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Hi there, I am looking at purchasing a vehicle to use for work where I will be commuting 5 days a week between Rotorua and Whakatane. I have been looking at a Nissan Tiida. What is your opinion on this vehicle for commuting? I am looking at the 1.5l and 1.8 litre option. Would the 1.5l be sufficient in terms of power? What about in terms of safety?
Thank you

The Tiida is listed as having a 4 star ANCAP safety rating, so is quite good in this regard and compares favourably with its competitors in this sector.
Power-wise, the 1.5 should be adequate for the type of use you require, although the 1.8 may be preferable.
From a long-term reliability perspective, try to find one with the tradidional 4 speed automatic transmission in preference to the CVT which most of the Japanese import models seem to have.

Thank you. If the owner does not know this information about the transmission, could I get this from the VIR?

The VIR may tell you, but it's not guaranteed. It depends on how the car was registered and entered into the NZTA system. Due to all automatic cars, regardless on the type of transmission being referred to as "automatic", unless they were entered as CVT, they will show as Automatic.
To give you a guide, CVT transmissions don't have any discernable gear shift, so when you drive the car, if you can't feel it changing gear it will be a CVT.
If in doubt, a Nissan dealer Parts Dept will be able to tell you if you provide the chassis number or registration number.