Have a picture of Nissan Micra 1.2 S?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of Rona.
| Performance | 6.9/10 |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 6.5/10 |
| Value for Money | 6/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 5.7/10 |
| Overall Rating | 6.1/10 |
By jazzRS360
on 17th Mar 2006
| Year Manufactured | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 1 week |
| Doors | 3 |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 8/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 8/10 |
| | |
Pleasant drive, individual looks, very easy to park, economical, lots of character
Tiny boot, but not much else.
To be fair I haven't had the Micra long. About a week in fact, although I have driven it a lot in that time for work etc. Its courtesy of the insurance company who are repairing my damaged Skoda Octavia vRS Turbo.
This 1.2 80bhp model is surprisingly good for a little engine. They suggest a 0-60mph time of around 13 seconds, but on researching an Autocar roadtest, this little nipper can actually do it in a proven 10.5 seconds. Alright, I'm used to quite a lot of power beneath my right foot and so this feels feeble in comparison, but even I can appreciate the urge this little engine has- a sprint time like that puts this in competition with an older shape Fiesta 1.6 Zetec-S (at low speeds at least.) For something as standard and as unassuming as this, it is superb. For all you young drivers out there, insurance is also really low, something like group 2 or 3, and if it's almost as quick as a Zetec-S, well, you're on to a winner, aren't you? Obviously that Ford is far sharper and sportier in every other way, but off the lights the Micra can still put up a startling fight...
The drive is oh-so-easy, and although I don't really like the steering, it's too light for my taste, its precise and the car handles well, if a little wobbly on tight bends. On the motorway, the Micra is composed, although in high winds its not as stable as what I'm used to.
If a BMW comes past I don't bother push my luck, but most other small-engined superminis are left embarrassed, which is a pleasing sight.
Equipment is even good, with c/l and a CD radio. Space isn't as good as some rivals, but it's adequate, and it's looks, although slightly frog-like, grow on you after a while.
Before I had driven this car, I'd have written off the Micra as just "another little city crawler with nothing to it," but I disagree now. Its a genuinely decent car in it's own right.
Mind you, that doesn't stop me bugging the company to hurry up with my VRS, though!

| Helpful | Unhelpful | Agree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Total Respect: +1