Suspension

Next, impressions of the suspension on winding roads and at high speeds. Honestly, I really like this car’s suspension. It’s not the typical soft, floaty suspension common in Japanese cars; it handles firmly.

The steering lock-to-lock is large, so if you’re switching from a Porsche, you’ll feel like you have to turn the wheel a lot to corner. But there’s little mismatch between tire angle and car direction, and my impression was, “This car actually corners quite well.”

At low speeds on rough roads, there’s some rattling, but it’s well within my tolerance. Overall, the ride comfort is good. The body feels rigid, and you get a solid sense of grip. It’s stable at high speeds, and I’d be happy to drive it on long cruises.

What stands out is the stable, flat posture without vertical or lateral sway, and excellent straight-line stability. Many Japanese cars in this class struggle with this, but the Note e-POWER does it well.

It’s not quite as sharp as the Volkswagen Golf 7 I used to own, but it’s close. My mother also said right after delivery, “It’s comfortable even on the highway, and drives well like the Golf you used to have,” so I think her impression wasn’t far off.

Regarding highway overtaking acceleration, there’s no frustrating lack of power. It’s not warp-speed fast, but in most situations, you won’t feel stuck or unable to pass; it’s agile enough for everyday driving. When I asked my mother who drives it daily, she said:

“My old car was so slow and scary that I could only overtake on downhill highways, but now the new car passes smoothly anywhere. I just have to be careful not to get caught speeding.”

Fuel Economy and Other Notes

I drove it in various conditions, mostly city and some winding roads.

The computer shows an overall fuel economy settling around 16–19 km/l. Driving carefully in ECO mode with lots of regenerative braking in the city easily gets you into the 20 km/l range, and on downhill-heavy routes, you can even see 30 km/l. Driving hard on winding roads drops it to around 9–10 km/l.

Regarding the generator engine in the Note e-POWER, it runs in many situations. At slow starts in ECO mode, the motor alone powers the car, but once you exceed a certain speed or press the accelerator more, the engine kicks in.

The engine’s start-up is smooth and unnoticeable during normal driving. In S mode, the engine revs higher, and you hear a humming sound that doesn’t always match vehicle speed. At first, this was a bit distracting, but I got used to it.

If you’re sensitive to engine noise, you might want to consider a higher-grade model like the Medalist, which has more sound insulation. But personally, I have no complaints with the X grade.

I Want the NISMO Version

Initially, when we decided to buy the Nissan Note e-POWER, I thought it was just a decent car with recent safety features and a good reputation, suitable for my mother. But it exceeded my expectations. For this price, it’s a solid choice.

The fuel economy is good, the motor-driven driving is easy, and above all, it drives well. I’ve driven many cars in this class as rental cars for work, and they all tire me out quickly—I wouldn’t want to go on a long tour with them.

But if asked to go on a long tour with this Note e-POWER, I’d be totally fine with it.

It’s such a cost-effective car that lately I’ve started to want more, and I’m honestly curious about the NISMO version. I imagine it would be a blast with a reinforced chassis, suspension, and a more powerful motor. The NISMO version is quite pricey, but used NISMO models hold their value well, so the actual cost might be reasonable.

If I were buying for myself, considering resale value, I’d go for the NISMO.

If I could be greedy, I’d love to see Nissan revive the rear-wheel-drive 180SX or Silvia with this e-POWER system—I’d buy one immediately. Nissan, if you’re reading this blog, please make it happen! (laughs)