Hello,

I live in Montreal and currently drive a 2004 Echo RS hatchback. Unfortunately, a car in the middle lane decided to turn left at a traffic light and the car may be a write-off (currently dealing with insurances).

I put a TRD suspension and braces on that Echo and it is REALLY fun to drive. But, even if they do fix it, it's still 14 years old and as much as I'm pushing back, the rust is eventually going to win.

Which is where the Micra comes in. The power to weight ration is not as good on a Micra than an Echo hatch, yet the Micra Cup cars are quicker by almost 2 seconds around the Trois Rivieres track than the Echos were! I test drove a Micra last Monday and the first thing I did was stall. Is it normal for the clutch to be so damn light??? I seriously couldn't feel any resistance whatsoever. I also found the gas pedal to be late to respond, but the salesman insisted on coming with me, so I couldn't really give it the beans at higher RPMs. Steering was quick and the car was nimble.

The car I'm looking at was registered in the Summer of 2014 so the comprehensive warranty is over. I like the fun factor of the Micra SR, but I'm worried about two things: long-term reliability and parts availability. I like to keep my cars well over ten years and I like to do pretty much all the work myself. But parts seem to be hard to come by. As an example, I looked for brake rotors around Montreal, and neither Can Tire nor SupraZ2000 had any. Napa had a few lower-range options but they were expensive. Same thing with a muffler: hard to find. Does the Micra share any parts with any other car? That would help.

I need a daily driver than I can count on to start and drive everyday, whether it be 10kms to work or 1000kms to Shediac during the summer.

I really like the idea of the Micra and I'm hoping the owners here can help me make my mind up.

TL/DR: Is the Micra comparable in the long-run to a 2004 Echo hatchback? (parts, reliability, fun factor, etc)

THANKYOU!