Car Statistics: Nissan - Patrol Series 98 (3 stars)

Styling (2 stars)

Not a great deal to speak of, really. In 2006, the vehicle received chunkier bumpers, a new radiator grille and higher wheelarches, all of which served to emphasise its incredibly large, muscular stance.

Handling (1 star)

Abysmal. It's awkward and clumsy, and its large weight constantly makes itself known. Cornering is about as graceful as a fat bloke performing a roly-poly.

Comfort (2 stars)

Despite a number of ergonomic oversights, the Patrol offers adequate room for five, and potentially seven with the optional third row. Its ride, though, is subject to a lot of bumps and knocks, while road and wind noise soon becomes a cacophony.

Quality (3 stars)

Build quality is high, and reliability is a large part of the vehicle's appeal as a work truck. Drive this like you would a car, though, and you'll get through a fair number of brake pads.

Performance (2 stars)

Despite the presence of a torquey 3.0-litre engine, this is certainly not a high-performance SUV, and although its 0-62mph time of 15.2 seconds means it's able to keep up with traffic, after a while its sluggish pace becomes frustrating.

Roominess (3 stars)

Legroom is acceptable front and back, though headroom isn't particularly impressive. Boot space is vast, although the way the third row of seats is stored eats into space quite considerably.

Costs (2 stars)

It's a huge vehicle with a big engine, so its fuel consumption figure of 26.2mpg is largely to be expected. With C02 emissions of 288g/km, the Patrol is well into VED band G, bringing an extremely hard-hitting annual road tax bill of £400.

Value (4 stars)

Given its supreme off-road abilities, in basic Trek form the Patrol offers very reasonable value. It's far more realistically priced than the Land Rover Defender, for instance, and better to drive on-road too.

Stereo (3 stars)

The basic, single-CD stereo offers a nice sound, while the Amazon's sat-nav is the same model you'll find in virtually any Nissan: good quality and easy to operate, though lacking a touch-screen facility.