Nissan Pulsar (2013-2018)
It's spacious, efficient and well-equipped, but the Nissan Pulsar doesn't stand out
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
The family hatchback market is brimming with great cars, from the Ford Focus to the VW Golf, the SEAT Leon to the Vauxhall Astra, the Skoda Octavia to the Mazda 3 – and that’s just six.
This means that it's easy to overlook cars such as the Nissan Pulsar, which aren't bad by any means but just don't stand out. As a new car, that is.
Since new models aren't that desirable when it comes time to sell, the used prices tumble dramatically after a few years, meaning you can get a nearly-new model for many, many thousands less than the list price.
Find a good Nissan Pulsar deal then and it does make a lot of sense as an affordable practical family car. That's mainly down to its spacious interior which is close to - if not quite up with - the largest rivals such as the Skoda Octavia. There’s easily enough room here for three adults to sit comfortably, which is more than you can say of the Ford Focus.
If you’re wondering whether the boot is tiny as a consequence, it isn’t. In fact, it’s bigger than a Golf’s. The Pulsar is also fitted with efficient engines. There aren’t many to choose from but the lowest powered petrol will do up to 56.6mpg and the diesel up to 78.5mpg, which isn't bad for a car capable of carrying five adults in total comfort.
The Pulsar is also spectacular value for money, if you can track down nearly-new models. Here you’ll find a level of safety equipment worthy of the car’s five-star Euro NCAP rating plus loads of upmarket features to simplify the driving process - even in entry-level models. While new there was quite a step up in price to the next model up, since the Pulsar is no longer available new, all second-hand versions should offer strong value, so choose the model that gives you the kit you want for a price you can afford.
If you’re looking for driving thrills, though, look elsewhere; the Ford Focus, for example. The Pulsar is safe and predictable to drive but there’s little sense of connection with the front tyres through the steering wheel and the car leans heavily in corners. It’s comfortable, though, with the soft suspension smoothing out most imperfections. As a result, if comfort is top of your list, the Pulsar's space and smooth suspension are two big plus points that make it worth considering. Especially if you the most spacious car for your money.
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Key facts
Warranty: 3 years | Boot size: 385 litres |
Width: 1768mm | Length: 4387mm |
Height: 1520mm | Tax (min to max): £0 to £130 |
Best Nissan Pulsar for...
Nissan Pulsar History
- July 2014 Nissan Pulsar is launched.
- March 2015 The 1.6 DiG-T petrol engine joins the range in March
- Summer 2015 The Pulsar is updated to make it feel more agile in corners
- 2016 Pulsars built May 2014 to December 2015 recalled for faulty headlight auto levelling system.
- 2016 N-tec trim replaced by n-connecta
Understanding Nissan Pulsar car names
- Pulsar
- Engine
- DiG-T 115
- Trim level
- N-Connecta
- Gearbox
- Xtronic
- Engine
- Petrol engines are badged DiG-T. The power of each engine is shown in horsepower, which can also be written as PS. The diesel is badged dCi.
- Trim level
- The trim levels dictate the amount of standard equipment that you get. In Nissan-speak, Visia is the basic trim, Acenta is the next one up, N-Connecta is the ‘connected’ one with a sat nav and Tekna is the one brimming with technology.
- Gearbox
- The automatic gearbox is called Xtronic
Nissan Pulsar Engines
DiG-T 115, DiG-T 190, dCi 110
Nissan's small, highly efficient petrol and diesel engines are perfect for the undemanding Pulsar, a car with its sights on easy driving qualities and low running costs. The most popular engine is the 1.2 DiG-T 115 petrol. It’s reasonably quick but very economical, while road tax is just £30. However, as with the other engines in the line-up, those running costs rise slightly on high-spec versions fitted with larger wheels. The optional Xtronic automatic gearbox doesn’t affect economy much but does hit performance – hard. It’s also noisier, so take a test drive to see how you get on with it.
Staying with the petrols, the 1.6 DiG-T 190 is the performance engine in the Pulsar range. Its 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds is almost the same as a Peugeot 308 GT’s. It’s economical, too, but road tax rises to £130.
If economy is your top priority, the 1.5 dCi 110 diesel is the engine for you. It’s a little gruff but settles to a relaxed cruise on the motorway, its natural habitat. Depending on wheel size it can achieve a claimed 78.5mpg. Regardless of wheel size, road tax is zero.
Type | Mpg | Bhp | 0 - 60 | top speed | |
1.2 | Petrol | 54.3 - 56.5mpg | 112bhp | 10.7-12.7s | 115 - 118mph |
1.6 | Petrol | 47.9 - 49.5mpg | 184bhp | 7.7s | 135mph |
1.5 | Diesel | 74.3 - 78.5mpg | 107bhp | 11.5s | 118mph |
Nissan Pulsar Trims
Visia, Acenta, N-Connecta, Tekna
Basic Visia trim packs in all the safety essentials sufficient to secure the Pulsar a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. Convenience features include all-round electric windows, an adjustable steering wheel, split-fold rear seats and air-conditioning. However, it rides on plain steel wheels rather than alloys.
With Acenta the air-con is now dual zone, the wheels are two-tone alloy, the steering wheel is leather covered, there’s a front centre armrest, a push-start button… The list goes on. It feels and looks a lot smarter. However, the 1.2 DiG-T 115 Acenta is a whopping £4000 more than the Visia version.
N-Connecta adds more convenience and luxury features including a sat nav, a DAB digital radio and even a colour reversing camera. It looks even smarter but now the price is around £21,000.
Tekna is a moving showcase for Nissan’s latest safety technologies including Safety Shield and Around View Monitor. The price peaks at around £23,000 for the 1.6 DiG-T 190 version, which has some additional sporty touches.
Nissan Pulsar Reliability and warranty
The Nissan Pulsar’s warranty lasts for three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Like the car, it’s pretty standard. Rival model the Hyundai i30 has a five-year warranty and the Kia Cee’d, an industry-leading seven years’ cover. Does it mean the Pulsar is less reliable than those cars? Not necessarily. These days, few new cars are badly built. The Pulsar is too new to have attracted any serious reliability data but it shares a lot of parts with the Nissan Qashqai, itself a very reliable car. In any case, the popularity of PCP finance deals with annual mileages typically limited to 10,000 miles, means most Pulsar owners will never come close to doing 60,000 miles in three years.
Used Nissan Pulsar
However, Within just one year, the value of the Pulsar takes a steep tumble to find their natural level, making a year-old Pulsar a much better buy. This is because more expensive versions in particular, haven’t the image or appeal to sustain their high prices for long, unlike, for example, the much more desirable VW Golf. At the other end of the trim scale, Visia is actually not that appealing, so any Pulsar in that trim will also struggle to hold its price. Acenta really is the sweet spot in the range: neither too expensive nor too pared back to lose as much money as the Tekna or N-Connecta. Diesels are not quite the used car heroes they once were. Buyers know that if they don’t do much mileage, an economical petrol engine is the better buy. For this reason, we believe a Pulsar 1.2 DiG-T 115 Acenta in a bright colour will hold its value as well as the more expensive diesel.
List price | BuyaCar new | 1 year old | 2 years old | 3 years old | ||
Best for performance | Price | £19,845 | £17,453 | £15,500 | - | - |
Nissan Pulsar 1.6 DiG-T 190 Acenta | Save | 12.0% | 32.5% | - | - | |
Best for families | Price | £21,095 | £19,351 | - | - | - |
Nissan Pulsar 1.5 dCi N-Connecta | Save | 8.3% | - | - | - | |
Best for economy | Price | £17,545 | £15,446 | £12,979 | - | - |
Nissan Pulsar 1.5 dCi Visia | Save | 12.0% | 26.0% | - | - |