In recent months we have had some readers asking our opinion on a used simple family car that will not depreciate a lot in the next 4-5 years and will be able to do long distance travels at a sensible cost. Especially relevant now that our roads have opened up at long last!

Our immediate reaction was to suggest the Perodua Alza. One cannot go wrong with this family friendly wagon. Then when we started researching its used value, we stumbled upon a better option that has been forgotten by us, and probably you too.

The Nissan Livina X-Gear which is a 5 seater version of the popular 7-seater Grand Livina. The X-Gear was launched in 2011 and it came with a distinct shape, accented by body-side mouldings and stylish over-fenders to differentiate it from the normal Nissan Grand Livina. A completely new Livina is supposed to arrive sometime next year.

The X-Gear was powered by a sensible and reliable HR16DE engine, which is a 1.6-litre DOHC, 16 Valve, All-Aluminium in-line 4-cylinder with Drive-by-Wire Technology producing 103 hp at 5,200 rpm and 150 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm with fuel consumption at 13.8 km per litre. It was priced at RM84,800 at launch and today its used price after 10 years hovers between RM18,000 to RM28,000 in the used car market.

In case you were curious, a used 9-10-year-old Perodua Alza sells for between RM24,000 to RM33,000. Yes, it has that small third row seat and Daihatsu engineering underneath, however it is hard to find a good condition unit was many have been used for various business reasons.  

Complementing the Livina X-Gear’s handsome exterior is a spacious yet comfortable interior accentuated by a “Tartan” fabric seat and door trim. Head and legroom are class-leading, complemented by 60:40 split-fold rear seats that double the available luggage space from 383L to 769L when folded down which will provide ample space for grocery shopping, cuti-cuti Malaysia holiday or an out-of-town mountain bike trip. When required, the Livina X-Gear’s roof rail has a further load carrying capacity of 25kg.

In March 2014 there was a facelift introduced and its selling price went up a little to RM89,800.

In August 2019 Nissan initiated an airbag recall for this model and made sure your unit has this done already.

What to look out for? Well, it’s a Nissan, so reliability is good and parts are easy to find anywhere in Malaysia. Yes, the Nissan network of parts and easy fix by the average mechanic makes this a reliable family car. Plus, with a shared Grand Livina powertrain it makes parts pricing very reasonable.

Used car dealers have many units on sale. So, take your time to shop around. Issues that some have shared. This car does not have a rear air-conditioning vent. No problem as the front center vents blow cool air quite quickly to the rear.

This car is light on the steering feel and easy to work around tight city roads. On a test drive check that the gearbox shifts smoothly and with no jerks. Engine should be quiet and only the A/C compressor will be making its usual humming noise. Interior trim should still be intact and fine like other Nissans of the same age.

As always, get a single owner car with as much service history as possible and make sure the airbag recall was done. If you do not get confirmation on this, then walk away and look at the next unit for sale. 

Why not try your luck and find a Nissan Livina X-Gear that comes with a 180-point inspection report under Mudah’s new mVIP listings HERE.