The roundabout race (Nissan Micra GX 1.3 3dr)

Member Name: offy

Product:	Nissan Micra GX 1.3 3dr
Date:	14/02/02 (3820 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap to run, reliable, small and easy to park

Disadvantages: rattly, bad handling in wet, looks like a hairdryer

Let’s face it, women aren’t generally known for their parking abilities or their appreciation of the technical side of the car. I AM that typical woman I’m afraid to say, but I am going to attempt to write this review from both points of view. Apologies in advance to ladies reading this who are technically minded, CAN park and appreciate cars in the way men do, and for any poetic licence I may invoke to get this opinion written.

In August 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 also relieved to note how much better it handled than the previous model.

•• GIRLY – the size ••
I admit it! I cannot park to save my life, which is why I insist on having 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 seats do not lie completely flat, sometimes causing problems. The boot does have four hooks in it to tie down luggage – how thoughtful. The headroom is actually quite generous. It has more headroom than my partner’s old Citroen Xantia, but the leg room in the back leaves a lot to be desired, particularly when the front seats are pushed back. As I often drive when a group of us go out, I have
witnessed the unpleasant sight of three adults (or more) squeezed in the back of my car. A torture chamber comes to mind – not for the claustrophobic. My car is a 3 door, and it can be difficult for people to get in and out of the back seats.

•• BLOKEY – the engine and gears ••
My Micra has a 1275cc 16 valve twin-cam petrol engine. I have never driven a 1litre Micra, but I can imagine how sluggish it would be. I have hunted high and low for the official figures on speed, you know 0-60 in ?? seconds, but they are nowhere to be seen, not even in my manual, my brochures or on the Nissan website. However, I can tell you that it is slower than a Porsche and faster than a Smart car. Seriously, if you give it some wellie, it does pretty well for a 1.3 litre car and I should know as I practice every day on the 16 roundabouts I encounter each way to and from work. The engine runs quietly and I have read that there is some extra soundproofing in the engine cavity which helps. It has 5 gears, only 3 of which give you any acceleration at all. It feels like an 800cc car when there are more than two people in it though, and I suggest you get out and walk if you try a steep hill with 5 in the car. Gear changing is nice and smooth.

•• GIRLY – the colours and paintwork ••
I bought my Micra from new and I was disappointed in the choice of colours available. I really wanted purple, but instead ended up with a loud metallic turquoise. I had to pay an additional £200 for metallic paint as the choice of non-metallic paints was restricted to white and red at the time. I have seen some lovely colours since, like the purple and electric blue. I have now had the car for 3.5 years and the paintwork is still looking quite good, apart from where ignorant people have opened their car doors on mine and scratched it. Even then, it has not gone through to the metal so it is not rusting. I always hand was
h it or use a jet wash, which I am sure helps keep the paintwork looking like new. The bumpers and mirrors are snazzily colour coded, not that there are many cars that don’t have this now.

•• BLOKEY – styling and aerodynamics ••
The Micra can hardly be called aerodynamic! It sits quite high on its wheels and reminds me a bit of the old Simcas (my first car incidentally). It has quirky styling, which doesn’t appeal to most men. It is quite curvy, but nothing eye catching. It has a sporty front grille, and a nifty colour coded rear spoiler. It generally reminds me of an old fashioned hair dryer with wheels.

•• GIRLY – reliability ••
I justified getting my mobile phone saying that I needed it in case my car broke down and I was stranded alone. Unfortunately, with a Nissan it is hard to use that excuse. It has never once let me down. After 2 years, the gear stick started to rattle and eventually I got it fixed under the warranty (something in the gear mechanics had worn). It starts first time every time even on the coldest, dampest of mornings.

•• BLOKEY – maintenance ••
The Micra needs servicing once a year or after 9000 miles, whichever is sooner. So far I have had my Micra serviced by the dealer from which I bought it, so that the 3 year warranty remained valid. Last time it cost me £204. In future I will take it to a local garage to save money. The parts are reasonably priced and easily available, as it is a popular car. Also due to the small engine, you qualify for reduced road tax – brill! It is known for it’s fuel economy (again I couldn’t find any official figures), but obviously it gets through more petrol in the summer when I am using my air conditioning.

•• GIRLY – road handling ••
Actually this probably ought to be under the manly section, but living in Mi
lton Keynes which is full of roundabouts, this is extremely important to me. When the roads are dry, I love driving my Micra around them. I have mastered the art very well and can often beat larger cars on the chicanes, but as soon as we hit the straight duel carriageways, they sail past me again. Of course, I catch them up through the roundabout again, and race continues all the way home. There is some roll, of course (this is not a sports car), but nothing too drastic. In the wet, however, it is a different story. I find it doesn’t handle at all well, with the back end slipping very easily. I have had my tyres checked in case they were to blame, but they are fine.

The Micra handles well round town, has a tight turning circle and is ideal for parking (mind you I would love that parking sensor on the new Micras). It is also ideal for motorway driving. I have taken it up to 95 mph with no problems. The engine was still reasonably quiet and the ride was smooth. The only thing that stopped me going any fater was the fear of losing my licence, not the car. My car does not have ABS (although I could have paid extra for it), but the brakes are fine and on a par with the Volkswagens I have driven. The suspension is quite hard, and you can feel quite a bit, but the car does not get grounded over ramps (and we have a lot in Milton Keynes).

•• BLOKEY – gizmos & gadgets ••
My Micra is a GX model. It comes with power steering, which although not essential, is great for town manoeuvring and parking. It has an immobiliser called NATS (Nissan Anti Theft System), which flashes a red light as a deterrent when the key is not in the ignition, not that Micras are the top choice for car thieves, but as least it may stop it getting vandalised as they may think it is actually alarmed with movement sensors. It also has central locking, which I love, but it does not open the boot, which must be done manually. It has a rear windscre
en wiper and 3 speeds for the front wipers. I like the tinted windows as I suffer from migraines and sunlight can set them off.

I paid £500 extra for air conditioning, which I now could not do without. I have been in other cars with air conditioning that is much more efficient than mine, however. It takes a while to get going, but is invaluable to keep cool and also to clear the windscreen quickly. There is also a cabin air filter to keep out dust and pollen – great for the hayfever season. I have a manual tilt and slide sunroof (which I never use due to the air conditioning) and electric front windows. The car has dull (but expensive) wheel covers not alloys. It has an excellent ‘blind spot’ driver’s side mirror, which is very useful on the Milton Keynes dual carriageways. You can unlock the fuel cap from inside, saving you valuable seconds in the wind and rain at petrol stations.

It comes with a radio/cassette, with programmable stations. One of my favourite features is the TA (traffic announcement) feature, although how many times does the traffic announcement cut in just AFTER you have hit the blocked motorway? There are 4 speakers, and the sound quality is pretty good for the size of the car. If I were 18 again (I wish!), I would probably like a bit more bass and volume, but then again I wouldn’t be driving proud in my Micra anyway! The radio/cassette has an anti theft system consisting of a 4 digit code known only to the owner. It will not work without this code, thereby deterring theft. The unit also has a flashing red light when not in use to indicate that it is alarmed (which it isn’t).

•• GIRLY – safety ••
My Micra has a ‘supplemental restraint system’ (or air bag system to us non-techies). I only paid for a driver’s air bag, but you can pay more for a passenger one too. The car also boats of a pre-tensioner seat belt system which apparentl
y helps tighten the seat belt when the car is involved with certain types of frontal collision. The manual says ‘when the pre-tensioner seat belt activates, smoke is released and a loud noise may be heard. The smoke is not harmful, but care should be taken not to intentionally inhale it, as it may cause irritation and choking’ – worrying! The rear has 3 seat belts. It has side impact bars, and the front seats are quite moulded (but not as much as a sports car), keeping you in place. Due to the size of the engine and the safety features, the car is quite cheap to insure, costing me less than £300 per year for fully comprehensive (I have full no claims).


•• BLOKEY – interior ••
My main complaint about the interior is that it rattles! Previously I have had Volkswagen cars and a Corsa, but none of these rattle like my Micra. Fortunately, as I drive on my own most of the time, I can turn the stereo up and drown it out, but that’s not the point! It has all the little nooks and crannies to fill with rubbish, like door pockets and moulded trays for money. The interior has a clock (which is always 1 hour out in the winter as I never get round to changing it), but no rev counter (tachometer) which I miss. The odometer is electronic and doesn’t go down to tenths of a mile and annoyingly there is also no trip odometer, so there is no accurate way of measuring distances. Height adjustable head rests adapt to all shapes and sizes, hopefully reducing the effects of whiplash should you be in an unfortunate accident.


•• Summary of good points ••
• Quirky styling (if you like that sort of thing)
• Small and easy to park
• Tight turning circle
• Immobiliser and anti theft device for the stereo
• Cheap insurance and car tax
• Reasonably good road handling in the dry
• Good headroom
•
Economic on fuel
• Good safety features
• Reliable

•• Summary of bad points ••
• Quirky styling (if you don’t like that sort of thing)
• Does not handle well in the wet
• Rattling interior
• No tachometer or trip odometer
• Lack of legroom in the back
• Difficult to get in the back on 3 door versions
• Loses power with 4 in the car
• Small boot

•• So, would I have one again? ••
Maybe. I must admit to yearning for the non-rattling interior and stylish looks of a Polo again. I may even go for a Polo GTI, so that I win the roundabout race with less rolling, and the duel carriageway race too. On the other hand you get a lot of car for your money, it is quite fun to drive, reliable and cheap to run. I think it is suitable for a second car, if you don’t need boot space or when you do not normally have people in the back.

Think of me in my daily roundabout race in my little bubble car won’t you!

Summary: