Test drive of a base Micra "S" with automatic in Vancouver B.C.

[pinksoda]

Hi all,
For anyone who is in BC Vancouver, Richmond Automall has the new Micra now in the show room and they are eager to sell.
My two cents from someone who knows nothing about cars..so its going to be in simple language ple, don't judge =)

Test drove base model S automatic (only one available) with air con and cruise control with 4 ple in total.

CONS

-stylish looking on exterior even without all the personalized options they offer, inside is nothing spectacular that would make you say "nice". Very cheap plastic materials inside
-seats were rather uncomfortable for a lady in shorts (I did also test drive the honda fit after, their seats have more cushioning, I much rather sit in the latter for a longer car ride, I know I shouldn't compare)
-I had 2 6feet guys sit in the back as I drove, I found their head was in the way when I used my rear view mirror
-found it annoying to take the head rest off in order to take down the split fold down rear seats fully
-drove on highway x15min and x15min street, found car def kinda lags on highway and uphill with full carload. It just seemed..I had to kept gassing all the way to meet traffic speed..
-had a dinky manual tab to adjust side mirrors
-their financing rates aren't great, I know its a new car so they don't need to in some sense.

Below will be based on SV model financing with 0 downpayment with tax included
1.9% 4 year = $422/mth
2.9% 5 year = $349
3.49% 6 year = $300
3.9% 7 year = $265

PROS

-quiet interior (I did tell everyone to shut up in the car for 5 mins lol)
-fold down seats become quiet spacious for pets and groceries
-their 4.65 m turning radius is quiet impressive! But in cananda, our roads are seriously wide enough, I really don't think its used very often but you get a "nice!" when making a U-y

Impression
What you see is what you get, great starter car and gets you point A-B, nothing more.

[MetroMPG]

Welcome again, pinksoda.

I agree with you on the interior -- though I personally don't usually say much about looks because everyone has a different opinion, and there's no accounting for poor taste.

That said, I don't like it when small cars have all black/grey plastic interiors. So dark. In tight quarters, wouldn't people rather have a sense of lightness? They (not just Nissan) should take a page from Mini and Fiat and brighten things up a bit inside.

[Daox]

Sounds like a great review to me. You don't have to know a lot about cars to share your opinion. I bet most Micra owners don't know how the dual fuel injection system works (or other gadgetry), nor do they really care. They care that it gets good fuel economy! Thanks for sharing your point of view. I'm sure it will help many people out.

[zippy]

Great review by pinksoda!

I am very interested in how many of these cars I will be seeing on the road, they are zippy little cars aren't they haha, I think if they upgraded the interior and charged starting base model at 10,999 it would make it much more appealing

[MetroMPG]

zippy: I predict we're going to be seeing a LOT of these cars around.

I've never seen such happy, positive reviews (in the media) for an entry level car.

car def kinda lags on highway and uphill with full carload. It just seemed..I had to kept gassing all the way to meet traffic speed..

With a full load going uphill, that doesn't surprise me. Of course, you guys in Vancouver have more and bigger hills around than most of us.

[AlphaMicra]

Yup, I saw the exact same model at Midway Nissan the other day; the SV is definitely a huge improvement with content and seat comfort. You'll have a difficult time using the rear view mirror in any small car with two six footers in the back seat. Similar deal with the headrests; most small cars with folding back seats have headrests that need to be removed (I know, annoying). Many cars engineered to maximize fuel economy generally need a lot of gas pedal action to take on hills when fully loaded. Good that you pointed these things out so that when people decide to trade in their gas guzzling SUV's for a Micra know what to expect.

As for the finance rates, I think they're competitive, definitely better than the bank rate, but I agree with you that there's certainly no reason for them to give these cars away...well, except for the sub-$10k base model. Nothing in the new car market competes for price if you have cash up front.