One Month Update

Just thought I would share my thoughts on my used base model 2015 Micra after one month. In one word, satisfied. In two words, happily surprised. I bought this car with 38K km on the clock and I have to say that it has more than impressed me for the "least expensive" car that was sold in Canada at the time. I've had no problems at all and the more I drive it, the more I feel it deserves more respect for what it is and what it can do. It does seem to have a few quirks (like all cars do) but nothing worrying. I've got the 5 speed and first gear whine is more that I though a modern tranny could make, but it works well, no missed shifts or hiccups, just more noise than I was used to. Some times on a very cold morning, it starts instantly, but then the rpm drops and it seems like the engine will almost stall, then I guess the ECU recalculates and then it settles into a comfortable idle (I'm not sure if this will be the same situation in the really -15C winters), but for now it just seems like a quirk.

I just did a lot of highway driving for the first time and again, overall I'm very happy. The seats, although stiff, do seem to give adequate support because after 6 hours of highway, I had no lower back fatigue or stiffness. I do seem to get a strong acoustical engine noise at certain RPM. The engine itself is smooth and up to about 100km/h (3100RPM) the engine noise is very comfortable, then as I climb through 110 up to 115km/h there is a definite harmonic reverberace happening and the noise is noticeable. Once at 115 (3500RPM) the noise fades and all is quiet again (again for an economical sub compact). I'm wondering if a little acoustical mat applied to the hood would make a difference?

I watched my fuel consumption and again I'm happily surprised. I helped a friend move and followed behind his Uhaul and got a very accurate 5.5l/100km at 100km/h (42mpg). On the way down I averaged approx 115km/h (3500RPM) and the on board computer said 5.7l/100km. Comparing to my fill ups and km it seems like the Nissan on board trip meter is a bit optimistic, but real life calculations still put the fuel consumption at that speed with two heavy middle aged males, and a loaded car (back seats down, stuffed a storage freezer, power washer and tools) at about 6.1l/100km good for a very respectable 38mpg.

Interestingly I also got to test the Micra's off road capabilities, but's another story for another post.

Thanks for the update!

Which trim do you have? (Garage empty: add car)

I know seat comfort is highly subjective, but I found the seats in the base S Micra lacking thigh support - the cushion feels like it slopes down toward the front.

The SV & SR have the adjustable lower seat cushion, and it's much more comfortable.

If I had the S, I'd be looking for an SV/SR seat at the junk yard , or doing surgery on the base seat to add support.

I do agree about the lack of thigh support, it could be more comfortable. However it didn't really feel that bad. I guess I got used to it. The truth is regardless cars I've had or seat comfort, after about 2 hours or more in the highway, I'm looking for a break and a stretch.

I'd be interested in hearing about off-roading in your Micra; we've taken ours thru some not too rough trails in Death Valley California and thru the back roads of central Saskatchewan; our Little Guy's no 4x4 but he was quite stable & competent through the ruts & loose gravel & dirt, and decent maneuverability with the shorter wheelbase. We did install after market splash guards to protect his underside paint from most rocks & stones kicked up by the tires.

No extreme off roading adventures, but to make a long story short I got locked in an outdoor parking lot. I came back to the car later in the evening only to find it the only car left in the lot and the steel barriers locked down. After the initial shock and frustration cleared I tried to see if there was any way possible to get the car out. A concrete curb ran the perimeter of the lot, but after closer inspection I found a point where a chunk had been broken off. With like 1/4" to spare I managed to get the Micra over the curb without hitting the oil pan. Once out of the parking lot, I had to drive across a section of uncut field, then across part of a soccer field to a bike path that got me back on the road.

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Originally Posted by Moflow

I do agree about the lack of thigh support, it could be more comfortable. However it didn't really feel that bad. I guess I got used to it.

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I don't know how hard it would be on the Micra, but I've modified 2 of my cars' seats to add thigh support:

1) remove seat
2) turn upside down
3) insert additional material/padding underneath the forward half of the seat cushion, between the foam and the seat frame/springs

Maybe an hour job. Worth doing, in my opinion.

The question is the Micra seat construction - how easy is it to access the space in between the foam and the seat frame/springs? The seats I did had springs, and it was very easy to slip material between them from underneath without having to remove the foam/seat fabric.

I'm not sure if it's worth it or any better, but given that the Micra and Versa Note share the same platform, are the Versa seats better and can they bolt into the same place?