... It was regularly serviced by a main Nissan dealership by the previous owner. The exterior was in marvellous condition for its age, and even with little upkeep it is still is in excellent condition. Most who know me are more than aware of how much I love my car, I like nothing better than to ... Read review
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A review by chocoholic on Nissan Micra 1.0 March 31st, 2004
Author's Car rating:
Safety
Poor
Comfort
Good
Road Handling
Good
Security
Good
Looks
Good
Advantages:
Cheap to run, well behaved, easy to park !
Disadvantages:
Don't expect much status . . .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full car review
I have been the proud owner of a second hand used Micra 1.0 (five door) for the past six months. It was regularly serviced by a main Nissan dealership by the previous owner. The exterior was in marvellous condition for its age, and even with little upkeep it is still is in excellent condition. Most who know me are more than aware of how much I love my car, I like nothing better than to go for a zoom down country roads in this car. Unlike most Micras mine is most comfortable when purring along at motorway speeds. I will go into the pros and cons of the Micra later on, initially lets get the fairly technical bits out of the way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BACKGROUND ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In 1993 the second generation Micra arrived. The improvements on the older boxier models were plentiful and impressive back in the day. Main changes include more space, superior modification and additional functions. And significantly the post-1993 Micra was built to far higher standards than previously in the UK.
British-built Micra’s have 16-valve engines for fantastic performance with greater refinement than most small cars. The revolutionary 16 valve engines, improved things radically back in the day.
My Micra has a one litre (998cc) engine with a manual gear box. I have done well in excess of 5,000 miles in this car and now am familiar with the workings of this minute yet life-enhancing machine (LOL!).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE EXTERIOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Micra has had a fair amount of enhancements on the exterior including mouldings, revamped bumpers, and my favourite improvement has to be the restyled front grille and new front and rear headlights. I was lucky enough to get a colour coded bumper which does not come as standard apparently. The Micra is available in both metallic and matt finishes, I prefer the metallic colours and mine is a bright blue colour!
In my opinion my Micra is the best shape compared to the earlier boxier shape, and the new third generation Micra which looks okay from the front but I’m not keen on the shape of the rear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE INTERIOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the inside we have the standard instruments and controls such as the all-important speedometer/ odometer, fuel indicator and coolant temperature gauge. Perplexingly my Micra lacks a tachometer (rev-counter). Bizarre as it is often difficult to distinguish whether the car is idling, and annoying as my car has a tendency to quietly cutout on me now and then with no warning. It would help if I could keep an eye on the revs to see what is going on. My mechanic can find no fault with the car and tuned the engine to make sure everything is fine. Anyone with any advice on this- please leave a comment!
Other important controls include the windscreen wiper and washer switch (mine also has a rear one), headlight beam selector, power door lock, and a lever that can open the bonnet and petrol filler lid. As with most cars there is a useful glovebox on the passenger side. Other sources of storage are the shelves attached to the front inside doors. Perfect for cans/ glass wipes/ tissues etc. Boot space is sufficient for a single female like myself though families/ people going on holiday may find it a bit of a squeeze.
Its high body makes sensible use of interior space. As the car doesn’t have air conditioning, it also has an essential sunroof which is simple to use. The upholstery is nothing to write home about- is grey and matches the grey dashboard (urghhhh - who designed that?). Though on the bright side it camouflages the dust that has started to collect recently ;-)
The standard Nissan stereo that comes with the Micra isn’t really that wonderful though does the job and is better than NO stereo. Within a few months my passenger side speaker started crackling and I am going to replace it soon. Am waiting for an excuse to justify the expense. I do spend a fair bit of my time driving, and no music would send me to auto-pilot mode which is a highly dangerous situation to be in. (Tongue firmly in cheek)
Security-wise the Micra has an immobiliser and coded radio so that’s good as it’ll save money on insurance. The lack of safety features is worrying, no airbags at all in my car and that is a serious concern.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROAD TEST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As it is essential to adhere to the relevant speed limit at all times; my Micra is ideal for this purpose. I still remember the first time I test drove my Micra, I went in heavy handed like I did n my Dad’s big car. The car shot down the street even though I had applied the tiniest bit of pressure on the accelerator. I did have to change my driving habits, became smoother with the controls and began to fall in love with my car. The clutch is Even though it is a tiny car I do beat 90% of cars at the lights (agreeing that they may not be aware of the competition, but still!). Yes first and second gears are faultless. However getting to 60mph takes too long, I’m estimating 14/15 seconds and I guess that’s the downside to having a small engine.
The car has power steering which is good, though I have to admit it took a lot of getting used to. My bulging muscles (heehee- really) have disappeared after my time driving the Micra so that is a slight personal disadvantage I suppose!
With a small light body, this car is a boon to drive around busy cities, though you may find it annoyingly slow getting up to motorway speeds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ADVANTAGES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do around 180 miles a week and I’ve not forked out more than £20 on petrol for the week. It is amazingly economical. Also the insurance is cheap, mine was around £600 and seeing as its my first car that’s not bad at all. Road Tax is £110 for the year which is low-priced due to the small engine size.
Driving around congested traffic is easier when you are in a nippy little car, weaving in and out of small spaces makes journeys quicker. Parking is also a lot simpler, which I really appreciate!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DISADVANTAGES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want your car to impress all your mates then maybe a Micra is not for you. A sports car it ain’t, and thankfully it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It is often associated with Learners and the elderly bless them. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest- in fact I enjoy the double take other drivers give me when I’m overtaking them/ beating them at the lights/ parking in 0.5 seconds…
I’ve found that getting into the car is a nightmare in below freezing conditions. The key should be heated and De-Icer should be sprayed around edges of doors to get the damn things open. Also I’m told the door handles can become brittle and fall off, though thankfully that’s not happened to me yet. The best precaution to guard against this is to get the handles sprayed the same colour as your pantwork.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONCLUSION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personally I have found performance to be better than most suggest. Regular servicing (every 9,000 miles) is a must with this car and will hopefully stop any major problems from occurring.
The plentiful number of Micras available has brought prices down, adding to the appeal of the humble Micra. However if you are buying a Micra take a close look at the previous owner history. If used by Driving Schools I would avoid like the plague. I remember my own Learner days, I am amazed the car lasted all the revving and stalling. It doesn’t do a car any good in the long run.
Overall I am more than happy with my Micra. Even if I won the Lottery tomorrow I’d probably just upgrade to a newer one with all the mod-cons like electric windows, air-conditioning, flash stereo etc.
LINKS http://fish4.co.uk/cars/
www.nissan-micra.co.uk
Thanks for reading my FIRST (and possibly last) tech review!
Advantages: Reliable, fairly cheap to run Disadvantages: Ugly, no fun to drive, heavy steering, expensive dealer servicing
...would unburden myself about my Nissan Micra.
I currently commute 50 miles per day, mainly on a dual carriageway and the M25. My mode of transport for this daily delight is a Micra 1 litre Persuasion “special edition”, although I have never worked out how it differs from a normal Equation model except for the badge on the boot, or what is supposed to be special about it.
My wife and I bought the car for her 5 years ago when she was commuting ... ...in the past, but the Nissan saps any enthusiasm within seconds of getting inside. The seats are not particularly comfortable and the whole interior, while sturdy, is basic, uninviting and dominated by a dashboard which looks as if it were designed for a 4 year old – lots of large knobs and dials and acres of grey plastic.
As for performance, first gear is quite promising, second not quite so good, then after that forget it. Over 40mph it sort ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Cost, Reliability, small car performance, CVT Automatic Transmisson Disadvantages: Higher running cost than Manual Tansmission Model
...regularly serviced by a main Nissan dealership. The bodywork was in super condition for its age with no visible signs of deterioration, such as rust marks.
My Micra has a one litre (998cc) engine with CVT (automatic transmission) rather than the more popular traditional manual gear box, which makes it stand out from the crowd. I’m not too technically minded but having owed several cars over the years and driven countless thousands of miles – the ... ...gained a terrible reputation, however, Nissan seem to have conquered most of the niggles. The ride is very smooth and comfortable. For a small 998cc engine realistically you cannot fault the pick up from standing start, although a comparable manual box would drive away faster moving up the gears. I have driven two litre automatics and although ride and performance was better, the Micra CVT handles extremely well, less expensive to run, and much, ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Reliable, Cheap to run and insure Disadvantages: None in my opinion
...half later i’d bought a nissan micra. The car in question is sat out on the drive as i type. the documentation claims it’s a micra muzic but it would have to be metallic sky blue not red, it did have the muzic door stickers but i guess it was someone having a laugh at the sunderland factory when it was built. yes it’s a british (japanese) car. In the three and a half years i’ve owned this car it has never missed a beat, never broken down (tempting ... ...No he explained it’s the Nissan Anti Theft System, you have to code the key to the car. I still wasn’t happy about the price and was able to sort a deal out with Lex Autosales and got it for trade (£20). NATS if you were wondering (as I’m sure you are) is an engine immobiliser no coded key no ignition. Not that the Micra is well known for its appeal to joyriding twockers. (TWOC – taken without owners consent) That said I also use a large steering ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Small, nippy, cheap to run/insure/tax Disadvantages: Age of mine, heavy with no power steering
...thing (only the key from Nissan and for the specific car will work). The lack of air con doesnt bother me. Open the windows when you arent on a motorway, fresh air wont kill you, honestly, people used to live in it! As i said the windows arent electric but would you really expect them to be on a 13 year old car? Nor is the sunroof, so while its easy enough to open the drivers window and the roof but any other windows would be a little harder, as ... ...you're driving, it's just not safe. The radio is pretty good, not the loudest speakers I've ever come across but I don't really want deafening by music, I go to night clubs for that! The radio itself is good, on the journey down from Stirling the signal wasn't lost at any point (had Radio 1 on) even in the areas in my Fiesta and in my Dad's 307 I would have lost the signal completely and been forced to find another frequency for it, the Micra radio ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Cheaper on petrol, insurance and Road tax. Easier to park and get around town. Disadvantages: Not as much space as a larger car, lacking in safety and security features.
...but my old love, the Nissan Micra.
~Why buy?~
Well, for me it isn't the first time I have owned a Micra I used to own one years back and quite honestly I missed my small car just a little. Having had a huge 6 seater for the last year or so going back to a small car was going to be a little hard so I decided to go back to something I knew and of course a company I trusted so the Micra was an obvious choice for me.
~The Exterior~
The shape of the ... ...work out I might add, Nissan obviously thought it was too simple to put in their owner's manual but I think not). The indicators and lights are on the left hand side in Nissans, the complete opposite to my Kia so I have been washing my windows an awful lot more then necessary lately as the wipers are located on the right hand side! There is a standard size glovebox on the passenger side and various shelves and pockets to pop things in yet only one ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: I couldn’t be more happy with the service I received Disadvantages: There are no disadvantages I can think of
...to me at incredibly good rates.
I can now say that after that day I am a proud owner of a NissanMicra Twister 1.0 and a few months after a bought my car, my dad went back to the same dealership and purchased a Nissan Almera (and the salesman even asked how I was getting on with Micra!)...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: See opinion Disadvantages: See opinion
...model.
Depreciaion
The NissanMicras hold there value quite well we payed about £900 in 1997 for ours with 55,000 miles on the clock in above average condition.Brand new they once costed £5,295 ON THE ROAD
Overall~
Overall i dont think NissanMicras are bad cars i think we just got a bad one if you can find a H reg 1.2 GLX which is the posh spec model with about 60,000 miles 75,000 max with a bit of history in abover average condition your safe paying up to about £800.
This op is on the NissanMicra1.0 LS, I know this is the 1200cc section but i have all ready written about a NissanMicra1.0 S which was brand new.
LAST OPINION FOR A FEW WEEKS AS IM GOING TO SPAIN 9AM TOMMORO!!!!!!!
Feedback most appreciated.
Well this week it was time to part with my old Micra!.I will be left carless...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Good all-rounder Disadvantages: Too wide
...I learned to drive in my father’s Audi 80 TDI, and I can tell you it was one hell of an experience. Going from my instructor’s NissanMicra1.0l to this baby, I kind of felt like I was driving a tank. Nowadays, I’ve got a lot more respect for it. Although getting on a bit at 6 years old, the Audi 80 had retained it’s classic looks and still drives well. Not very practical for around the town, this car is more suited to high-speed roads where the engine can be used to it’s full potential. As with most diesels, the top speed of the 80 is nothing to write home about, but the acceleration when the turbo kicks in is quite impressive. As for the interior, fairly basic but stylish - there’s electric wing mirrors, electric sunroof and a decent enough sound system. The drive itself is smooth, the power steering helps with parking and you...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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