Almera accompanies Mr. Hoang and his family through Vietnam – Photo: NVCC
* How was your last family trip with this Almera?
– My trip lasted about 5,200 km. I went with my wife, 3 year old son, biological mother and mother in law. I drive.
On the first day, the family departed Binh Duong, then passed through the Central Highlands and then Highway 1A to Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, skirting the northern mountainous provinces such as Son La, Dien Bien and Lao Cai.
The trip lasted about 1 month and left my family with many emotions and good memories.
The trip through Vietnam with the Almera lasted 1 month with about 5,200km – Photo: NVCC
In fact, I’ve done two other long-distance trips on the Almera before. The first trip took about 22 days, going from Binh Duong towards the Central Highlands to Hue and then back home. The next trip covers 6 western provinces in 14 days.
* With the hobby of traveling by car with the family, why did you choose to buy a class B sedan? Have you used any other car before?
– This is my first car. My initial need to buy a car was to meet the couple’s trips, so I chose a class B sedan, compact and easy to travel, but the interior space is still spacious for the whole family. Only after using it did I realize that this car is fully capable of longer journeys.
* What made you choose the Almera as your first car, and not other cars in the segment?
– Almera is the next generation Sunny with many expensive upgrades. Vehicles with more technological features, such as a 360-degree camera, blind spot alert and rear cross-traffic alert are very safe for a novice driver like me, especially when driving in bad weather that obstructs visibility. Almera’s original 360-degree camera displays very sharply and accurately with no lag as an add-on. They are equipment that no other car in the segment has.
In addition, the Almera also has a very beautiful and modern design. The light cluster and steering wheel have been completely updated compared to the previous Sunny. The car is also fuel efficient.
Also, according to my research, Nissan products have high durability. I believe that Almera is no exception.
Many features, high durability and low cost of use are 3 points that make Hoang choose Almera – Photo: NVCC
* Before making the decision to buy your first car, did you consult or obtain information from anywhere?
– When all the information is already available on the Internet, I only find out about it through Facebook groups and watching videos on YouTube, that’s enough, I don’t need anyone’s advice. After that, I went to try it out and decided to order this car.
* After 3 long trips, especially the Vietnam trip, did you find your experience with the Almera similar to your first impression and what you found on the Internet?
– Overall, I’m quite satisfied with the Almera after the last few trips. The car is roomy, fuel efficient, good soundproofing and cool air conditioning as described by those who have experienced it.
Equipped with the comfort of the car with me is enough. The safety features are clearly effective, particularly the blind-spot warning system in the rear view mirror, which helps me out really well in heavy rain and fog makes it hard to see behind.
* Xuyen Viet with 4 adults and 1 small child will certainly have a lot of luggage. Is using an urban sedan an obstacle?
– No problem. In the trunk of the car fit 1 large suitcase for my husband and wife, 3 backpacks for 3 adults, 1 small suitcase for a baby, but there is still room to pack 3 more folding chairs, and some small items like shoes. The most important thing is to know how to fold it carefully to make the most of the space in the trunk.
The seating space inside is also very spacious. When going to the northern mountainous provinces, I took another person with me, a total of 5 adults and 1 small child, and I still sat comfortably with my legs straight.
Hoang’s family with 5 adults and 1 child traveling in Vietnam – Photo: NVCC
* There are opinions about whether the Almera’s “small dot” engine is weak or the absence of rear air conditioning vents, hot or not. What do you think after experiencing the journeys away from the hot sun with many passes in the northern mountains?
– It is true that there are things that must be experienced to know instead of just looking at the parameters on paper.
As for the engine, I drove the Almera through the Pha Din pass and the O Quy Ho pass, which are two of the four great pass peaks in Vietnam. The car with full load and luggage still climbed the pass comfortably without any difficulty. Of course, one cannot demand that the car be strong with this engine, but it is enough. I just need to use the D number to go.
Next is about the air conditioning. This is a detail I researched a lot before buying a car. The absence of rear ventilation does not affect rear seat occupants much, as the car’s air conditioning cools down quickly and deeply. The two ladies sitting in the back seat were comfortable, not drunk and always fresh during the long drive.
Almera can conquer mountain passes – Photo: NVCC
* Do you have any notes on using the Almera to go over the mountain like this?
– Vehicles on hills only need to use D gear is enough. But when descending, you should switch to L and limit braking a lot. On the last trip, I had a memorable memory when I had to stop the car after driving down the Pha Din pass because I slammed on the brakes too hard, causing the car’s brake disc to heat up.
* Making many passes and using the air conditioning at full capacity, how does the car consume gas?
– Almera is very fuel efficient. During the last passage through Vietnam, I recorded the fuel consumption for the stages. On average, the car only consumes around 5.6 litres/100km. During the entire trip through Vietnam, I only filled more than 6.8 million VND with an average price of around 23,000 VND/litre.
The car saves fuel in many operating conditions and terrain – Photo: NVCC
* After more than 1 year of using the car, is there anything about the Almera that you are dissatisfied with?
– With my needs, Almera almost meets. If possible, I just want the car to have the cruise control auto-throttle feature. Going on the road with this feature is convenient.
* Have you thought about changing to another car and if so, which car?
– If I have the opportunity to change cars, I want to try the Nissan Kicks. Upon learning about the Kicks, I became interested in this model’s e-Power technology. The car uses gasoline to drive the electric motor, guaranteeing recharge without the need to wait for a charge like conventional electric cars, but still with the smoothness and power that are the advantages of electric cars.
*Thanks for sharing.
