Used Nissan Navara 2016 - present review

While you may take one look at used Nissan Navara and assume that it’s just another unsophisticated pick-up truck, you’d actually be quite wrong. The Navara shares quite a lot with the Mercedes X-Class, which is why this generation of Navara has a plusher interior than before and fancier rear suspension than most work trucks, all in order to give it a touch of sophistication not often found in this class.

There are two body styles available: a king cab model with a longer load bed, and a double cab with a slightly shorter bed but a bigger body that provides more interior space and seating for five. The 2.3-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine can be found as either a 160bhp model with a single-turbocharger, or a twin-turbo 188bhp version. A six-speed manual is standard but the ratios are fairly short (this has been addressed with an improved manual gearbox added from 2019 onwards) and the lever is unpleasant to use; the seven-speed automatic available on more powerful Navara is a little bit more enjoyable to use.

When it comes to handling, the Navara certainly isn’t as tidy in the bends as its Mitsubishi L200 rival. The steering is very truck-like and heavy, requiring much arm-twirling in parking manoeuvres because of its low-geared rack. Body roll is pronounced in corners, and – despite double cab versions having more sophisticated, car-like rear suspension than pick-ups normally come with – it’ll still jostle you over battered Tarmac at low-speeds, although to a lesser degree than most pick-ups. Once there’s a bit of weight in the back or you’ve reached cruising speed on the motorway, things do settle down.

King cab Navaras have rear-hinged back doors and temporary flip down seating in the rear; they're not suitable for transporting passengers over long distances. The double cab is much better for all and there won’t be any complaints about the level of adjustment to the driving position, either. There’s even some tactile soft-touch material on the dashboard, which is a bit of a rarity on something that is essentially a working vehicle.

Entry-level Visia is a bit basic with just air-contitioning, Bluetooth and cruise control; Acenta adds alloy wheels, a better stereo and push-button start. Mid-range Acenta+ comes with a very useful reversing camera to help in tight spots, N-Connecta variants come with sat nav and a DAB radio, while top-of-the-range Tekna has leather seats with electric adjustment for the driver, LED headlights and rear parking sensors and a 360deg surround view camera system.

The Navara is good news if you need decent cargo carrying capacity – among double-cab pick-ups, it has the longest bed in the business. We measured the bed to be 1590mm long, 485mm deep with a width of 1550 at its widest point, and 1110mm at its narrowest between the wheel arches. The tailgate opening is 1360mm, so it should have no trouble taking a standard size UK pallet.

Prices for a Nissan Navara at the time of writing start at £12,500 for a 2016 King Cab Visia version, but to keep up to date with used Navara prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

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Despite being a big and heavy sort of vehicle, the Navara is actually pretty efficient for its class. Even the thirstiest 188bhp automatic double cab version still managed 41mpg combined (NEDC) and 183g/km of CO2, while the lighter 160bhp manual king cab model has figures of 46.3mpg and 159g/km. This should make it cheaper to run than a Toyota Hilux.

Any Navara registered after 1 April 2017 will fall under the current flat rate road tax system. Find out more about the current road tax costs here.

Nissan does have fixed price servicing, but it doesn’t apply to the Navara. There are no prices quoted online and you’ll need to contact your local dealership for further information. Prices will differ depending upon which part of the country your are in.

We recommend the mid-range Acenta+ as a new purchase, but there are actually more top spec Tekna models out there, so you should be able to find one of those for a similar amount of money to a lesser Acenta+. Doing so will mean you’ll benefit from useful extras such as the 360deg camera system and rear parking sensors.

We also prefer the automatic gearbox over the clunky manual. While the manual has been improved from 2019 onwards, we’d still go for the seven-speed automatic. This also means you’ll need to choose the most powerful version of the 2.3-litre diesel engine, but since it has similar running costs to the lesser engine, this shouldn’t be a major issue.

Our favourite Nissan Navara: 2.3 DCi [188bhp] Tekna auto

The Toyota Hilux is a popular pick-up and has the best payload capacity of any current vehicle of this type. The infotainment isn’t much cop and the driving experience leaves a lot to be desired, but it is a dependable vehicle that can tackle anything you'd care to throw at it.

If you need more chassis and power choices, you’ll need a Ford Ranger. You can have a relatively efficient four-cylinder diesel or a more potent five-cylinder unit, and there are single, crew or dual cab body styles available.

The Volkswagen Amarok is our current Pick-up of the Year for very good reason. It’s the most civilised vehicle of its type to drive and its powerful 3.0-litre V6 diesel makes it pretty quick.

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