IT IS altogether sadder because its true, but we only really appreciate things when they have gone. It was so with the Nissan Primera SX.
Why get so emotional over a motor car? Well, simply because it did a lot of things very well, nothing really badly and it must be the most under-stated car on UK roads. Oh, and it will make a TV star out of your kids.
Visually I think it is one of the few main segment cars which does look different to the rest - whether or not you like its appearance is a matter of taste - and it comes with a host of highly desirable features normally found in more expensive cars.
But making the kids into TV stars is not something you can find in most cars costing twice as much. How come? Well, the Primera gets a rear mounted camera to aid reversing and in the SX it's a colour camera.
Not only does this make reversing, well, child's play, but it also seems to attract the kids and turn them into potential players in Tracey Beaker.
Enjoyable as that may be for them and amusing for the driver, the real benefit is being able to see precisely how far and where you can reverse.
It's all helped at the other end as well by having a very light steering, but I wish it had a tighter turning circle nevertheless. You end up doing a lot of arm twirling to ease it into parking spaces which can be finely judged thanks to that camera.
Nissan believes the five-door SX with its newly developed 2.2 litre diesel engine will account for half of all the model's sales, and I can believe that.
Taken from the X-Trail but retuned to suit the saloon, the 2.2 dCI comes with a very useful six-speed manual gearbox. It's fairly respectable through the gears, cruises quietly and returns very good economy figures.
Brakes and steering are easy and the handbrake is effective on a steep slope, while the secondary controls flow around the driver and work well. Instruments are big and clear, backed up by a selection of warning lights.
Temperature controls are very simple and the air con system works well, with powered windows supporting it as well.
Standard equipment on the SX includes six-slot CD, auto-dimming rear mirror, cruise control and front fog lamps.
Boot space is big and easy to use and passengers find access to the cabin unrestricted and once inside it's one of the roomiest cars in the class, particularly for head-space.
Seats adjust well but tall people may wish for longer cushions in the front. It is comfortable even over very bumpy bits and you can hear how hard the system is working.
Visibility, particularly with that rear camera, is very good, while the rain sensing wipers and bright lights give excellent forward sight in poor visibility.
The Primera makes no pretence of being a performance car, but rather it will keep up with the flow in a very comfortable manner. The handling is safe if staid and roadholding is reasonable but not remarkable.
At the price it is an attractive package but against that you have to look at the lower than average residual value three years down the line.
If you can buy the Nissan Primera SX with an attractive discount then the low second hand value is of less significance, but paying full price or acquiring on finance is not the best deal possible and something you would not want to look back on in a few years.
Nissan Primera 2.2 dCi SX
Price: £16,250
Mechanical: 138bhp, 2,184cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 126 mph
0-62mph: 10.2 secs
Combined mpg: 46.3
Insurance group: 9
CO2 emissions: 164g/km
BiK rating: 21%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint