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Thread: Review notes: 2015 Micra S 5-speed extended test-drive - Darin's thoughts

  1. #21
    Senior Member Pete's Avatar
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    Wow I didn't know about that being external to the case that's slick. Any work I have done on four cylinder tranny's it was always to remove the diff and weld the spider gears so I had to split the case. Simply removing a cover and swapping out a gear would be like a quick change rear end on a RWD car!



  2. #22
    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    wrap-up: base cars ain't what they used to be

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    Final thoughts

    I've read multiple reviews where the writer says the base Micra brings to mind their old stripper base cars from days gone by. Just yesterday I saw a reader comment on Jalopnik about how the Micra is "one step away from horse & buggy."

    Meant as a joke or not, it's nonsense. I've owned more than my fair share of base trim, entry level econoboxes, and this base Micra S is heads & shoulders above all of them in terms of refinement & features.

    For fun, I like to point out all the options my Firefly lacked, starting with power steering or a radio. The punch line: you know the little switch that turns on the interior light when you open the door? It's only got one on the driver's door -- the passenger side has a blank in the hole where the switch should be. The joke on the Micra S everyone keeps making? "Manual windows & locks. Ha ha, what a Flintstones-mobile."

    So for the benefit of people suffering from rose-coloured-glasses-syndrome about their old beaters brought on by driving the Micra, here's a list of stuff your old econobox probably didn't have that the new base Micra does:

    • A modern engine with power & fuel economy features like continuously variable valve timing & dual fuel injection
    • Full instrumentation (base cars rarely had tachometers -- my Firefly has speedo, temp and a fuel gauge, that's it.)
    • Safety equipment like: 6 airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability & traction control
    • Full trip computer including dual trip meters & fuel economy. It used to be only the most expensive cars got that stuff.
    • A decent 4-speaker radio/CD with AUX input, and "soft" volume resume when turned on (a nice touch).
    • Lots of cupholders
    • Variable delay intermittent wiper setting. A rear wiper with intermittent setting.
    • Other little touches like 1-touch 3-blink lane change signal; interior lights "soft" on/off & auto-off if you leave a door open so you don't kill your battery.
    • Better NVH


    Considering the base Micra is actually cheaper to buy today than a 1984 Hyundai Pony was back in the day, it's a marvel what we're getting for the money.

        __________________________________________

        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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  4. #23
    Senior Member Pete's Avatar
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    I totally agree with that ^^^^^^. Have these people ever drove a base chevette, pinto, dodge dart (the old one) or even a civic from the 90s? Hello? This base has way more features than I wanted, I guess that means I'm old school but I like basic cars. I feel that there is less to go wrong , less weight and less to remove or work around when doing maintenance and modifications. The things I personally could do without are likely law mandated except the traction control but I could live without and even be happier if there were no air bags, abs and the stability traction control.

  5. #24
    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    The things I personally could do without are likely law mandated except the traction control but I could live without and even be happier if there were no air bags, abs and the stability traction control.
    Sounds like you need a Micra Cup race car. All that is removed/deactivated.

        __________________________________________

        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) ...


  6. #25
    Senior Member dani3d's Avatar
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    way more features than you wanted? wow, you are not too demanding I wish I had keyless starter instead of putting the key in. And I could not live without the AC, bluetouth and electric windows...Those are essential bare minimum for me. As for the stability control, I was very much glad that I had it this past winter, because it saved me from the dish a fiew times...I consider that too, an essential here in Quebec with our winters and icy roads.

    And I can pretty much assure you that if you hit something fair and square, you'll be glad you have the air bags to save you from a wheelchair or a coffin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    This base has way more features than I wanted, I guess that means I'm old school but I like basic cars. I feel that there is less to go wrong , less weight and less to remove or work around when doing maintenance and modifications. The things I personally could do without are likely law mandated except the traction control but I could live without and even be happier if there were no air bags, abs and the stability traction control.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra SR automatic: 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp) ... 14.3 km/L ... 33.6 mpg (US) ...


  7. #26
    Senior Member micrapolis's Avatar
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    unless you are the michelin man himself, u gonna want TC and ESC. every bit as important as airbags, if not more (as the latter is reactive, while the former are proactive).

  8. #27
    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    speed vs. fuel economy

    A last bit of housekeeping from my Micra S notebook...

    I had a chance to do a set of speed vs. fuel consumption runs with this car like I did with the Micra SR automatic. Head over to the dedicated thread to see the (possibly surprising) results.

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    Thread: Tested: Speed vs. MPG/fuel economy, 2015 Micra SR automatic & Micra S 5-spd manual


        __________________________________________

        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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