Considering a Commuter Car

A little while ago, my husband started saying, “I want to get a used car for my own commuting.” His previous commuter was a “Volkswagen Golf,” but last May, the Golf was replaced by a manual BMW 320, which I ended up driving almost every day. So naturally, my husband had no choice but to commute in the Porsche.

While he obviously enjoys commuting in the Porsche every day, the round trip from home to his workplace is 50 km, and he often says, “It feels like a waste to rack up so many kilometers just commuting” (he drives about 1,000 km a month). So, we decided to buy a new commuter car.

As candidates for the commuter car, my husband said,

The best would be the current model “BMW 5 Series.” When I test drove it once, it felt luxurious and solid, and I felt BMW had returned to form after a bit of a confusing period. But the 5 Series is a bit big and might be overkill for commuting. I want something more compact and easy to drive, so maybe the Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO or Mazda3…

and so on.

Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S

This year, my husband went alone to test drive the Mazda3 and was checking used car sites daily (a review of the Mazda3 test drive will be posted later). Then, just recently, he found a very well-maintained “Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S.”

He contacted the seller immediately, but there was already someone negotiating. For a moment, he gave up on buying it, but since that person didn’t purchase it that day, the seller contacted my husband right away. He went to see it the next day and made an instant decision.

By the way, when I asked why the other person didn’t buy it, I was told they said, “Deciding to buy a car on the same day you see it is a bit much… I want to think about it for a day and then get back to you.” The salesperson repeatedly warned, “If you wait, the next person waiting might buy it and you could miss out,” but they insisted on taking a day to think.

Later, the seller called to say, “I’ve decided to buy it after all,” but by then, the negotiation rights had already passed to my husband.

Wow… When you find a good used car that really clicks, you have to decide immediately or it sells right away. By the way, my husband said,

It didn’t even take me five minutes to decide. I don’t have even a millimeter of the feeling that ‘it’s unusual to decide immediately when buying a car.’ I think it’s the same with everything—if you think it’s good, you decide right away.

The car he bought is a 2018 model, 3,900 km mileage, with navigation, fully equipped with manufacturer options, rated 6 for condition, and A grade for both interior and exterior—a very well-kept Note e-POWER NISMO S. It was listed for 2.03 million yen.

He was looking specifically for the “S” in dark metal gray and without Recaro seats, so it was a perfect match.

When I asked my husband what made him decide, he said,

Last year, I bought a normal Note e-POWER for my mother and tried it out, and it was surprisingly good. First, the suspension isn’t mushy, which is great. The motor’s acceleration and smoothness feel very pleasant. One-pedal driving is easy and natural, and the weight transfer is incredibly smooth. Also, unlike other hybrids that try to tone down the motor’s torque to feel more like a gasoline car, I appreciate how this car actually highlights the motor’s torque characteristics as a selling point.
Sure, there are various opinions about the interior usability, highway fuel economy, and noise, but none of those bother me personally. What I want from a car isn’t those things. When I look at it from the perspective of “Is it fun to drive?,” this car stands out in its class. It’s also one of the few cars in this class that made me want to drive long distances.
This time, it’s the NISMO version and the “S” model, so the power is more than enough. I think it’s also good in terms of resale value and cost performance, so that’s why I chose it.

Makes sense!

The garage certificate has already been obtained, so I think the Note will arrive at our home sooner than expected. I’ll share reviews and more on the blog later. That said, this means we now have six cars at home… Right after the new year, our car life is unfolding in ways I never expected, haha.