Advice wanted re Pulsar 1.2 DIG T Manual

[rphelps]

I currently have a 2010 Nissan Note 1.6 manual petrol that has served me well from new, but I now feel the time has come to replace it. However it is apparent that the current Note is simply not up to the job as although I do a lot of town driving I also do 3-4 600 mile round trips from London to Cornwall each year.
As an alternative I was thinking of a Pulsar 1.2 DIG T which the figures give as having a slightly higher BHP and top speed than my existing Note. However I have also seen reports of this car lacking power and having to change down even on a motorway when meeting an incline.
Are there any owners of this model who can either confirm or reject this?
Grateful for any assistance.

[dAT]

The Pulsar is a completely different car and so much better than the Note in all aspects. The Pulsar feels like a sportscar compare to the Note and the 115bhp is more than enough.

More comfy, spacious, more powerful, better in all ways. I drove a Note as a rental .. works fine in the city for short distances but I would definitely choose the Pulsar over the Note everyday of the week. You get a nice boost from the turbo and you rarely have to shift down when overtaking.

[kt53]

There is a definite flat spot on the turbo which can be disconcerting until you have learned to modify your driving slightly to avoid the problem. What I have noticed is at one particular point on a regular journey I have to slow down to check for traffic coming from my right. I'm turning left on an uphill section, and could comfortably pull away in 2nd on my previous car if I hadn't come completely to a stop. Try that with the Pulsar and it bogs down and absolutely crawl away. That would have created a problem had there been a car approaching which would have allowed plenty of time to pull away and get up to speed on my previous car. Now I drop to 1st as a matter of course at that junction.
It really is just a case of getting used to the difference between the vehicles.

[cousinjack]

"There is a definite flat spot on the turbo which can be disconcerting until you have learned to modify your driving slightly to avoid the problem. "

I must agree that there appeared to be a flat spot when i first had the car Nov 16. However when it was serviced this March an upgrade to the engine management system was carried out. The flat spot is no worse now than other turbo equipped cars that i have driven. As for lacking in power going uphill the only time i have found a problem is when in 6th and and not changing down a bit sooner like going up the hill by the "Kingsley Village" on the A30 at Fraddon.

[kt53]

We're off to Torquay on Friday. I'll get a good sense of how it handles steep hills when we hit Telegraph Hill. That said, there are a few steep rises around where I live and it has handled those better than my Focus used to without changing down.

[cousinjack]

I think by the time you get near the top of Telegraph hill you will need to be changing down a gear,drop it down before the rev's drop too low.My previous car struggled with that one!! Yaris 1.33
Fwiw i took the Pulsar up to Hemel Hemstead back in Feb and had no problems with accelerating in 6th for overtaking,yes going uphill it will struggle with the likes of Telegraph hill in 6th.

Let us know how your trip goes?

Geoff

[Particulate Driver]

My 65 plate dci doesn't climb the hills well, but then I've never had a car that does, although the fault is probably mine, as I'm only light on the gas pedal.

[kt53]

I live near Gloucester and the Pulsar went up Birdlip, which is steep in parts, happily in 5th only needing to drop from 6th pretty near the top. My previous 2 litre Primera used to take it in 5th quite happily.

[Slinky]

The 1.2 pulls up hills fine, I travel along the M66 daily and just stick it into cruise, no slowing on the hills or having to change down.

[kt53]

I don't like cruise control as I really don't feel in proper control of the car when using it. I have experimented with it a couple of times, and it has done what it says on the tin.