Allow me to share with you my line of reasoning that the SV trim in manual is an excellent choice.
-Heated exterior mirrors. I can't tell you how much I hate ice on my mirrors; every time we get freezing rain or drizzle, a sheet of ice always forms over my mirrors, making them useless, and I'm always afraid of breaking them when using the ice scraper on them.
-Bluetooth hands free phone system. This has steering wheel mounted controls. A sweet high end feature that everyone wants now that there's hefty fines for holding a cell phone while driving.
-Integrated key with remote keyless entry. I have the remote keyless entry on both my cars now, and I have to tell you, it's sweet never having to deal with a frozen lock ever again.
-Power door locks. Well, kind of need it with the remote keyless entry. Yes, a frill, but a nice frill, especially when you have kids and a passenger.
-Power windows. Okay, definitely a frill, but when I roll down the front window for a bit of fresh air, I often like to crack the back window so I don't get the wind buffeting against my ear. Power window is a lot nicer and more civilized than twisting my arm to reach around into the back seat.
-Cruise control with steering wheel mounted controls. Definitely a must-have for those great Canadian road trips.
-Rear cargo cover. Nice to be able to hide that case of beer from prying eyes, lest someone smash the rear window and help themselves. This exact thing happened to my brother.
-Passenger side assist grip. It'll make my wife a little happier whenever she rides in my Micra.
-6 way driver's seat, vs 4 way. A little more fine tuning of my seat is always a nice feature.
-Driver's seat armrest. Worth its weight in gold.
-Upgraded cloth seat and door trim. Not sure if it really matters or not, I'll have to see up close if the upgraded cloth seats are made from a heavier, longer lasting material or not.
-Illuminated steering wheel mounted audio controls. Another nice little touch of luxury.
And, of course, there's air conditioning, which speaks for itself.
All in all, I'd say a move up to the SV trim is well worth it, considering all the extras.
Look at it another way; you're still paying less than you would for a base model Yaris, with at least the same level of build quality, and considerably more features.
In our culture obsessed with absurd excess, the Nissan Micra is my counterculture car of choice.
Be sure to visit my blog at
mymicra.com!
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View my fuel log 2015 Micra SV manual: 6.4 L/100 km ... 44.3 mpg (Imp) ... 15.7 km/L ... 36.9 mpg (US) ...