No it is not the Fiat 500, but in the ‘SR’ sports trim with spoiler and white paintwork it had made a few people wonder. Apart from when you are staring straight at this car from the front, it still looks like a fresh design. When you have the misfortune to stare straight at, the kindest thing you can say is, ‘I guess they were trying to make it look cute.’
Once inside, the cute bug eyes are visible as two plasticky globes on the end of the bonnet. Once the initial amusement wears off, you come back to, ‘I guess they were trying to make it look cute.’
Which makes sense for the majority of the range. This is a small car in the traditional sense; endearingly little but totally practical. If you find the new Vauxhall Corsa too big and difficult to park, but find the likes of the Citroen C2 too small to be of any real use, then your local Nissan garage is as good a place to start as any.
Inside, you expect cheap plastics and bright colours, but instead find a stylish, understated and surprisingly well-built, interior. The controls were easy to find and easy to use. The buttons and plastics felt firm and reassuring.
The boot space will just about squeeze the proceeds from a trip to the supermarket in and the rear legroom is suitable for children (and students on road trips of course). But head room is excellent all round.
The front seats are big enough and supportive for larger adults and I wouldn’t be worried about spending a couple of hours in the front seats. That puts them on a par with the Ford Fiesta, ahead of the Renault Clio and perhaps a shade behind the Vauxhall Corsa.
So I like the Micra, because it shows that we don’t need silly tiny city cars and that small cars are at their best and most practical when not too big. The new 5-door Corsa, for me, is too big as a small car.
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Parking and turning around in the inner city is very easy in the ‘normal’ Micras, with most of the 1.2 litre and 1.4 litre cars having turning circles of 9.2m kerb to kerb. If you end up being one of the minority that go for a bigger engine car, you will find they come with 16” (rather than 14”) wheels and need an extra metre to u-turn. You may also discover, as I did, that getting into a parallel gap requires a lot more concentration.
Whilst the parking may be slightly harder with the bigger engine, there is a pay off. The engine makes a throaty little roar; boot the throttle on a tight corner and the back will – not kick out, that’s an exaggeration, but –squirm out a little bit. Because of the car’s size, once you have the bigger engine, it’s easy to find yourself hacking around quite quickly.
Slip over a speed bump or pot hole a bit too quickly and the Micra will confirm that it is indeed a Nissan; the suspension clangs and crunches, making all kinds of fuss and leaves you with the impression that it may be bio-degradable.
The Micra SR is as much fun as a Suzuki Siwft, which is a car you can consider as an alternative to the Mini Cooper. But does that mean the Micra SR is also an alternative to the Mini? Sadly, I don’t think it does. It is the slowest of the three. Plus, it’s strength as an everyday family run-around or first car is that it is compact. When you start spending over £10,000 on a hot hatch, you want a bit of presence. The Micra doesn’t quite have the same presence as the other two. But looking at one year old cars, it is £2,000 less than the Mini, £1,000 less than the Swift and if the cute Fiat 500 doesn’t have enough guts for you (it only goes up to a 1.4 litre engine) then I think you should consider the Micra SR.
It will be cheaper, quicker, more refined at A-road speed, is nearly as cute and slightly more practical.
Summary
A stylish, well-balanced all rounder. A small car that is practical in town and capable on the open road. The broad range and popularity mean there are lots to choose from on the used market. Nearly new examples are amongst the best value small cars around.
Road test car details
Nissan Micra 1.6SR
OTR:£10,795
0-62: 9.8 secs
MPG: 42.8
Co2/KM: 158
Words: Matthew Tumbridge