It’s been over 20 years since I last drove a Nissan. Back in my student days, I often borrowed my grandfather’s second-generation Cefiro, which had the then-new VQ engine that was very smooth and easy to handle, and I liked it.
The Nissan Note uses Nissan’s unique e-POWER technology, where a gasoline engine runs solely to generate electricity, which then powers the motor that drives the car.
This is called a series hybrid (the engine is only for generating electricity; the motor drives the wheels), different from hybrids like the Prius. The drive force comes solely from the motor, so you get acceleration and torque feel similar to a full electric vehicle.
In practice, I think the quality-to-cost ratio is good. It’s not luxurious or highly refined, but the door handles are metal, and the seats aren’t just flat “chairs” like many Japanese compacts; they have decent cushioning, firmness, and support, so they qualify as proper seats.
The touchpoints for occupants have proper quality, while other areas are neither good nor bad.
The shift lever is basically a switch, operated like a mouse. Some people might find this odd, but I had no trouble adapting.
The rear legroom is very spacious—much more than many sedans. Adults can sit comfortably back there.
(Trying out the rear seat)
The doors have a nice weight and feel solid, and the closing sound is good. However, the rear doors feel thin and flimsy. This is a common issue in this class of Japanese cars, where rear doors are often skimped on. I understand it’s a cost issue, but I wish they’d improve this.
I started by driving in ECO mode. This mode and S mode have strong regenerative braking, enabling “one-pedal” driving.
When I started driving, the motor’s rpm rose gently relative to accelerator input, giving a smooth acceleration feel. But since it’s a motor, torque is instant, so even on steep hills, it never felt strained. It climbed steadily and smoothly, and I wouldn’t mind driving in this mode all the time.
Next, I switched to S mode (sports). The motor’s rpm rose quickly with accelerator input, making the car feel lighter. It smoothly pulled away from stoplights.
Compared to ECO mode, it felt more powerful, but it seemed the difference was mainly in accelerator response rather than raw power—like choosing between higher or lower energy efficiency.
On winding roads in S mode, the strong regenerative braking meant I hardly needed to use the brake before corners, and the quick acceleration out of corners made for a very enjoyable drive—definitely a highlight of this car.
Finally, I tried NORMAL mode. This mode drives like a conventional gasoline car, with regenerative braking similar to engine braking, so you need to use the brake pedal to stop.
Switching from S to NORMAL mode, I personally felt NORMAL was the fastest and most powerful. In S mode, the strong regenerative braking means easing off the accelerator slightly causes a subtle deceleration, which reduces the feeling of smooth acceleration.
While full throttle in S mode might be faster, in everyday driving, NORMAL mode feels smoother and quicker.
The NORMAL mode drive is truly refreshing. The motor-driven acceleration is smooth and linear, braking and deceleration are natural, and torque instantly returns when accelerating again, making it very stress-free. This is hard to achieve with a gasoline engine.
Before driving, I’d read many comments about how powerful and fast this car is. Compared to similarly priced gasoline cars, it is indeed powerful, smooth, and quick. But it’s not overwhelmingly powerful, so don’t expect supercar-level 0-100 km/h times. (I’m used to driving high-power cars like Porsches, so my perspective might be skewed.)
Still, the instant acceleration feel is very satisfying. For short bursts, it might even beat a Porsche. Especially when the car ahead suddenly stops and you slowly pass and accelerate, it’s smooth and easy to drive.
Next page → Suspension and fuel economy? Husband’s growing desire for the NISMO version…?