New Nissan Micra

[ZrByte]

Does anybody own one or know someone who does?
Its beggining to look more and more likely that I wont be getting my Dads corsa as planned next year so ive been looking towards maybe getting a near new car. After reading various reviews on Whatcar.com and honest John, Im leaning to words getting a Micra 1.2 SE. Everything about it seems ideal to me, obviously if I was to buy one I would take a test drive first but there are some things a test drive wont show up but may become painfully apparent after buying, thats why im after others opinions.

So far the pros and cons are as follows....
Pros
1. Feature packed (I do like the novelty of the inteligent key, wipers & lighting)
2. Excelent engine efficiency (38MPG estimated)
3. Quite nippy (apparently, havent heard many owner reviews stating this)
4. Very roomy up front
5. Nice shape
6. Cheap insurance

Cons
1. Features clearly seem mostly for novelty, and while that can be good at first im guessing they will become old quickly.
2. I dont like the headlights, they just dont look right.
3. The speedo and various gauges look too cramped in the tiny pod infront of the steering wheel
4. Tiny boot (This isnt a big issue 99% of the time but I can see things getting cramped when I really need the space).


So if you have any pros or cons to add to the list, or if you have any warnings or just general praise its all greatly appreciated.

Other cars im considdering are the VW polo 1.4 16v twist, or a Fiesta LX 1.4, any oppinions on those also welcome.

Also could someone tell me how many liters are in a gallon? Some people are telling me 3.78, and some are telling me 4.54 :) .

[ScaredWebWarrior]

Also could someone tell me how many liters are in a gallon? Some people are telling me 3.78, and some are telling me 4.54 :) .

3.87 is a US gallon, 4.54 is a UK gallon, so they're all kinda right.
__________________

Does anybody own one or know someone who does?

Nope, but to look at I quite like it.

Other cars im considdering are the VW polo 1.4 16v twist, or a Fiesta LX 1.4, any oppinions on those also welcome.

Can't go far wrong with a VW for reliability etc.

[homealone]

A friend bought one - it started going rusty very quickly..

We have a Honda Jazz 1.4 - well worth a look, it has a 'combined' fuel consumption of over 49 mpg & is pretty nippy when asked, too. The rear seats fold flat & I can get my push bike in the back - try that in a Micra...

[keithwalton]

If you want economy go for a small diesel, the little one in the lupo does 70 odd mpg, i dont know if they use it in the polo. if they do it'll be easy on fuel.

Edit - they do put the 1.4 diesel in the polo, it aint that quick (0.7 of a second slower to 60 than the petrol, same power output though, being a diesel it will have good mid range 50-75mph performance. (195nm peak torque compared to 126nm)) it does 61mpg combined and is insurance group 5 (petrol is 4) its only £600 more as well. You'll save that much in fuel quite quickly

[gary_580]

My wife had one as a courtesy car when her Clio was in for a service and she said it was an awful car. You have to bear in mind that it would have been the most basic model with the smallest engine

[andyl]

My wife had one as a courtesy car when her Clio was in for a service and she said it was an awful car. You have to bear in mind that it would have been the most basic model with the smallest engine

I'm with your wife on this one Gary. I've got a Micra as a courtesy at the moment and it's an awful, miserable little car. Rattly, cheap and nasty. Makes a horrible gurgling noise on start up, constant rattle when driving and the steering is impossibly light. And for the record, I'm certainly no petrolhead - I drive a Scenic normally. I like the sound of the Fabia - bit bigger but spec looks very good, build quality excellent and said to hold value. You can pick up a year old 1.4 Fabia for about £6k - in same ball park as the Micra.

[orangebird]

<snip>So far the pros and cons are as follows....
Pros
1. Feature packed (I do like the novelty of the inteligent key, wipers & lighting)
2. Excelent engine efficiency (38MPG estimated)
<snip>.

With ref to 2. - 38MPG is certainly NOT efficient for that size car and engine.:erm:

[andyl]

With ref to 2. - 38MPG is certainly NOT efficient for that size car and engine.:erm:

Nor can the front of a Micra be described as roomy by any stretch!

If you're considering a Polo, look at the Fabia. It's based on the Polo chassis, made in most state of art car factory in Europe and is cheap as the proverbial chips.

[budwieser]

Does anybody own one or know someone who does?
Its beggining to look more and more likely that I wont be getting my Dads corsa as planned next year so ive been looking towards maybe getting a near new car. After reading various reviews on Whatcar.com and honest John, Im leaning to words getting a Micra 1.2 SE. Everything about it seems ideal to me, obviously if I was to buy one I would take a test drive first but there are some things a test drive wont show up but may become painfully apparent after buying, thats why im after others opinions.

So far the pros and cons are as follows....
Pros
1. Feature packed (I do like the novelty of the inteligent key, wipers & lighting)
2. Excelent engine efficiency (38MPG estimated)
3. Quite nippy (apparently, havent heard many owner reviews stating this)
4. Very roomy up front
5. Nice shape
6. Cheap insurance

Cons
1. Features clearly seem mostly for novelty, and while that can be good at first im guessing they will become old quickly.
2. I dont like the headlights, they just dont look right.
3. The speedo and various gauges look too cramped in the tiny pod infront of the steering wheel
4. Tiny boot (This isnt a big issue 99% of the time but I can see things getting cramped when I really need the space).


So if you have any pros or cons to add to the list, or if you have any warnings or just general praise its all greatly appreciated.

Other cars im considdering are the VW polo 1.4 16v twist, or a Fiesta LX 1.4, any oppinions on those also welcome.

Also could someone tell me how many liters are in a gallon? Some people are telling me 3.78, and some are telling me 4.54 :) .

Have a look at the Honda Civics mate, Some good deals about at the moment.
Pm me your details and i can get you some specs and prices from our dealership here in Cambridge.

[Russ]

Anyone here speak 'Micra'? I'd say their latest offering is 'shining' and 'bright'.

I'd go with andyl, the Fabia has more to offer IMO. My parents have one and it deserves its 'Car of the Year' award.

[gary_580]

I'm with your wife on this one Gary. I've got a Micra as a courtesy at the moment and it's an awful, miserable little car. Rattly, cheap and nasty. Makes a horrible gurgling noise on start up, constant rattle when driving and the steering is impossibly light. And for the record, I'm certainly no petrolhead - I drive a Scenic normally. I like the sound of the Fabia - bit bigger but spec looks very good, build quality excellent and said to hold value. You can pick up a year old 1.4 Fabia for about £6k - in same ball park as the Micra.

your with my wife in a Micra :Yikes:

[ZrByte]

With ref to 2. - 38MPG is certainly NOT efficient for that size car and engine.:erm:

Hmm, its higher than any other I have seen by 2MPG, this is urban MPG. 55.4MPG on the motorway.


Nor can the front of a Micra be described as roomy by any stretch!

If you're considering a Polo, look at the Fabia. It's based on the Polo chassis, made in most state of art car factory in Europe and is cheap as the proverbial chips.

Hmm, the ones I looked at today in the carpark at work looked ok. As for the Fabia, I heard about that today when I watched the whatcar roadtest video for the polo. Deffinatley worth looking into :D , I really like the use of the word cheap :D .

Have a look at the Honda Civics mate, Some good deals about at the moment.
Pm me your details and i can get you some specs and prices from our dealership here in Cambridge.

I did look into that but the new shape ones still seem to be holding thier value too much. They are out of my price range and I dont really like the older shape ones. Also arnt the civics rather high on the insurance for a 21 year old?

[ZrByte]

How horrible is the gear stick in the new civic? That placement might work in a larger car like a scenic but it just doesnt look right in a sporty hatchback to me.
As for the fabia, I can see why its so much cheaper than the polo, I think its very ugly on the outside (around the bonnet). Though the interior does look rather nice it gets dragged right back down by the worryingly long list of faults on a lot of reviews I have read :shocked: The SEAT Ibiza seems to be a much better version than the fabia, though according to every review I have read the polo is still on top.

I do like the look of the honda Jazz, very nice on the outside, just as nice on the inside. Whats it like for repairs? I know for such a new car repairs will be few and far between anyway but are they pricey when they are needed?
This was part of the appeal of the polo/micra as they are supposedly quite cheap to repair allready (obviously nowhere near as cheap as my corsa is now to fix).

So does anybody have an opinion on the Fiesta LX? or while im here how about the Punto Active or the Corsa SRI?

And again, the age old question, Diesel or petrol? I know the old arguements used to be things like petrol = quiet but greedy, Diesel = Economical but noisy. Is this still true of modern engines?

Just to make suggestions a bit easier I'll let you know my budget etc. I will have £6,000 plus my Corsa to part ex (may only get peanuts for that) I will be buying second hand (1-3 years old, 3 being most likely) and I will be buying at the end of october when the 55 reg comes out to take advantage of the dealers sales (Have I got the date for the 55 reg right?)

Thanks again everybody.

[Charlie_Bubble]

How horrible is the gear stick in the new civic? That placement might work in a larger car like a scenic but it just doesnt look right in a sporty hatchback to me.
As for the fabia, I can see why its so much cheaper than the polo, I think its very ugly on the outside (around the bonnet). Though the interior does look rather nice it gets dragged right back down by the worryingly long list of faults on a lot of reviews I have read :shocked: The SEAT Ibiza seems to be a much better version than the fabia, though according to every review I have read the polo is still on top.

I do like the look of the honda Jazz, very nice on the outside, just as nice on the inside. Whats it like for repairs? I know for such a new car repairs will be few and far between anyway but are they pricey when they are needed?
This was part of the appeal of the polo/micra as they are supposedly quite cheap to repair allready (obviously nowhere near as cheap as my corsa is now to fix).

So does anybody have an opinion on the Fiesta LX? or while im here how about the Punto Active or the Corsa SRI?

And again, the age old question, Diesel or petrol? I know the old arguements used to be things like petrol = quiet but greedy, Diesel = Economical but noisy. Is this still true of modern engines?

Just to make suggestions a bit easier I'll let you know my budget etc. I will have £6,000 plus my Corsa to part ex (may only get peanuts for that) I will be buying second hand (1-3 years old, 3 being most likely) and I will be buying at the end of october when the 55 reg comes out to take advantage of the dealers sales (Have I got the date for the 55 reg right?)

Thanks again everybody.

Beginning of March and September are the plate change times.

[keithwalton]

And again, the age old question, Diesel or petrol? I know the old arguements used to be things like petrol = quiet but greedy, Diesel = Economical but noisy. Is this still true of modern engines?

It is a bit of a no brainer these days towards german built diesels, they are at least as powerfull if not more power than there petrol counterparts, they produce significantly more torque across a wider band (more drivable, but they dont rev that high) they are more economical, and just as quiet. Only thing they dont do is sound quite as nice when thrashed, hopefully people wont fit drain pipe exhausts to them (although i have seen a 306 hdi about with said exhaust type :rolleyes:) oh and diesels tend to be more reliable as well and run in all conditions on any ol' junk fuel (no need for 'super' fuels and such)

[ZrByte]

It is a bit of a no brainer these days towards german built diesels, they are at least as powerfull if not more power than there petrol counterparts, they produce significantly more torque across a wider band (more drivable, but they dont rev that high) they are more economical, and just as quiet. Only thing they dont do is sound quite as nice when thrashed, hopefully people wont fit drain pipe exhausts to them (although i have seen a 306 hdi about with said exhaust type :rolleyes:) oh and diesels tend to be more reliable as well and run in all conditions on any ol' junk fuel (no need for 'super' fuels and such)

Thanks for that, Im going to test drive anything I plan to buy first but thats still good to know beforehand. Since economy is the most important factor to me Im thinking I will go for a diesel. And allthough I do like some sporty accessories (alloys with low profile tyres etc) I loathe most body kits, K&N filters and fatboy exhausts so that wont be a problem :) .
I have also often noticed older diesels still sell for a reasonable price with over 200,000 miles on the clock depending on the model. Petrol cars sell cheap (if at all) when over 110,000.

[homealone]

How horrible is the gear stick in the new civic? That placement might work in a larger car like a scenic but it just doesnt look right in a sporty hatchback to me.
As for the fabia, I can see why its so much cheaper than the polo, I think its very ugly on the outside (around the bonnet). Though the interior does look rather nice it gets dragged right back down by the worryingly long list of faults on a lot of reviews I have read :shocked: The SEAT Ibiza seems to be a much better version than the fabia, though according to every review I have read the polo is still on top.

I do like the look of the honda Jazz, very nice on the outside, just as nice on the inside. Whats it like for repairs? I know for such a new car repairs will be few and far between anyway but are they pricey when they are needed?
This was part of the appeal of the polo/micra as they are supposedly quite cheap to repair allready (obviously nowhere near as cheap as my corsa is now to fix).

So does anybody have an opinion on the Fiesta LX? or while im here how about the Punto Active or the Corsa SRI?

And again, the age old question, Diesel or petrol? I know the old arguements used to be things like petrol = quiet but greedy, Diesel = Economical but noisy. Is this still true of modern engines?

Just to make suggestions a bit easier I'll let you know my budget etc. I will have £6,000 plus my Corsa to part ex (may only get peanuts for that) I will be buying second hand (1-3 years old, 3 being most likely) and I will be buying at the end of october when the 55 reg comes out to take advantage of the dealers sales (Have I got the date for the 55 reg right?)

Thanks again everybody.

I have to say our Jazz has impressed us for two main reasons

the fuel economy - it does what it says on the tin

the versatility of the rear seats - so simple to operate, too.. ;)

I agree that the Fabia is good value for money, though - we wondered about the vrs version...

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1173432_2,00.html

at one point :)

[SMHarman]

Diesel has a lower (ie less cold) freezing point - import if you live in a cold climate

[Paul K]

I have to say our Jazz has impressed us for two main reasons

the fuel economy - it does what it says on the tin

the versatility of the rear seats - so simple to operate, too.. ;)

Ok, it's at this point that you grabbed our attention ;) Care to elaborate as Chi want's a more in depth explanation :erm:

[punky]

And again, the age old question, Diesel or petrol? I know the old arguements used to be things like petrol = quiet but greedy, Diesel = Economical but noisy. Is this still true of modern engines?

Not at all. New diesels are now really quiet, and don't belch out as much blue smoke as they used to. Even the turbo whine (most diesels have turbochargers to bump up performance) has been reduced quite a bit. You don't even have to wait for the old glowplugs to warm up either, as most new diesels now have engine heaters. The diesel engine though isn't recommended if you have a lot of harsh cold weather where you are (the engine works on compression for combustion, not a spark like petrol engines), so if its cold, the compression doesn't heat the diesel enough and it suffers.

[Nugget]

Ok, it's at this point that you grabbed our attention ;) Care to elaborate as Chi want's a more in depth explanation :erm:

Well, bearing in mind that he's only 3 foot tall (;) ), Mrs Gaz is probably finding how small a gap she can fit him in :p:

[Paul K]

Ok, it's at this point that you grabbed our attention ;) Care to elaborate as Chi want's a more in depth explanation :erm:

Well, bearing in mind that he's only 3 foot tall (;) ), Mrs Gaz is probably finding how small a gap she can fit him in :p:
Let's face it our Gaz could probably fit in the glove box ;)

[Nugget]

Let's face it our Gaz could probably fit in the glove box ;)

Ashtray, really :p:

[homealone]

Ok, it's at this point that you grabbed our attention ;) Care to elaborate as Chi want's a more in depth explanation :erm:

ok :)

they fold completely flat so the whole of the area behind the front seats is available for loading.

they split fold 66/33

the rear seat sqabs can be folded up, freeing a nice loading area directly next to the door (& with a lower sill than lifting something into the boot)

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/?id=34

'magic seats' :)

[AndrewJ]

The new shape Micra a relative of mine has uses it daily and it has not a spec of rust and ferrys him his wife and his daughter around with no issues, sure the 1.2 Hairdryer engine aint up for overtaking at anything past 50mph it aint quick loaded up a bit.

Nice car for cash I would buy one over the Jazz anyday of the week as for Seat and Skoda I prefer there to buy the VW.

[Nugget]

<snip>

Well, that wasn't as interesting as it could have been ;)

[ZrByte]

ok :)

they fold completely flat so the whole of the area behind the front seats is available for loading.

they split fold 66/33

the rear seat sqabs can be folded up, freeing a nice loading area directly next to the door (& with a lower sill than lifting something into the boot)

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/?id=34

'magic seats' :)

I can see that being handy, sort of like turning the car into a combi-van.
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The new shape Micra a relative of mine has uses it daily and it has not a spec of rust and ferrys him his wife and his daughter around with no issues, sure the 1.2 Hairdryer engine aint up for overtaking at anything past 50mph it aint quick loaded up a bit.

Nice car for cash I would buy one over the Jazz anyday of the week as for Seat and Skoda I prefer there to buy the VW.

Thanks for that, nice to have a positive perspective, Nothing but micra bashing here :D
Though it does look like I wont be getting one anyway, seems to be the Polo in the lead with a possibility of the fiesta when my Aunty lets me have a test drive next week of her 1.25 finesse. She might even offer to sell me hers if I really like it because she hates it, though that isnt really a bad thing, my Aunty seems to hate change (even positive) like my Dad :)
__________________

Not at all. New diesels are now really quiet, and don't belch out as much blue smoke as they used to. Even the turbo whine (most diesels have turbochargers to bump up performance) has been reduced quite a bit. You don't even have to wait for the old glowplugs to warm up either, as most new diesels now have engine heaters. The diesel engine though isn't recommended if you have a lot of harsh cold weather where you are (the engine works on compression for combustion, not a spark like petrol engines), so if its cold, the compression doesn't heat the diesel enough and it suffers.

Thanks, thats good to know, though diesels are a rather high insurance group for the engine size arnt they. I cant really afford anything over group 3, most diesels are 4 or 5.