- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
1.3i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
55kW, 103Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: Nissan Micra 1995-97
Likes
- Perky styling hides sensible packaging.
- Lively engine feels sophisticated and is heaps of fun.
- Roomy inside for such a small external package.
- CVT transmission is different, but works extremely well.
- Build quality and driving experience a cut above the rest.
- Tremendous fuel economy.
Dislikes
- Pricey compared with some of the competition.
- No centre console.
- ABS limited to Super S model.
- Model was short-lived, making it a bit of an orphan.
- Poor safety rating.
Rating: 4 stars
It really wasn't that long ago that small cars weren't supposed to represent anything more than a way to get around on a tight budget.
But in the 1990s, small cars started to make plenty of sense and one of the first to catch on here was the Nissan Micra. While the Toyota Starlet and Holden Barina continued with the looks-cheap, feels-cheap thing, the Nissan moved the game on a step or two.
Part of the car's ability to do that lay in the fact it was built in Britain primarily for a European market. And if you've travelled in Europe, you'll know that what rates as a micro-car here is "normal" wheels over there.
Part of the Micra's charm when new was its styling. From a couple of angles, it looks more like the original Mini than the all-new, retro-model Mini does. Some carefully placed curves hide that fact that the Micra's body is pretty upright, which it needed to be to maximise interior space.
As such, occupants sat upright, which made for more leg room in the rear than you would imagine. Knee-room was better than average while front-seat accommodation was about the best in its class, with deep windows for a good view and a low-set dashboard.
Instrumentation was basic but legible, although the car missed out on a centre console, making do with door bins and a fairly useless shelf under the steering column. Boot space, too, was better than expected for this size of vehicle.
So the Micra was usable but also lots of fun to use. The engine was clearly the best in its class and while it measured just 1.3 litres, it used double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and was smooth and civilised. It was also happy to rev hard, working well with the five-speed manual gearbox that was optional on most of the range and mandatory on the base-model car.
The automatic transmission, too, was surprisingly good. Unlike a conventional auto, the Micra used a Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT). It could be manipulated manually and pulled into low-range like a normal auto but it didn't have a distinct set of ratios. Instead, it could constantly vary the gearing to suit the incline and how much acceleration the driver was asking for.
Floor the throttle and the revs would shoot up to the point of maximum torque and stay there. The gearbox would then vary its ratio to keep the revs in the power zone as speed increased and the whole car would eventually catch up to the engine. It sounds odd but worked well and once you were used to the different noise and feel of the CVT, was quite good fun in its own way.
Three trim levels were offered - the base-model LX, which was a three-door, a better equipped five-door called the SLX and a sportier three-door called the Super S. A driver's airbag was a $600 option and central locking didn't become a standard fitment on the base-model until cars delivered in late 1996; 18 months after the Micra was launched here.
While the Super S didn't get any more power or significantly better handling (the basic roadholding was pretty darn good anyway) it was the only Micra variant to get anti-lock brakes, so it might be the one to buy for most people now.
In the end, good though it was, the Micra was just too expensive and failed to attract enough sales to be viable. So by the end of 1998 the Micra was gone, another victim of crook exchange rates and the super-competitive Korean cars flooding the market.
Nuts 'n' bolts - Nissan Micra
Engine 1.3-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission 5-speed manual/CVT auto
Fuel economy City/highway (according to Government tests) 6.0 L/100 km/4.4 L/100 km
Safety rating: one star (howsafeisyourcar.com.au)
Insurance $465 (RACV, assumes a 40-year-old, rating one driver in a medium-risk suburb).
Need to know
- Frequent oil changes are critical. Skipping them will drastically shorten engine life.
- Timing chains can break, sometimes before 150,000 km. Replacing the chain at about 120,000 km is probably the safest bet but will cost.
- Air-flow meters can fail. The first hint is a rough or inconsistent idle.
- Check the floorpan for cracks around the area where the parking brake lever mounts.
Competitors
Toyota Starlet - The Starlet feels like a stripped-out car. Auto is a tragic three-speed.
Two stars.
Holden Barina - Like the Micra, it's a Euro, but nowhere near as classy. Body is tinny and plastics of poor quality but it drives OK. (three stars
Ford Festiva - A Kia by any other name, the Festiva was At least a generation old when it arrived here. Poor build quality and dodgy dynamics, it's a real drag to drive. Just don't. (one star)
VW Polo - Good to drive with sharp dynamics but VW's legendary build quality seems to have passed the Polo by. Electrical problems and trim woes spoil the deal. (three stars)
What to pay
Model | Engine | Year | New | Now |
LX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1995 | $15,500 | $5800 |
LX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1996 | $14,990 | $6200 |
LX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1997 | $14,990 | $6500 |
SLX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1995 | $20,000 | $7300 |
SLX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1996 | $18,590 | $7800 |
SLX | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1997 | $18,890 | $8200 |
Super S | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1995 | $20,990 | $7700 |
Super S | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1996 | $19,990 | $8300 |
Super S | 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder | 1997 | $19,990 | $8700 |
Source: The Glass's Guide
Prices and details correct at publication.