Speed demon in a Micra!! (Nissan Micra SE in general)

Member Name: julieanne1

Product:	Nissan Micra SE in general
Date:	29/03/04 (1888 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low Tax band, Low fuel consumption, Cute and nippy

Disadvantages: slow between 50 and 60mph

**I have listed this under Micra SE, because mine is an imported GX from Ireland which is the equivalent of the SE here in U.K.**


Nissan Micra?.. to most people seems to conjure up an image of a little old lady's shopping car tootling along at 25mph. Most people that is who have not seen me in my little baby zooming up and down the M60. I confess, I can be a speed demon (yes, even in my Micra!)

I am now on my second Micra, so they must be good! I am currently the proud owner of a Nissan Micra GX 1.0, which I bought in October 2001. The reason for my doing a review on it now is that it's come to my attention that the warranty expires later this year and so I have to contemplate my baby's fate from then on.

**My Micra Spec**

I bought my Tornado Grey colour (silvery, bluey green colour) Micra brand spanking new (only 4 miles on clock) from DC Cook in Manchester. I had fully researched all the dealers, prices and specifications for a good while before deciding on my purchase. I already owned a purple 3 door Micra (his name was tinky winky) which had just sailed through its first MOT and I wanted to upgrade. So I part ex'ed poor tinky winky against a pre-registered Micra GX which was imported from Ireland. It had a really good spec for the price. I had a sunroof fitted as an extra, which brought the total for my new transport to £7495.

The same car, had I bought it from the local Nissan dealer, would have set me back £10500. So although DC Cook were not quite as knowledgeable about the Micra and its features (they sell all makes of car), the price difference more than made up for it.

So, what did I get for my money? It is a 1.0 litre engine, 5 door, metallic paint , sunroof, electric windows, electric power heated door mirrors, body colour mirrors and bumpers, fog lamps, small rear spoiler, remote central locking, push button petrol cap release, power steering, airbags, NATS security immobiliser,
6 speaker CD player, rev counter, rear washwipe plus host of other Nissan features.

**Exterior**

My Micra is the same shape as the picture above, except with 5 doors. It took a little getting used to after having the previous model which was more 'bubble' like. However, I do now prefer the model I have. With its body-coloured bumpers and mirrors, my micra looks pretty good. It also has quite a few chrome trims on it, which I think are an improvement from the previous model. The paintwork is still in excellent condition, considering I've had it for 2½ years, during which it has travelled the M60 to work and back most weekdays. It is neat, cute and compact (less car to wash is a bonus!)


**Interior**

The interior of the Micra is deceptively large. Obviously for someone who is 6' tall, it is going to feel a little 'compact'. I am only 5'2" so I find it more than adequate. It is after all a small car. There is a reasonable amount of room in the back, and plenty in the front. I have had four people in the car with no problems, without needing a shoehorn to get them in and out. There is quite a large amount of headroom for a small car. My brother, who is just under 6' tall, fits in nicely, without bumping his head on the roof. The boot is surprisingly roomy. It easily fits the shopping bags and even a childs pushchair in with room to spare.

The dashboard layout is well organised, with all the control at your fingertips. I can reach all of the controls from the driver's seat without any stretching. It has a decent sized glove compartment, ash tray, power socket, flashing red security light for immobiliser and a couple of little compartments for putting bits and pieces in as well as the various buttons for heater, level adjustable headlights etc?. One fault I have found is lack of storage space for cd's, my glove compartment is half full of them.

The colour scheme is a mid
/light grey colour, with silver coloured dashboard. It all matches really well, with a grey coloured steering wheel and gear stick with chrome insert.


**Performance**

I have never (touch wood) had any problems with my lovely car. I have it serviced regularly and it starts first time and runs smoothly every time I drive it. It is fairly nippy for a small car and fits into small parking spaces with ease. It also has a small turning circle, which is useful for 3 point turns and getting out of supermarket parking spaces. I drive to work and back on the motorway. 22 miles there and 22 miles back. The Micra manages from 0 to 45 with no problems at all. It does tend to be a bit slow reaching 50 to 60mph, but once you are cruising at 70mph (I would never do above that, honest!), it zooms along smoothly with no trouble . For a 1.0 litre engine, it is not bad at all. I would not like to comment on doing speeds above 70mph as it is illegal, but I can safely say it can do it with ease!

With regards to fuel consumption, I don't know how many miles to the gallon/litre it does. A full tank is approximately £24, which I fill up once a week. I can do about 240 to 260 miles a week on a tank full. This is pretty good as far as I know.

The Micra is exceptionally quiet. When I first got it, I used to put my hand on the gear stick to check it was still running when I stopped at traffic lights because it was so quiet. The gears took a little getting used to, especially 5th, but after some practice I can change gear with ease.

Servicing / Warranty

My new Micra came with three years warranty and one years RAC cover. I have had it serviced at a Nissan garage every year. They have always been thorough and provided me with a courtesy car. Their warranty is fairly comprehensive, as far as I know. I recently needed a new door catch on a rear door. My friend had the same problem last year with a Punto, the Fiat dealer charged her, as
they said it was 'wear and tear'. Nissan, however, fitted mine free of charge under warranty, which pleased me no end.

There were plenty of extras to choose from on a new Micra. Mine has plenty of them which weren't included on the basic model. In addition I could have had alloys, alarm, bigger rear spoiler (think that would have looked a bit silly) and a rear parking sensor.

**My view**

I love my Micra, as I did his purple relative before him. He is cute and (in my opinion) good looking. He never lets me down and always runs smoothly. Tax is £105, because of the low engine size. Petrol consumption is low. Insurance is also very reasonable. He has comfy seats, a very good heater for cold mornings and a great cd player. He is nippy and can hold his own on the motorway. I will defend him from those mean people who would call him an old woman's shopping car. He is no such thing! I would definitely recommend the Micra and Nissan overall.

I do not know what the future holds for my little Micra when his warranty has expired. I have to say though that I am not too taken with the new 'frog eyes' shaped Micra. I had one as a courtesy car and much prefer my model, so I think my Micra and I will be zooming about together for quite some time to come.

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