... If you are looking for a cheap & reliable used car either to use as the main family vehicle or as a second car why not consider this particular Nissan Micra.
This particular model is no longer available new but there are still thousands on the road in the UK & many up for sale in garage ... Read review
Hatchback - Front (FWD) - 5 Speed Manual, 4 Speed Automatic, 5 Speed Manual Gearbox - 1240 cc - Max Speed: 104, 96 mph - 80, 65 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: E, Sport, Tekna, Visia, Acenta, SE, S
Advantages: Cheap & reliable, easy to repair, refined, well built Disadvantages: Lacks an image, noisy timing chains
...why not consider this particular Nissan Micra.
This particular model is no longer available new but there are still thousands on the road in the UK & many up for sale in garage forecourts. I once worked at a Nissan dealership when this model was introduced & also run one for three years so I can speak from experience.
There have been Nissan Micras since 1983, the original model (K10 series) was a big seller in the UK ... ...getting stuck.
Nissan upgraded the model around 1998 & tried to eliminate the 'cutey' look from the front end by giving the Micra bigger headlamps & a more aggressive grille, the rear lamps were changed & the dash up graded. They also introduced bigger engines.
What should I look out for if I am buying one?
The smooth 16 valve engine can suffer from noisy timing chains at high mileage, this is a labour intensive ... more
In the current economic climate we are currently experiencing, many people are downsizing their large cars for smaller ones to save on the cost of fuel. If you are looking for a cheap & reliable used car either to use as the main family vehicle or as a second car why not consider this particular Nissan Micra.
This particular model is no longer available new but there are still thousands on the road in the UK & many up for sale in garage forecourts. I once worked at a Nissan dealership when this model was introduced & also run one for three years so I can speak from experience.
There have been Nissan Micras since 1983, the original model (K10 series) was a big seller in the UK & became a favourite with the older generation thanks to its low running costs & reliability. It was a rather dull looking car with a tinny feel to it but it was as tough as old boots mechanically. This particular model I am reviewing is the K11 series & was introduced in January 1993 one month after winning the prestigious international car of the year award. It was the first time a Japanese company had won this award but the car was actually built in the UK. Although it was designed in Japan, it is a British car. It remained in production for nearly 10 years before being replaced by the latest K12 series, currently in production.
To make it more appealing to young people the car was designed with a more modern rounded look; many felt it had a 'cutey' look about it which put off many young male buyers. You would be hard pushed to find a right angle on the outside as all the body panels have a curve. It is little wonder it won car of the year award as it took big car features such as refinement & built them into a small car. It was one of the few small cars to feature what was then an advanced twin cam 16 valve engine & it also featured a revolutionary CVT automatic transmission as an option.
There were two engine options when introduced, a 1000cc & 1300cc version with either a five speed manual gearbox or the automatic CVT gearbox. In 1993 the Micra could be purchased in four trim options, 'L' the basic model with horrible steel wheels with plastic centre caps, no rear wiper, radio & a stark looking interior. The 'LX' was more popular as it added full size wheel trims, radio cassette, rear wash/wipe & a nicer interior. The 'S' model featured more electrical toys, alloy wheels, tailgate spoiler & a sporty looking interior. The 'GSX' was the most luxurious with power steering, luxury interior & alloy wheels. There were many limited edition models during the production run with funky looking seat cover designs, bright colours & graphics.
They would legally sit five people, but seating four would be more comfortable with five being a tight squeeze. It was a small car but room is inside was acceptable, the back seat would fold down to increase boot space. The dash continued the rounded look with a 'swoopy' looking design but it was well finished with recycled plastics & there was ample space for odds & ends.
The Micra would drive well with a smooth clutch, slick gear change, great steering with or without power steering, safe road holding & great brakes. Fuel consumption was good, running costs low & it came with a three year warranty when most of the competition still only offered a miserable 12 months. The CVT auto versions drove like an ordinary automatic but instead of hearing & feeling the gear changes this CVT was constant so nothing could be felt or heard. In theory it was far simpler than a normal auto gearbox & more fuel efficient. The only drawback which alarmed many owners was that it wouldn't 'creep' when in 'Drive' like a conventional auto gearbox. On a hill it would roll back instead of just sitting still. It took time to get used to & you need to consider this if you want one.
The 1.3 LX model I ran for three years never had one single warranty claim against it expect for a minor safety recall in 1994. It was incredibly reliable & I know many of my friends that bought them around the same time who reported the same, one friend still has their Micra 14 years later & it still soldiers on with out any problems despite the 'dog's abuse' they give it.
They were incredible in snow, I remember driving a 300 mile journey in rather deep snow & thanks to its relatively thin tyres it took it all in its stride never getting stuck.
Nissan upgraded the model around 1998 & tried to eliminate the 'cutey' look from the front end by giving the Micra bigger headlamps & a more aggressive grille, the rear lamps were changed & the dash up graded. They also introduced bigger engines.
What should I look out for if I am buying one? The smooth 16 valve engine can suffer from noisy timing chains at high mileage, this is a labour intensive job & can become quite costly to replace. I have never heard of a chain breaking but the noise can be worrying.
The manual gearboxes are sturdy but the clutches are very small even for such a small car. They don't last as long as many other larger clutches but are very easy & therefore cheap to replace. The Micra was popular with driving schools so look out for ex-instruction cars with worn out clutches. Usually the holes in the bulk head where the dual controls were fitted is the give-a-way.
The CVT automatic models were fantastic to drive but I have heard of a number of the gearboxes failing & they are very expensive to replace. The heater fans would sometimes only work on the fastest speed & this was due to failure of the heater motor resistors. These are quite cheap to replace costing around £35.00 & take only 10 minutes to change as they are located behind the glove box for easy access. Electrics were a strong point with the Micra which featured good quality sealed connectors. Door locks would often seize up due to lack of lubrication & you would find it difficult to turn the key on the lock. A blast of WD40 in the lock will release them so replacing the lock isn't necessary. The outside tailgate handles were plastic & often broke, despite being plastic they are quite expensive to replace at around £50.00 plus fitting. Steering & suspension was hardy, some shock absorbers would leak on higher mileage cars but you would expect that on any car these days. Brake discs often corrode but they are cheap & easy to replace.
Would I recommend buying one? The answer to that is yes I would, they are available these days for reasonable money & they cost very little to run. They are good on fuel, cheap on insurance, easy to fix & retain their value quite well. Okay, you won't get an adrenalin rush driving one, but they are reliable & very likeable vehicles, oh! & their British.
Basic Spec: Engines: 1000cc or 1300cc Gearboxes; 5-speed manual or CVT automatic Servicing: Every 9000miles or 12 months Fuel consumption 1000cc 47.1mpg urban, 58.8mpg constant 56mph. 1000cc CVT model 46.3mpg urban, 54.3mpg constant 56mph. 1300cc 42.8mpg urban, 57.6mpg constant 56mph.
Advantages: Cheap to run, reliable & others in summary Disadvantages: Not aerodynamic, rattly & others in summary
...1998 I bought a new Nissan Micra 1.3 GX for £9,300, but due to the fall in new car prices and the fact that air conditioning has been made standard on some models, I could now buy an equivalent car (1.4 litre) for about £8,500. It came with 3 years’ warranty, two years’ free servicing and 1 year’s free insurance. I chose a Micra as I had hired one in Ireland and I found it great for bouncing around the winding country roads. I was ... ...a small car. The Nissan Micra is a cute little bubble car, which suits my needs. You can clearly see out of all of the windows (which cannot be said of some sports cars), which helps with my poor reversing. The boot is tiny. I carry a plastic box full of emergency equipment, e.g. blanket, jump leads, warning triangle, and this takes one third of the boot room. You can fold down the split back seats quite easily to give more carrying room, but the ...
offy 05.02.2002 (10.02.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.3
Advantages: Cheap to run, Doesn't go wrong, very reliable Disadvantages: Looks, Image
...experience with a couple of Nissan Micras. Soon after passing my driving test I had a 1.0 litre 3 door Micra at my disposal and six months later a 1.3 litre 3 door. I should point out I had no choice in what car I was driving and to be honest I certainly would not have been driving a Micra had I any choice, but I didn’t mind broadening my horizons. My 1.0 litre was in a lurid shade of green called Apple Green and it certainly caught the eye ... ...it. I feel sorry for Nissan service centres, they don’t get much work apart from routine servicing especially with Micras. Nissan is up there with the very best when it comes to reliability and of course the Micra is British built. Now reliability may not be the be all and end all, but I would definitely not buy a car that had a poor reliability record. Neither of my Micras had any problems at all, not even a light bulb failed. Some of my peers ...
Shamsher78 06.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.3
Advantages: Handy and compact Disadvantages: Uncomfortable on long journeys and no top end.
...with is a nice new Nissan Micra 1.3. Only 700 miles on the clock and ready for some abuse.
On looking at the Micra, it looks like a joke car. Its more of a bubble than a car with rounded edges wherever you look.
The paintwork is a shiny Red with no obvious flaws. The colour coded bumpers make it a little bit too Red for my liking.
You have a read window wiper on this mini hatchback. Handy as monst little cars leave this off. Its nice to be able ... ...Something my plastic windowed Vitara prevents.
Mentioning the hatchback, the boot is reflective of the car's size. Small. Unless you intend to do a very small food shop or intending on dieting soon, this car is not for you. OK for mum on a school run if the kids are young but lousy for anything else.
Inside is like stepping into a very basic, but functional, small cheap brand car. The doors feel very light when closing although the claim to have ...
buzzplane 14.01.2002
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.3
Advantages: Reliable, cheap to run and fun to drive. Disadvantages: Check the bodywork when buying
I bought a 1.3 Nissan Micra SR about three years ago and am now a devoted Micra fan. This little car is fun to drive, nippy, has low insurance premiums and a high "awww" factor for cute, bubbly looks. It is perfect for driving around town, and is also more than capable of long motorway driving. A nice little "all-rounder". Even my boyfriend likes it!
The running costs of this car are low - low insurance, comes under the reduced tax rate, and because ... ...no complaints. The engine starts with no problems every time, even in winter. An ultra reliable car!
So if you are thinking of buying a new car, may I suggest that you run your eye over the Nissan Micra. It's well worth the look. I highly recommend them. ...
louiswinthorpe 04.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.3
Advantages: reliable, nippy, easy to park, longlasting Disadvantages: expensive parts
I bought my Micra, a three-door M-reg 1.3 LX, for £800 in August 2004. The price sounds amazing but this is because it had more than 150,000 miles on the clock. Everyone thought I must be mad to buy a car with such high mileage but I liked it and I'm SOOO glad I didn't listen to them.
This car has been brilliant. I always buy older cars and in the past I have always had a few problems along the way and thought it par for the course. But apart from ... ...and it's never once failed to start or let me down in any way. I have been told that Micras are capable of lasting for longer than some other cars because they have chains instead of timing belts, so I'm hoping to hold onto it for a lot longer yet, even though I do put in about 15,000 miles a year myself.
The Micra has the advantages of being a small car in that it's easy to manoevre and park but also has a decent size engine so you can motor along ...
swarden 03.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.3
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Advantages: Only £25 for a full tank!! Disadvantages: Don't expect too much speed
I bought my 3 door NissanMicra 2 years ago second hand in a private sale and it has been the most reliable car I've had. It came with central locking (great for driving alone at night), an alarm and a full service history.
The running cost of my Micra is fantastic! It can easily do 230 miles using only about £20 worth of petrol. And because it's only a 1.0 engine, insurance can be dirt cheap.
Although I drive frequently on the motorway, this car was not built for speed - especially if you are not the only one in the car! I've driven with two other people in the car and my top speed was only 50mph.
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knights1980 30.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.0
Advantages: The looks and the fuel type is amazing and the insurance group. Disadvantages: Not that much safety and the comfort.
NissanMicra's come in a 1.0 litre hatchback they mostly come in 5 doors or 3 doors. The performance on the road is very nippy, 3/5 also the handling and the ride is quite the same. These Micra's are great insurance group is low fuel is great, on the otherhand the security isnt becuase some micras from 1994-1998 dont have any alarm or anything but ll models have plenty of airbags.
The ownership is great buying and selling is easy and no hassle to sell these nippy motors are Quality & reliability many people gave the ownership a 4/5.
These 1.0litre micras changed a lot from the 1900's till know there are over 100,000 micras know in the U.K. The looks of a micra is great thats what attracts people to buy these cars. 9/10 people voted that micras are good for first drivers. ...
mujtabaa123 30.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.0
Advantages: Reliability,Comfort,mature drive,eqipment levels,good value for money. Disadvantages: Peformance,Looks.
Well yes im back and no one is going to stop me from sharing my experiances test driving some brand new small eastern cars.As some of you may know that i am at the moment looking for a new car.I thought very carfully about test driving the NissanMicra as my Mum has the older Micra which has been nothing but trouble since day one.As i am only planning to keep the car for only 18 months and with the 1 year RAC cover and 3yr 36,000 mile warranty what can go wrong!.
I arrived at my local Nissan dealer as i booked a test drive over the phone i could test drive the model of my choice which is the NissanMicra1.0 S 3dr.Yes i know its bottom of the range but thats all i can afford right now!!!!!!!!!.
In the cabin it felt light and airy which is exactly what i wanted.It had all the equipment which i was expectinging for my money at even ...
wilsam00 13.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Nissan Micra 1.0
