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Thread: 2015 Micra vs competitors, power to weight ratio comparison

  1. #1
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    2015 Micra vs competitors, power to weight ratio comparison

    How does the Micra stack up against its competitors when we're talking power to weight ratios? It is neither the heaviest nor the lightest, and also not the most or least powerful.

    All the weights are the Canadian 5-speed manual version unless there isn't one available (as is the case for the iQ and ForTwo).

    Car Horsepower Weight
    kg (lbs)
    Weight / Horsepower
    lbs
    1. Hyundai Accent 138 1087 (2396) 17.4
    2. Kia Rio 138 1093 (2410) 17.4
    3. Mini Cooper 121 1150 (2535) 21.0
    4. Nissan Micra 109 1044 (2302) 21.1
    5. Ford Fiesta 1.6 120 1151 (2537) 21.1
    6. Honda Fit 117 1132 (2496) 21.3
    7. Nissan Versa (sedan) 109 1068 (2354) 21.6
    8. Toyota Yaris 106 1041 (2295) 21.7
    AVERAGES... 105.8 1044 (2303) 22.3
    9. Scion iQ 94 965 (2127) 22.6
    10. Mazda 2 100 1046 (2306) 23.0
    11. Fiat 500 101 1072 (2363) 23.4
    12. Smart ForTwo 70 820 (1808) 25.8
    13. Mitsubishi Mirage 74 895 (1973) 26.3
    14. Chevrolet Spark 84 1060 (2337) 27.8

    So, despite it having neither the most horsepower nor the lightest chassis, the Micra actually fares quite well in this comparison due to having above average horsepower and an average weight chassis.



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  3. #2
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    That's slightly more power than my 98 Civic, and slightly less weight. That's what I thought would probably be the case when I heard it was a 1.6L car. Not a surprise they can price it cheaply, if it is well-tested technology built with contemporary supply chains and machines.

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    Crazy it turns out that my old 2007 Yaris was slightly better than my 1992 Civic VX ... time to toss some more weight out of the VX.

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    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    Updated the first post with the Canadian weight specs. It dropped the Micra down one position into a tie with the Ford Fiesta. Also added averages. Why the heck not? Data!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.5 mpg (Imp) ... 20.0 km/L ... 47.0 mpg (US) ...


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    Member Darcane's Avatar
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    It might be interesting to add some other cars (in a separate table?). For instance, BMW 3-series are considered to be somewhat sporty. 320i comes in at 3295lbs/180hp = 18.3lbs/hp. It wouldn't take much at all to get the Micra to be just as quick as a car three times the price.

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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    Its already near the top. Add a few performance modifications and you have a reasonably peppy car that is likely to handle quite well.

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    Member Darcane's Avatar
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    I guess I wasn't clear enough above. I meant cars that are not in the same category. All the cars in your table are subcompact commuter cars.

    BMW 3-series is a much larger sports sedan and yet has a pretty close power/weight ratio with the base engine. I imagine there are other examples that are also similar: cars with much higher horsepower but the high weight would give similar performance figures.

    Telling someone that the Micra is faster than a Smart ForTwo is going to get nothing but a yawn. Tell someone that this itty-bitty hatch is faster than a BMW and they might think a little and pay attention.

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    Senior Member AlphaMicra's Avatar
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    There is more to performance than a simple power-to-weight ratio calculation. There's aerodynamics, gear ratios, and weight distribution combined with tire design plays a big role in stability at higher speeds...at a certain point, there's a reason why rear drums are substituted for discs.

    In our culture obsessed with absurd excess, the Nissan Micra is my counterculture car of choice.
    Be sure to visit my blog at mymicra.com!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra SV manual: 6.4 L/100 km ... 44.3 mpg (Imp) ... 15.7 km/L ... 36.9 mpg (US) ...


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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    Of course there is. We're just working with the data we do have. Too bad OEMs don't publish things like max lateral g-force on a skid pad.

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    Senior Member Pete's Avatar
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    Performance agreed but in a drag race power to weight is everything. Gearing does matte in a drag race but ponies per pound is huge. The same can be said about oval track racing especially four cylinders. My experience with that is one hundred pounds added no matter where you place it = 3/4 of a second per lap. Tires are a given they are the only contact points and the best use you get from them four points of contact the better. I have had my micra for three days now (860 km.) I find first gear a tad low but its only been three days but I did get the traction control to kick in on a uphill right turn in third gear on dry pavement, that thing only lets off enough to keep grip pretty cool.



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