Nissan Micra: Is Canada’s teeny car w/ the tiny price a big bargain? (Globe and Mail)

[MetroMPG]

The Globe and Mail's treatment of the Micra might be the most critical we've seen to date.

It even includes a companion article that argues there are several late model used car alternatives that offer more for the money.

An interesting aside: the writer of this review owns a Nissan Leaf electric car and has written about it in a Globe series.


Pros...

- "astounding" low starting price
- more power than competitors
- manual transmission feels "especially peppy"
- suspension: decent handling
- quiet engine compared to rivals

Cons...

- lack of A/C in the base model makes a used car with A/C seem a smarter buy
- gets lower mileage than the larger Versa Note (assume he's referring to the CVT Note)
- wind noise at highway speeds "drowns out conversation"

Overall...

the Micra is a star in its small sub-subcompact subclass

Read the full review: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...ticle18776746/

[MetroMPG]

There will probably be active discussion in the comments that go with this review. 7 posted already, and it just came out:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...6746/comments/

[Daox]

Did you notice wind noise on your drive with the car? You've been in enough vehicles to kind of rank how the Micra does.

[MetroMPG]

Keep in mind I didn't get going as fast as these reviewers did.

The brief highway portion of my drive probably topped out at ~90 km/h (55 mph). At that speed, I didn't think it was unusually loud.

[AlphaMicra]

I wound that little black one up past a buck twenty when I drove it; it didn't seem to be unusually noisy at all. My wife, son and I could carry on a conversation easily.