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I wasn't sure they existed, but now I know they're for real. And I even got to drive one!

Last week, as part of the head-to-head manual vs. automatic fuel economy test, Cornwall Nissan kindly provided a pair of Micras and I was surprised to discover that the manual car was a base, no options $9,998 special.

(Correction: apparently the metallic grey paint on this car is a $135 option.)

(The very helpful and friendly staff at Cornwall Nissan deserve this blatant plug: go see them if you're in the market!)

I realize we've got more than a couple of base S cars in our garage, however I also have a feeling S owners are over-represented here on the forum vs. the "general Micra-owning population".

What did someone say - Nissan was figuring only about 4% of the cars would be the base model?

Observations:

Handling/ride: Probably the best thing about the base car (aside from the loony price) is it has the exact same drivetrain & suspension set-up as the top-trim SR. OK, the tires are different on the SR, but the S retains the same surprisingly well-sorted handling and ride characteristics for a short-wheelbase car.

Engine: And yay, it's also the same zippy 1.6L engine as all other trims. Long gone are the days of multiple drivetrain options in economy cars, in the name of hyper-competition leading to simplification for cost-savings. And paired with the manual transmission this engine happens to return very respectable fuel economy in the hands of a motivated driver (much better than the official fuel consumption rating suggests).

Interior: Blah. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. I'm speaking strictly subjectively here about the dour black hole that is the base car's interior. Functionally it's fine, of course. Seriously, it's fine -- simple controls, good ergonomics, etc. But the entire inside palette is that of the Ford Model T school: any colour you like as long as it's black (or grey-verging-on-black). Spice it up with some leopard skin seat covers maybe? I don't know.

Seats: The driver's seat is only 4-way adjustable in the S, vs. 6-way (adds height adjustment) in the SV & SR. I don't think this is a problem unless you happen to be much shorter or taller than average.

Air conditioning: A/C is not an option on the base S Micra, eh? Who needs it! Solution...

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Value: $9,998, seriously? If you need new wheels it's practically a no-brainer.

And if like me, you tend to buy used vehicles instead of new, you can't help but wonder just what one of these puppies will be going for on the used market in 4 or 5 years!

Unicorn or not, I'm happy that I've now sampled both extremes of the Micra heirarchy (see my more extensive thoughts/notes on the SR automatic here).

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