Ode to my Micra.....

I purchased my 2019 Micra SV the first week of January 2021. I have been very impressed with the vehicle overall, and I think I made the right decision. I have noticed a ton of reviews for the Chevrolet Spark on Youtube latetly, and noticed quite a few on the road, and wondered if perhaps I had made a rash decision in buying the Micra....I knew new or near new Honda's and Toyota's were out of my price range....so the Micra, seemed like a reasonable alternative....but I wondered if I had maybe missed the boat not trying out the Spark.

Today my curiousity got the better of me, so I went to my local Chevrolet dealer to investigate the Spark.....snooty dealership, one had to wait for a salesperson to open up the car in the showroom, I suppose to prevent the great unwashed like me from clambering over it.....My first impression was a good one....the paint was immaculate, the fit and finish was very good....and it looked like a fairly stylish vehicle for a Daewoo product.

I digress...the salesperson opened the vehicle for me.....I sat in the front seat....and I knew immediately I had made the right choice purchasing the Micra...the interior was cramped, full of too much shiny plastic, the seats were much too firm, and narrow, and the steering wheel was made of a very hard plastic(and this was the high end model!)....Im not a large person, but I felt cramped in the drivers seat.....the rear seat was even worse.....two seats that are suitable for children, dogs, or groceries, but nothing more.....they didnt have a vehicle available to test drive, but there was no need....I knew that I had made the right decision purchasing the Micra.

PS....I should mention this top end model Spark was selling for around 20K!!

HammyJ -

Everything I've read about the Spark vs Micra boils down to: the Micra is more entertaining and roomy; the Spark is more refined to drive and has more features.

Did you know the Spark only has 4 seats (4 seatbelts)?

Another thing: which transmission did you get in your Micra? (You should make a garage entry: Garage empty: add car )

Because the Spark's automatic option is a CVT, and in the long term, I wouldn't trust its reliability as much as the Micra's old-school 4-speed auto.

Thanks for the reply.....yes, I guess a CVT is going to give you better gas mileage overall...but it being a Jatco CVT, I dont hold out much hope for long term reliability. I also like that the Micra has enough horses to get out of the way of big trucks....:) even if it means its fuel economy isnt as good as the Spark. I did notice the four seatbelts.....cupholders in the back are nice, but I do like the idea of being able to haul five passengers, if only for a short distance. The only area I thought the Micra maybe fell down on the fit and finish compared to the Spark was the boot....I really think Nissan could have sprung for plastic protectors for the painted metal of the boot, unfortunately stainless $teel ones will have to be purchased. A niggling point, but it would have looked a bit more "finished" than bare carpet edges against white painted metal....It will be my second accessory purchase, after mud guards.....:)