Nissan X-Trail vs Opel Grandland X vs Subaru Forester: which one is the best value for money?
Nissan X-Trail vs Opel Grandland X vs Subaru Forester: which one is the best value for money?
By Martin Pretorius
Being aimed squarely at the family-sized SUV segment, the Nissan X-Trail has had to see off some accomplished competitors through the years. Now well into its third generation, the current X-Trail has to face some old foes, as well as a brace of recently-released alternatives. We pitched it against the Opel Grandland X and Subaru Forester, to see which one has the strongest value proposition.
To keep this comparison fair, we selected model derivatives below the R480 000 price point, and limited ourselves to petrol-powered examples (the Nissan is also available with diesel power, but both the Opel and the Subaru are petrol-only at this stage).
All three cars are in mid-level trim, and they all have automatic gearboxes of some form or another. The Subaru is the least-expensive of this trio, but the Opel and Nissan are both less than R3000 dearer, and their power outputs are also closely aligned on paper. But, although they achieve similar results, the ways in which they go about their business are quite divergent.
Facts and figures:
First, let’s look at the numbers:
|
Engine size (cyl/size) |
4-cyl, 2.5-litre petrol |
4-cyl, 1.6-litre turbopetrol |
4-cyl, 2.0-litre petrol |
|
Power/Torque |
126 kW/233 Nm |
121 kW/240 Nm |
115 kW/196 Nm |
|
Kerb Weight |
1595 kg |
1382 kg |
1555 kg |
|
Length (mm) |
4 640 |
4 477 |
4 625 |
|
Boot volume (litres)* |
135 - 1310 |
514 - 1652 |
520 - 1060 |
|
Airbag count |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
Top Speed (km/h) ** |
190 |
~ 195 |
~ 190 |
|
Ave Consumption * |
8.3 ℓ/100 km |
7.0 ℓ/100 km |
7.6 ℓ/100 km |
|
Warranty |
6 yr/150 000 km |
5 yr/150 000 km |
5 yr/150 000 km |
|
Price |
R 478 900 |
R 478 950 |
R 476 000 |
* Manufacturer's official claimed figures.
** Estimated, based on overseas road testing and homologation figures. The SA distributors don’t list this information.
Analysis
Power, performance, and drivetrains
While the X-Trail and Grandland X are very closely matched on power, the Forester is the odd one out here. It has the least power and the least torque of this trio, on account of its small-ish naturally-aspirated engine, so it stands to reason that it might lose out on performance as well. Additionally, like the X-Trail (in this trim level), the Forester is saddled with a CVT and all-wheel drive, both of which sap some engine power.
The Grandland X is the odd one out here, because it’s front-wheel drive only, and sends its turbo-charged power (from a downsized 1.6-litre engine) into a traditional torque-converter automatic gearbox. This combination, along with by far the lowest kerb weight in this group, results in the liveliest performance, beating the other two to 100 km/h by more than 2 seconds (according to their official performance claims).
With their kerb weights very close to each other, and with similar driveline specifications, it follows that the less-powerful Forester should the slowest of the two Japanese contenders, but its manufacturer actually claims a (very slightly) quicker 0 – 100 km/h sprint than Nissan does. No matter, though, because the Opel definitely offers the most bang for the bucks in this company.
Economy
Opel and Subaru both make some pretty optimistic claims regarding their fuel consumption, with official average figures of 7.0- and 7.6 ℓ/100 km, respectively. However, we couldn’t get anywhere near those figures during our road tests, averaging 8.2 ℓ/100 km in the Opel, and 9.2 ℓ/100 km in the Subaru.
In contrast, Nissan's claimed consumption appears to be more realistic than the other two, with a claimed official average of 8.3 ℓ/100 km. It’s unlikely to achieve this figure in real-world driving, however, where most drivers would typically see closer to 9 ℓ/100 km – as is to be expected from a CVT/AWD pairing around this power level. None of these figures are exactly hair-raising, but the victory still has to go to the Opel, with its more-efficient drivetrain and lack of AWD.
Practicality
With the largest overall dimensions, the X-Trail is off to a good start in terms of cabin space. You’ll notice that the X-Trail’s cargo volume varies between 135- and 1310 litres, but those figures don’t tell the full story. Here’s the thing: in 2.5 Acenta+ trim (as evaluated here), the X-Trail offers a third seating row, bringing its passenger capacity up to 7. The other two cars here are strictly 5-seaters, which will obviously boost their minimum luggage space with all seats in use.
That said, if the X-Trail’s third seating row is folded down, it also has around 500 litres of boot space, which puts it about on par with the others (which are both only available as 5-seaters). The big surprise really comes from the Opel’s peak volume of 1652 litres (with the rear seats folded away), which comfortably outclasses both the Nissan and the Subaru (both of which are considerably larger).
For similar money to the X-Trail, the Grandland X offers a fair bit more overall utility space, with the Forester appearing rather undistinguished in this regard. However, the versatility on offer in the X-Trail, thanks to its 7-seater capability, hands it a victory in this department. The Opel does run it close, however, thanks to that cavernous peak utility volume.
Equipment and safety
This is where the value for money equation really becomes important: How much stuff do you get for your hard-earned Rands? Fortunately, none of these cars are anywhere close to spartan, with dual-zone climate control, cruise control (adaptive in the Subaru), modern infotainment systems with Bluetooth- and USB compatibility, automatic wipers and headlights, and steering wheel controls being standard across the board.
The Japanese offerings add leather upholstery and electric driver’s seat adjustment as well, but the Opel compensates with traffic sign recognition and parking sensors front and rear. Meanwhile, the Subaru ups the ante with a rear-view camera (but no parking sensors). Overall, their comfort- and convenience features are roughly equal, and they all have the basic creature comforts you’d expect in family vehicles of this type.
It’s only when safety is taken into consideration that the Subaru really starts to shine. Included in its standard specification, the Forester 2.0i-L ES features turning LED headlights, as well as Subaru’s EyeSight safety system. This enables adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and advanced automatic emergency braking, and places the Forester right at the top of this comparison. In the safety race, its superior airbag count, rock-solid crash-test credentials, and active safety features, helps the Subaru Forester to simply walk away from the others in this category.
Verdict
Choosing a value for money winner from this group is a rather tricky exercise. They each have their strong suits: the Opel is quickest and most economical, the Nissan has more versatility on its side, and the Subaru majors on safety. On balance, the ageing Nissan X-Trail 2.5 Acenta+ unfortunately has to be chopped out first. Its standard features list is too light at this price point, and it needs more active safety features (and some parking sensors) to become truly competitive again.
The next one to fall has to be the Subaru Forester 2.0i-L. It’s the undisputed leader in safety equipment here, but that surprisingly small peak cargo volume, lazy performance and fuel thirst counts against it. It is however by far the safest car in this comparison, and its legendary symmetrical AWD system adds unbreakable traction and security in adverse conditions. If those elements are more important to you than bare performance, the Subaru should be your choice between these three.
This leaves the Opel as a the most agreeable compromise here. With the strongest performance of the lot, the lowest fuel consumption, a large dose of practicality, and a nicely balanced spread of standard features, the Grandland X doesn’t really shine in any particular area, yet it manages to combine most of the important characteristics into a well-priced and agreeable package.
* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.
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