- Lanarkshire owner’s Qashqai passes 250,000 miles.
- 1.5-litre dCi diesel in Tekna trim.
- Bought as a 3,000-mile demonstrator in December 2017.
- Original exhaust and clutch still fitted.
- More than four million Qashqais sold across Europe.
Craig Baker, who lives in Lanarkshire, Scotland, has taken his 17-plate Nissan Qashqai past 250,000 miles. He bought the crossover with money left to him by his mother, Jeanette, who died after being diagnosed with cancer, and he named it Wee Netty in her honour. “Every time I get behind the wheel, I am reminded of her,” he says.
Buying the Qashqai in secret
Baker took ownership in December 2017 without telling his family. He drove from his home in Forth to Louth in Lincolnshire, a trip of around 280 miles each way, to collect the car, and his family only found out when he arrived home late that evening.
His choice was a 1.5-litre dCi diesel in Tekna trim, which had covered 3,000 miles as a demonstrator at the dealership.
Motorway miles across the UK
At first the car saw little use. That changed when Baker became a self-employed plant operator on flood defence projects around the UK, a job that now has him covering thousands of miles every week, mostly on motorways. Work takes him to places as far apart as Cornwall and Ashford in Kent, and he says the Qashqai has never let him down.
Despite the distance, it still runs on its original exhaust and original clutch, along with some of its original rear brake components. Tyres and other wear-and-tear items have been replaced over the years, and the car has been serviced and maintained throughout. Baker points out that a quarter of a million miles is roughly the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Nissan Qashqai history and production
Launched in 2007, the Qashqai was among the first crossovers, and more than four million have since been sold across Europe. It remains one of the most popular models in the UK and is built at Sunderland alongside the Juke and the European version of the new LEAF.
A Nissan spokesperson said the model is “one of our greatest success stories thanks to its compelling combination of practical design, everyday usability and clever technologies”, and thanked Baker for sharing his story.
Supplied by Newspress UK (Nissan)
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