Nissan Micra 1.0

I bought a second hand used Micra 1.0 two door/hatch saloon at the beginning of 2003. Colour Red , on a ‘P’ plate, with 34,000 miles on the clock; well looked after by its previous owners (2), and 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 length and breadth of the UK – reckon my opinion is as good as any average motorist. Secondly, owning a car is not simply a luxury for me as I rely on it for independent transport since using public transport is difficult.
Reliability is more important perhaps than comfort since this has an impact on running costs.

As someone with a mild physical disability, I passed my test in the 1980’s driving a British Leyland Mini Metro 1300 Automatic, so my full licence is restricted to driving cars with automatic transmission only. This is a positive point really because having owned five different makes of cars over the years, and driven rentals too, at least one could say I’m more qualified than most to give a balanced opinion on automatics.

The Micra’s automatic transmission is the CVT type (belt driven) opposed to the standard automatic 3 : 4 gear-box When they first brought out the CVT it 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, much better than British Leyland’s now defunct 3 speed automatic 1.3 litre Mini-Metro. I ran one for over two years in the 1980’s and there’s no comparison in terms of ride and performance, the Micra is far better.

Compared to a traditional automatic (sic), the difference most drivers would notice, with CVT (belt) transmission, is there’s not ‘creep’ when in neutral, so it handles like a normal manual box ‘standing still’.

This model has power assisted steering which makes parking a doodle; negotiating tight bends and manoeuvring in reverse is easy and completed effortlessly. The one litre engine gives a top speed over 80 mph and although suited to normal roads brilliantly, for a small car copes, with motorways surprisingly well. OK you can’t compete with the larger cars on motorways but then you don’t expect too. The power-to-weight ratio is just about right, and for a small car is all you’d realistically expect ….. and more..

So far fuel economy is very reasonable at approaching 40 mpg, and not too far short of the manual geared version.

Interior comfort is good and my passengers don’t complain. Room in the back is restricted, however, with two doors, opposed to four, most adults have no trouble sitting in the back.

Boot space is a little cramped for luggage but it is well proportioned and presents no problem handling normal suitcases.

To date I haven’t had any mechanical problems with the engine or other fitments. Servicing is after 12,000 miles (I think) or 12 months intervals which ever occurs first.

Residual second-hand resale value is above average apparently for the Nissan Micra 1.0 CVT model. As the garage who sold it to me remarked these ‘autos’ …… “are very much in demand”. Now a garage salesman would say that wouldn’t he, but having owned the Micra for over 9 months now I’ve checked this out on the Internet and this is a fair point.

Road Fund Tax is at £110 for 12 months as the model qualifies for the small engine discount.

Insurance is very respectable too. This depends on your driving record but with over five years no claims discount, typically expect to pay around the £170 - £250 mark for fully comprehensive cover : depending on geographical location, drivers record and other factors. As with all insurance, it’s worth shopping around, obtaining more than one quote. Tesco do a good deal and Lloyds TSB have given me an excellent quote for next renewal.

For anyone contemplating buying second-hand Micra with CVT transmission, especially on a tight budget, I would recommend having the car mechanically inspected by a friend in the trade or paying for an AA inspection. If you do have problems with the CVT it can be expensive to fix but that’s similar to most cars with automatic (rather than manual) transmission.

Finally, most motorists can drive manual geared cars, and if they want to, automatics. True, a manual model would be cheaper to buy and maintain probably . However, I’d certainly recommend the Nissan Micra to anyone like me who must drive a model with automatic transmission, albeit CVT. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the performance compared to similar models. Power steering is a plus point even on a small car. Oh, nearly forgot, for added safety, this model came fitted with an air-bag on the drivers side.

Happy and safe motoring, cheers!

P.S. I’d be very pleased to hear from any readers who own other models of automatics if they’d like to leave their comments in my Guestbook on Ciao. Thanks.