operation of the windshield wipers in all possible modes. They may refuse to work due to broken contact on the mechanism motor.

The Nissan Almera Classic had only one engine installed – a 1.6-liter petrol unit. The gas distribution mechanism of this engine uses a durable chain that can withstand 200 thousand kilometers without problems. But if you change it, then use only a good quality chain. There have already been cases of stretching of low-quality chains. Also be prepared that the engine will suddenly start to stall after a run of 140 thousand kilometers. And all because of the camshaft position sensor. And at the milestone of 180 thousand, the car may begin to start poorly and disappoint with failures in traction. I have to change the fuel pump and fuel filter. As a rule, this helps. And most owners will have to replace the muffler at 120 thousand kilometers.

In a gearbox, of any type, immediately after purchase, check the oil level. It is possible that it was not topped up at the factory. In the “mechanics”, after a run of 100 thousand kilometers, you will have to change the noisy secondary shaft bearing. Usually by this time the transmissions begin to turn on indistinctly and with little effort. The clutch will last approximately 150 thousand kilometers. You can choose a car with an automatic gearbox, but careful diagnostics of the entire car is required. But focus on those sedans. That they have low mileage, since the service life of the “automatic” is estimated at only 200 thousand kilometers. Although an automatic transmission can start shifting gears with jerks after 100 thousand kilometers.

The Nissan Almera Classic suspension is very simple, so large financial investments are not expected in it. With a mileage of 100 thousand kilometers, the outer CV joint will need to be replaced, and the inner CV joint will withstand up to 180 thousand kilometers without any problems. The front shock absorbers last about 140 thousand kilometers. Rear shock absorbers wear out faster - in about 100 thousand kilometers. But most often you will have to pay attention to the racks. They may require replacement after 40 thousand kilometers.

No big problems are expected in the steering. Tie rods last about 160 thousand kilometers, and tie rod ends will require replacement after a mileage of 120 thousand kilometers. The steering rack itself will begin to leak and knock only after the car has driven 170 thousand kilometers.

In the braking system, the front brake pads will have to be changed every 40 thousand kilometers. The rear pads can withstand about 100 thousand kilometers. But brake discs become unusable a little earlier - after about 80 thousand kilometers. Also be prepared for the brake valve to jam, which sometimes happens after a mileage of 100 thousand kilometers.

The famous Japanese reliability has not gone away. The Nissan Almera Classic has problems, but they are not that scary. And if you do a car diagnostic before purchasing and are aware of all possible problems, then you won’t have to worry at all. The simplicity of the design had a positive effect on reliability. So Almera Classic will definitely not let you down at the most inopportune moment.

If you carefully study the “burzhunet” and foreign car catalogs, you can be convinced that the Nissan Almera Classic car, well known in Russia, neither in Europe nor in Asia, the Nissan Almera Classic model simply “does not exist”... but there is a very similar one Samsung SM3 on it.

The Nissan Almera Classic, produced by the South Korean plant of the Renault-Nissan alliance, appeared on the Russian market in mid-spring 2006. The Nissan Almera Classic sedan is designed to gradually replace the basic Nissan Almera “Comfort” configuration.

Despite the fact that the Nissan Almera Classic is positioned as a budget car (in fact, it is one), its appearance is not even “budget”, which immediately distinguishes it from many competitors. The thoroughbred long nose of the Nissan Almera Classic, its noble color... the purity of which is not violated by either moldings, door handles, or... bumpers (;)). The direction indicators are of an original shape and the graceful bend in the trunk lid... even somehow you can guess the old friend “Almera”.

But to be objective, this is “not Nissan” and “not Almera” at all. This car is produced by a plant in Busan, and this plant produces a car under the Samsung brand, and this model is called briefly - SM3 (this particular car is sold to South Korea under the name Samsung SM3). It’s just that marketers rightly assumed that the “Samsung car” would not be appreciated in Russia and decided to sell it as a Nissan Almera Classic.
This situation is not “know-how” at all. For example, the well-known Logan is also “not Renault” at all - throughout Europe it is known as “Dacia”. So the popular, but no longer young “Almera” was made more attractive in the same way without any special expenses.
In general, both the buyer is happy and the manufacturer is happy: the price for the Nissan Almera Classic (which is sold only in the Russian market) in 2011 starts from ~460 thousand rubles. True, in addition to the “plus” (in the form of a presentable appearance and South Korean origin), the most affordable Nissan Almera Classic also has a significant “minus” - it cannot boast of either air conditioning (mandatory for “foreign cars”) or a second airbag security.

Now a little test drive of this “mass car”... and a mass car should, first of all, not surprise, but drive and transport people. Well, the Nissan Almera Classic drives normally and without any special complaints, but there are already problems with “carrying people”. The fact is that using the example of Almera Classic, you can understand how, on average, East Asians differ in height from Russians from the middle zone. A driver taller than 180 cm will want to lower the seat more than possible, raise the steering wheel, tilt the headrest... or even better, move to the right front seat - because... Any other place will be more crowded. In general, the Nissan Almera Classic, by today's standards, probably has the cramped interior; the latest generations of modern C-class cars are much more spacious.

When driving in city traffic, the Nissan Almera Classic is not bad or outstanding in any way... you just need to get used to its “monumental” hood. But in the parking lot, the Almera Classic pleases with its small turning radius and light steering wheel (from lock to lock, just under 3 turns).
On the highway, the Nissan Almera Classic also feels “at home” - even the automatic transmission easily reaches 120~130 km/h and doesn’t mind accelerating further! Only a rather harsh suspension can stop you from further experiments with speed - it diligently transfers the noise of the wheels about the unevenness of the road to the body.
When cornering, the Nissan Almera Classic behaves confidently and predictably; the brakes (in the version with ABS) work perfectly.
Well, in addition to good dynamics and commendable maneuverability, future owners of this budget car will appreciate the fact that this sedan can easily be powered by 92-octane gasoline.

Technical characteristics of Nissan Almera Classic:

• Maximum speed – 184 km/h
• Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h – 12.1 seconds.
• Fuel consumption (city / highway / mixed) – 9.2 / 5.3 / 6.8 liters per 100 km
• Engine:
  • Volume – 1596 cm 3
  • Number of cylinders – 4
  • Cylinder arrangement - in-line
  • Engine power system - distributed injection
  • Engine location – front, transverse
  • Number of valves per cylinder – 4
  • Compression ratio – 9.5
  • Cylinder diameter and piston stroke – 76x88 mm
  • Maximum power – 107 hp. or 79 kW at 6000 rpm
  • Maximum torque – 146 N*m at 3600 rpm
• Transmission:
  • Transmission type – 5-speed manual or automatic hydromechanical 4 gears
  • Drive type – front
• Weight and dimensions:
  • Length x Width x Height – 4510 x 1935 x 1440 mm
  • Ground clearance – 140 mm
  • Wheel size – 175/70/R14
  • Track width (front and rear) – 1490 mm
  • Wheelbase – 2535 mm
  • Trunk volume – 460 liters
  • Gas tank volume – 55 liters
  • Weight (full / equipped) – 1700 / 1160 kg
• Suspension (front and rear) – independent, spring
• Brakes (front / rear) – ventilated disc / drum

Price Nissan Almera Classic in 2011 on the Russian market it starts from 461 thousand rubles for the PE package and reaches 586 thousand rubles for the “top” SE with an automatic transmission.

Previously I wrote about + and - without being the owner, I purchased it, use it and now I’m typing text in a different capacity...
About the poles:
1) Large sedan, for reasonable money and from the latest years
2) Perhaps the most spacious in its class.
3) The strength and simplicity of internal components and assemblies from Renault and the external Japanese appearance from Nissan.
4) Not expensive to maintain and maintain. Spare parts, consumables in any auto store. Essentially one to one from Largus...
5) The K4M internal combustion engine is simple, reliable, with an enormous engine life and the absence of a phase regulator.
6) Simple, strong, well-adapted suspension for our roads.
7) Excellent visibility from the rear view mirrors.
8) Decent ground clearance for a sedan of 160 mm. and not a single suspension element destroys this ground clearance.
9) Large trunk, folding the backrests of the rear row seats increases it even more.
10) Very good light from the front optics.
“Russian Almera” is one of the most common sedans working in taxis, thanks to the summation of the above advantages and the presence of the K4M engine, which without any manipulation can last up to 500 thousand km, then replace the rings, seals and go back into battle!

1) The K4M engine was designed in those days when engineers thought about the reliability and long service life of engines. Therefore, a cast iron block, simplicity of design, hundreds of thousands of kilometers before major repairs! But, attention to the timing unit, scheduled replacement of the toothed belt + rollers every 60 thousand km. or once every four years, whichever comes first. At 120,000 km, we add replacement of the pump, as well as the drive belt and rollers for it.
2) Design feature of the valve cover. It is secured with small bolts and serves as a single yoke for camshafts.
3) Poor engine tightness. The valve cover and the place where the oil separator comes into contact with the valve cover may be leaking
4) On sedans with manual transmission, monitoring the condition of the left front drive for the presence of fogging of the boot and possible leakage of transmission fluid. Design like Renault Logan!
5) The DP2 automatic transmission is afraid of: contaminated transmission oil, long-term driving at high speeds, slipping. Prone to overheating. When starting at minus temperatures, warm up. When starting to move, do not give high speeds initially. Solenoids come out of standstill, the linear pressure solenoid is the first to suffer automatic transmission oils.
6) The view in the rearview mirror is not important.

No interference for now!
Scheduled replacement of engine oil - Elf Evolution 900 SXR with a viscosity of 5w30, recommended for these Renault engines. Replacement of the oil filter - Mann 75/3.
In the near future, we will replace the air filter with the same Mann 1858/2 and the cabin filter.
If the austere interior of the car doesn’t put you off, I recommend this sedan for purchase! For those who do not practice aggressive driving, who need a car for everyday, problem-free use and want to save their family budget by spending the money they earn not on hardware, but on more significant, fundamental needs!
All the best!

The system does not cause any particular trouble, but, nevertheless, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will need to solder the relays and some control and switching units. In general, relay and fuse blocks sometimes live their own lives; sometimes you have to “distort” the relays and fuses in search of problems. But this is after five or six years of operation. Otherwise, the simple system does not cause serious difficulties.

The most serious problems are a faulty immobilizer, glitches of the car’s electric fans and failures of the ABS electronics. Minor problems with the pressure sensor of the air conditioning system and pressure in the power steering were resolved after 2008. Almost all of them are well-versed in repairs and will not cause any hassle when contacting a specialized service center. The immobilizer usually requires a power reset, and if the error occurs frequently, the antenna must be replaced. The fans suffer due to broken wiring, and the ABS unit suffers due to internal soldering and broken sensor wires at the bend in the wiring.

In the photo: Nissan Almera Classic "2006–12

The generator resource is usually at least 150 thousand kilometers, only when operating in northern and particularly dusty regions do problems occur more often. And everything is usually inexpensive to repair. The service life of the alternator belt may not be too long: after 50 thousand kilometers it is recommended to check it for cracks, and by a hundred thousand it will have to be replaced. But replacement is inexpensive, so this can hardly be called a serious drawback.

The light relay in the driver's feet may short out, resulting in a burning smell in the cabin and malfunctions of the engine ECU. The problem is typical, and if the car is older than 2008, it will almost certainly need replacement. Loaded electrical connectors are not particularly durable: this affects the wiring of the headlights, foglights and heated rear window. It is worth checking them at every maintenance and, of course, when purchasing.

The wiring of the trunk lid is surprisingly vulnerable; failures occur frequently, usually due to a break in the wires inside the corrugation. On cars with a rare option for heating the wiper parking area, the system control unit may fail - it turns on the heating at full strength, and the glass may crack and the heating filaments may burn out. Mostly the problems are minor and do not affect the capabilities of the machine, but, nevertheless, they reduce the feeling of quality.

Brakes, suspension and steering

The brake mechanisms are quite reliable, but the original parts do not have a good service life. Front wheel pads can last only 20-30 thousand kilometers before replacement. With rear drums it’s a little easier: the life of the pads is at least 50-60 thousand, and the drums last twice as long. Hoses and tubes do not cause any trouble, but the ABS system sometimes malfunctions - do not rush to repair the unit itself, often the reason is one of the sensors or even the wiring connector. Yes, and power failures cause the system to operate incorrectly - repair the generator if it does not produce a stable voltage.

The suspension is simple, but there is still quite a lot of hassle with it. Firstly, the front and rear levers are supposed to be changed only entirely. Repair is possible, but original components will not be available. The A-pillar supports do not last more than a hundred thousand, and on primers their service life is even less. And the most painful place is the shock absorbers. They are prone to leaks, after which the car’s already poor handling becomes simply dangerous.

Front lower lever

price for original

5,423 rubles

The car does not have a standard anti-roll bar, although the related Samsung SM3 has one, and the part can be supplied. The parts are inexpensive, and the levers at the front can be supplied from a “European” car, for which many analogues are produced. However, the suspension will always require attention, and with regular trips with a full load, the service life of the rear shock absorbers is reduced to a ridiculous 15 thousand kilometers: they will leak literally after every maintenance. But the problem can be solved - it is enough to supply parts manufactured by Kayaba or SACHS once. Both comfort and reliability will increase: this is exactly the case when the original parts turned out to be very unsuccessful.

The steering fails mainly at mileages exceeding one and a half hundred thousand. The main risks are associated with weak rack boots and the low service life of the power steering pump. The pump begins to hum and drive chips into the rack, after which its cuffs fail. Well, damage to the anthers leads to corrosion of the rack and the rapid appearance of knocking noises. Let me also remind you that the steering column and its joints are responsible for some of the play.

Transmission

In fact, the car has no particular problems with the body, interior, electrical, suspension and brakes. Everything was done on a very budget, simple, but very reliable. Yes, it breaks, but it's inexpensive. But with a manual transmission, surprises are possible.

Most Almera owners consider the box to be an “eternal” unit and are very surprised when . There were even rumors that the problem was insufficient oil level in the manual transmission, but the essence of the breakdowns usually speaks of something else: cheap bearings and poor material of synchronizers and clutches are poorly adapted to our traffic jams and frequent violation of the speed limit.

A typical repair is actually replacing the bearings of both shafts, replacing the second and third gear synchronizers and replacing the fourth and fifth clutches. In addition to this, the operation of the gear shift mechanism causes criticism: even from the assembly line it is not distinguished by its accuracy, and after hundreds of thousands of miles the owner can feel what the Ikarus driver experienced when sticking gears “by touch”.

Fans of “mechanics” are plagued by problems with the clutch master cylinder, the design of which is not very successful. It leaks, so when purchasing, carefully inspect the vacuum booster, and if there are any leaks, expect a replacement. The part is difficult to repair: it will require not only replacement of seals, but also modification of metal surfaces.

Oddly enough, automatic transmission is more reliable than manual transmission. The proven RE4F03A series gearbox was installed on the Almera Classic. This four-speed transmission traces its “ancestry” back to fully hydraulic automatic transmissions and is characterized by excellent mechanical reliability. Of course, the floating blocking of the gas turbine engine noticeably reduces the oil life during active movement and causes early contamination of the valve body, and the operating temperature is too high, but these are solvable difficulties.

The box is capable of traveling 250-350 thousand kilometers before the first repairs and has a good margin of safety. The main malfunctions are related to the life of the valve body solenoids and cases of oil loss and overheating. It is possible that with mileages of about 150-200 thousand it will be necessary to replace the gas turbine oil seal and change its blocking linings if the degree of oil contamination quickly increases and there are smudges. With very high mileage - over 500 thousand - typical resource problems are possible with the bushings of the pump and rear planetary gear.

Motor

The only engine in the Nissan Almera Classic is extremely good. In general, the entire series of QG motors is distinguished by a successful design, but it is the QG16DE that can be called the best in the family. The design is simple and unpretentious, as befits a mass-produced motor. Cast iron cylinder block, reliable piston group, timing chain drive, absence of hydraulic compensators, direct drive of the oil pump, simple and reliable injection system and catalytic collector.

Timing chain kit

price for non-original

7,260 rubles

Actually, only the cathode collector and the timing chain drive fail the engine. Catalysts are too delicate, and they also really don’t like long winter starts and cold weather. After five years of operation, the catalyst filler is already beginning to “play”, and the catalyst is crumbling a little. Crumbs can get into the piston group, causing severe wear of the cylinders, rings and valves. It is highly recommended to either replace the catalyst with a new one, or simply remove it. You can simply install a regular manifold from the Euro-3 version of the engine and an exhaust with a lower catalyst from the older Almera.

Poor starting, especially in winter, is largely due to timing chain stretching. Its service life varies over a very wide range: old engines usually lasted up to 150-200 thousand kilometers without replacement, and on cars of recent years, cases of stretching are not uncommon after 70 thousand.

In the photo: Nissan Almera Classic "2006–12

DPRV and DPKV also cause some trouble; the service life of these sensors is usually less than 150 thousand. The service life of the mass air flow sensor is slightly higher, and the gradual drop in throttle response is poorly felt, and complete failure is rare, but again, it affects the service life of the catalyst. The throttle position sensor is a consumable; it sometimes fails before hundreds of thousands of miles. Surprises with ECU software are almost always cured: hardly anyone has put up with a bad start for more than 10 years. Well, sensitivity to contamination of the throttle valve is a typical problem for many engines, it just manifests itself in a deterioration in starting, and not just in floating idle speed.

Summary

Nissan/Samsung chose a rather successful way to make a large car cheap: a simple interior, fewer configuration options and relatively inexpensive suspension elements, wiring and internal equipment. In addition, a reliable engine with automatic transmission and a body that does not corrode, despite obvious flaws in its design.

In the photo: Nissan Almera Classic "2006–12

However, by modern standards the car looks outdated, it has a not very reliable suspension and mediocre handling. Yes, and passive safety is not at the modern level, and the basic version does not even have a passenger airbag.

Among the undoubted advantages are large sizes, but practice shows that most B++ class cars are not much inferior in internal volumes, and at the same time they are more modern and more economical. Plus, at the same price, they are simply newer. True, the entry threshold is higher: after all, , and a couple of Hyundai/Kia appeared only in 2009.

In general, there is something to think about!

Would you buy a Nissan Almera Classic?

Nissan Almera Classic is the most popular sedan of the second half of the 00s, which became the best-selling “product” of the Japanese automobile plant. Despite the presence of a newer version of the G15, the car does not lose its relevance and continues to be in high demand, only not in dealerships, but on the used car market. Despite the common platform and structure of some parts, the models have a number of serious differences that determine the individuality of both series.

Model Classic

Nissan Almera Classic is an offshoot of the Almera series, which was, in fact, a marketing ploy. Sales of the original version from 2000–2006 gradually began to fall, the design had long become boring (even after the 2003 restyling, which did not change the appearance of the car much), and in technical terms, the engine of the beginning of the millennium began to lag behind.

The Classic model became a symbol of revolutionary changes, which, by the way, appealed to all connoisseurs of Japanese sedans.

A new car in 2006 showed that foreign cars can be produced for Russian conditions. Optimized for use on domestic roads, the Nissan Almera Classic offers excellent technical characteristics that allow you to feel comfortable on the road. An unpretentious 1.6-liter 4-cylinder power unit is capable of producing power up to 107 horsepower (at 6000 rpm), while torque reaches 146 Nm (at 3600 rpm). With a consumption of 6.8 liters and a maximum speed of about 185 km/h, such an engine is ideally suited to various Russian conditions (weather, road). The transmission is available in two variations (the classic combination of automatic/manual), in contrast to the drive, which is exclusively front-wheel drive.

Almera Classic design – harmony in every curve.

The appearance represents a modern concept at that time: elongated headlights, a relatively large grille, long foglights, smooth lines between body parts, and triangular taillights.

This style is a little atypical for a Japanese sedan of that time (as can be seen from the description, it gravitates more toward European cars), so the car was able to surprise the public even here.

The interior has become much more comfortable. Of course, there are no innovations in terms of seats, instrument panel and various parts, but the high-quality development of these parts of the cabin has improved the travel experience for both the driver and the passenger. Various accessories began to look much more harmonious in a modern interior. Power windows, a convenient gear shift lever, heated front seats, heated glass, air conditioning and much other equipment that appeared in the Nissan Almera Classic, when compared with previous versions, is a phenomenal qualitative leap in terms of such important interior details.

Comparison with Almera N16

The first Almera, which was officially delivered to Russia, initially created a real sensation. Stylish body, powerful engine, good interior - what else does a budget car need to be happy?

Having quickly gained popularity, the car received a restyling, although the general features were preserved. However, interest in her gradually faded away.

What is the reason? Why was it necessary to create a fundamentally new model with a slightly amended name? What to choose: Almera or Almera Classic? Everything is extremely simple. The previous version was developed for Japanese and European roads and, despite other advantages, was slightly unsuitable for domestic road surfaces. With a ground clearance of 140 mm in the H16 instead of 165 mm in the Classic, it’s hard not to experience all the delights of Russian off-road. This also affects the comfort in the cabin, although there are no complaints about the interior itself.

The technical side, naturally, differed in favor of the Nissan Almera Classic. The predecessor had 5 powertrain options, three of which were diesel. It was they who turned out to be unclaimed. Large emissions, problems with fuel, lack of power - most Russian car owners have encountered this small range of problems. Of course, diesel consumes much less fuel, but the power plant was never able to take root.

The main 1.8-liter 4-cylinder unit looked quite good, and it was used as the basis for the Almera Classic engine. In terms of real power, the N16 and its successor are almost similar, although according to the documents there is a slight difference (116 versus 107 hp, respectively). The consumption of the II generation Almera is noticeably higher than that of the Classic, and is 7.5 liters.

A weaker unit with a power of 98 hp. With. It’s hardly worth comparing with the Classic engine, since in all respects it is inferior to it.

Comparison with Almera G15

As of 2016–2017, Nissan Almera has one current version. This is the III generation G15 model. Comparing the Classic with this version is very important because when buying a used car, many people are confused about which vehicle is better to buy. It would seem why such a difficulty arises if it is obvious that the updated car, in fact, of the same line is better than its predecessor. This is actually a rather controversial statement.

The main factor that clearly puts some car enthusiasts off is the design of the updated version.

The headlights have a rather ambiguous shape, which gives them a double appearance: on the one hand, they represent a combination of modern trends and Japanese classics, and on the other, an incomprehensible picture that represents an extremely non-standard design solution.

The grille of the car is located a little carelessly, and for some reason it extends onto the hood.

Of course, the rear and side parts of the car generally look pretty good and somewhat compensate for the shortcomings of the front overhang, but this does not completely change the picture (besides, the rear lights are still a little strange). In terms of appearance, the harmonious Nissan Almera Classic looks stylish and elegant, and this factor is decisive for many applicants for a budget Japanese sedan.

The technical side of the G15 is little better than its predecessor, but in fact the car remains the same unpretentious city sedan.

The vehicle has only one engine: a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine capable of producing up to 102 hp. With. power and 145 Nm of torque.

These are almost identical parameters to the Classic, since the engine of the modern Almera is only a modification of the previous version, and not an installation created from scratch. Fuel consumption increased slightly, but in reality it remained approximately the same (since the actual and legal parameters of fuel consumption almost always differ).

Conclusion

Nissan Almera Classic is the best model of an urban budget sedan from the famous Japanese manufacturer, which attracts with all its features. To be convinced of this, it is enough to compare it with its predecessor and successor (N16 and G15, respectively). Of course, each car has its pros and cons, but in the Classic they are balanced in favor of the former.