Staring at a Monroney sticker with a four-digit MSRP would only excite you if spending a weekend clipping Sam’s Club coupons while sipping Faygo is a “fun night in.” With a base price of $9,998 in the Great White North, the Nissan Micra is the definition of Quebec Special: an entry-level car in the lowest of trims and absolutely zero options. Wind-up windows.

• 2015 Nissan Micra For Sale
• Nissan Micra Reviews

Manual locks. An actual, honest-to-goodness metal key. All it needs is a cassette deck and a bench seat to take you back to a time when parachute pants were cool and Wesley Snipes was paying taxes. Yet, this diminutive, red hatchback is much more than its price and lack of options suggest. While, I’m going to take it one step further: The Nissan Micra is a four-door Mazda Miata. The Tester 2015 Nissan Micra S Canada Engine: 1.6-liter DOHC I-4, CVVT (109 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm, 107 lbs-ft @ 4,400 rpm) Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel Economy (Rating, MPG): 27 city/36 highway/31 combined Fuel Economy (Observed, MPG): 32 mpg, 50/50 city and highway, 50/50 eco-driver and small-car, fast-lane lunatic Options: What you see is what you get, folks. As Tested: $11,565 , approx.

“Miata with four doors? Have you completely lost the plot?” Maybe, but All the important ingredients from the Miata are woven into the Micra’s DNA as well: light weight, just enough power to spin the little front rubber donuts, and the suspension — well, let’s just call it peculiar for now as it needs an explanation all its own. The bottom line: The Micra provided the most engaging and fun driving experience I’ve had in at least 12 months, and that includes all the 400+ horsepower cars that have graced my driveway over the same timeframe. Exterior Before we get into why the Micra is a four-door Miata, we should talk about its looks for a moment, because this is really the only area where Nissan’s sub-compact could use some effort the next time around. As much as — especially when critiquing said sheet metal — the reality is automakers pen vehicles to appeal to certain demographics: young women, older men and any combination thereof.

Certain genders will be drawn to particular design cues more than others. When I attended the launch of the Micra last year, Nissan representatives were surprisingly upfront about the car being styled to primarily capture the attention and interest of female buyers — and it shows. The Micra is a women’s car whether you want to bury your head in the sand about it or not. However, the cheap-and-cheerful demeanor of the Micra isn’t so dissentious that male buyers should disregard this wonder of economical automotive manufacturing. In a color other than our tester’s Red Alert, the Micra is a bit more palatable. With that out of the way, the V-Motion grille is a bit of an architectural afterthought, like an addition to a family home gone awry. Fortunately, this forced design lineage only affects the Micra in the Canadian market. In other regions — where this runabout is named March — a single chrome bar floats within the grille’s crevasse.

Headlights are the same globally, finding their place far up the hood much like the Chevrolet Spark and even the Nissan Juke, though their placement much less visually pronounced on the Micra. A side view of the car brings back memories of the old New Beetle and its perfectly arched roofline thanks to the Micra’s semi-circular window frames. Unpainted door handles and mirror caps are noticeable but not in the same way as black plastic bumpers grabbed your attention on base model Chevrolet Cavaliers.

Even though this Micra is the bottom rung on the trim hierarchy, its wheel covers still manage to look higher end than the optional alloys available on the Mirage. There’s additional unpainted black plastic at the back, but thankfully it’s limited to just the door handle for the rear hatch. The taillights and bumper seem to have received more stylistic attention than one would expect for a car costing significantly less than its competitors. To top it off, the rear window also provides ample vision from inside the car — and you’ll need it, as there’s no back up camera on this Japanese go-kart. But, you do get a rear spoiler, so at least there’s that. Interior Complaining about the Micra’s interior materials is like going on a tirade at H&M about the quality of their $4.99 fashion-of-the-week, button-up shirts.

A car that’s near-as-makes-no-difference $10,000 is going to be incredibly cheap. You don’t buy this type of car for its soft-touch dash and rubberized temperature control knobs. You buy it because it’s usable and serviceable. The plastic knobs are almost translucent in their cheapness, but they work and that’s all they’re meant to do. You should feel lucky the Micra even has a tachometer in this trim. The only complaint I have — a trivial personal preference more than anything else — has to do with the gas gauge.

You are given a digital gas gauge in the Micra — and I hate it. Please, Nissan, just give me a nice little dial so I can more accurately estimate the amount of fuel in the tank. Other than that, the seats are incredibly simple along with the rest of the interior and not something you’d want to sit in for long jaunts on the highway, but this car isn’t built for long highway jaunts anyway. Infotainment I used to have a manual, Vulcan-powered Ford Ranger with a manual transmission. Like the Micra, it didn’t have air conditioning and just a simple radio provided your anthem for the road. When I bought my Ranger, the total came out to nearly $14,000 in used condition. It also featured two speakers — one in each door.

The Micra has double the number of speakers and is cheaper in new condition. Folks, by all accounts, that’s a bargain! In all seriousness, the Micra does come with a CD player and auxiliary input as standard. If you are keen on tuning into some daytime sports talk radio on the AM dial, you can do that, too. You aren’t locked into the ’90s radio option, however, but you’ll need to spring for the Krom or SR-trimmed Micras to get USB input, Bluetooth and display audio as standard and those models are significantly more expensive than our base model tester. As you can imagine, audio quality with the simple four-speaker stereo is on par with listening to a alleyway catfight on a string can telephone — tinny, full of treble and all the vocals sound like they’re being performed by Richard Simmons with a throat infection. Drivetrain Under the Nissan Micra’s short hood sits the same 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine found in the Versa Sedan and Versa Note producing 109 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. These numbers might seem downright dismal in comparison to other slightly more expensive offerings; in the Versa Note equipped with the CVT, this engine is slow, loud and almost as annoying as Social Justice Warrior Comedy Hour. When sent through the standard five-speed manual transmission, the little four pot sings along just like the eager hatchbacks of 15 or 20 years ago.

The 1.6 loves to rev, but still has a grunty note that permeates the cabin. Meanwhile, it’s probably the most responsive motor in the sub-compact class with a manual that I’ve driven in recent memory. Even if you opt for the automatic transmission, you will still be welcomed by four real gears instead of the near-ubiquitous Nissan CVT. However, the Micra isn’t incredibly efficient. Fifth gear in the manual box is too short for highway usage and bumps up fuel consumption a tad. Again, this car is built to be a cheap city grocery-getter and not a cross-country cruiser. The manual gearbox itself is a tad loose, but it’s fairly forgiving, making missed shifts a rare occurrance.

I could also say the clutch needs to provide some more feedback, but then I’m really going down the road of nitpicking. The manual in the Fiesta is better. Drive Even with all the text above extolling the Micra’s cheap car virtues, driving it on a windy road is what makes it a real winner.

The five-door Datsun absolutely loves corners — but not in the way you’d expect. The Mazda MX-5 Miata is highly regarded as being the most-fun driver’s car per dollar.

That’s not because the Miata puts up huge horsepower numbers or corners completely flat or does record-setting laps around the Nurburgring. Instead, it’s because the Miata communicates with the driver and doesn’t desensitize the driving experience. If the body rolls a little bit, you’re going to feel it.

When braking, the Miata’s brake pedal will communicate to the driver the exact point before ABS kicks in. The Micra does the same thing. No, it isn’t going to attack a corner as fast as a Miata, but it feels just as fast.

If the brain is tricked into thinking it’s going fast — even if the car is only doing a bit over the speed limit — isn’t that all that matters? You don’t need to be a driving hero.

You only need to feel the sensation of being a driving hero. While we all know this feeling is very hard to quantify, let alone market to the buying public, this is the Micra’s greatest party trick.

It’s the slow car you want to drive fast — or at least think you’re driving fast. And it isn’t by accident that the Micra drives the way it does, especially in Canada. Compared to overseas units, the Micra in Canada has different sway bars — front and rear — and steering tuned specifically for North American roads.

This makes the Micra more chuckable, more communicative, and — as a result — a helluva lot more fun. Unfortunately, those of you in the U.S. Won’t be able to enjoy the magic of this micro machine — at least not yet.

A year ago, there were rumors swirling about the Micra’s future availability in the U.S. They’ve simmered down before coming to fruition. It’s unfortunate, really, because when the answer is not Miata, it could surely be Micra. JohnTaurus3.0AX4N Compared to a modern 510 (the IDx), it certainly is boring. Imagine a turbo 4/6spd in a RWD small coupe/sedan instead of an uglier Versa without the (relatively) low MSRP. Funny how nobody respected the Pontiac Aztec for being different, or for being the first mainstream crossover or for being more innovative than the Juke is. To me, the Juke trys way too hard in the looks department.

2015 Nissan Micra For Sale

Being different just for the sake of it ruins the experiment IMO. If you start off to create a unique product and end up with something polarizing but useful and innovative, thats respectable and noteworthy, but if you sit down with your team of 40+ year old designers and say “lets make this sucker hidious just so young people will notice it”, it gets marked as a fail in my book. The Juke belongs firmly in the latter, cars like the Honda Element, Pontiac Aztec, Nissan Cube, Toyota bB (1st gen Scion xB to us), Ford Flex and AMC Eagle belong in the former. JohnTaurus3.0AX4N Corey, That’s it. I would absolutely love it. Park it next to my first-gen Infiniti M45 rebadged as a Nissan Gloria, my J30 with JDM badging and my M30 also with JDM badges.

All of these currently reside in my fantasy collection, lol, though I have owned a J30 previously. Im not just partial to Nissan JDM cars, Id love an early Vigor 5-speed and a late model Integra 3 door 5 speed with JDM Honda facia/badges. I really prefer the JDM later Integra front clip to the goofy quad bug eyed Acura. I dont mind converting USDM products to JDM badges and exterior styling because I prefer LHD. I mean, what good is a sporty car that handles great if you get stuck behind every delivery or garbage truck on two lane roads because you cant see to pass? Thats why I laugh at the ricers converting their hopped-up cars to RHD.

Youre just screwing yourself. Its not like its better or anything. Makes no sense. That said, if I did buy a true JDM import like that Cosmo or the Kei trucks I fawn over, I wouldnt attempt a LHD conversion because thats how they were built, and therefor thats how they belong. JohnTaurus3.0AX4N Corey I meant in the last paragraph that I would.not. convert a true JDM (or any RHD market car).

If it was built RHD, it’d stay that way. I just meant that I dont think starting with a USDM LHD is a bad thing, if it could be modified to look like another market’s version, thats okay, and my desire to make it unique is acomplished.

I even considered making a Mondeo-ized 95-97 Contour. It looks distnct, but buying the parts would cost more than the car. And, Id have to find a decent model like a manual trans to start with. Would love an SE. Dolorean I bought an ’88 Pontiac 6000-SE while stationed at Fort Riley, KS, for a beater to drive in the winter. It had never been registered in Kansas, not unusual in the military.

However, during registration and the extra expense that KS was suddenly socking me with to register, I realized that the horizantal sweep speedo was in KMs, not miles as it was a Canuck refugee. It also explained why an ’88 6000 had a tachometer, heated front seats, and amber fog lamps as standard equipment and the only options being the A/C and four speed autobox. JohnTaurus3.0AX4N Because people have been spoiled. I worked all summer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast a few years ago and drove a 1999 Saturn SL with no A/C and no power steering.

I loved how cheap it was. It was the perfect basic comnuter. I couldnt help but get 40 mpg everywhere, even doing 80 through Texas (in July lol) with two passengers and a trunk full of tools. I bought it in Pensacola for $1300, put about 50k on it, sold it in Gulfport, MS in Augusr for $1500.

When I lived in Alamagordo, New Mexico with a buddy for one summer, we drove a black 1987 Aerostar with no A/C while moving his household items across town to a storage unit (as he was being reassigned to Germany), one trip at a time in the van. We also pulled an engine at a pullapart type place and hauled it in the van. I cant tell you how many cross-country trips Ive driven in a non-A/C vehicle. Many without a radio as well.

A/C is optional for me, even living in the deep south now, I can easily (and do) go without it. The more you get yourself used to it, the harder it is to go without it. Maymar I test-drove one of these last fall – it’s really not bad as a $10k car, but I just couldn’t connect with it. I found the suspension a little crashy, and the general thing a little crude. As mentioned, the fuel economy is sub-par for something so light and small (not awful, just not great). The weirdest part is that on the S (as featured here), you can only get A/C if you spring for the automatic as well, otherwise you have to step up to the next model (about $15k with freight, before taxes).

I’m not buying a car with 109hp, crank windows, and an automatic transmission. That’s just sad. So, by the time you’re spending $15k on one of these, there get to be a lot more compelling options within spitting distance, and good financing deals on the competition render what little savings there may be irrelevant. Dwight I live in Canada.

The Micra is my car. Mine is an SR with automatic.

It’s cheap and cheerful and a lot of fun to drive. I gave up a MK4 Golf for it and haven’t regretted it. It reminds me of those nimble Japanese cars of the ’90s. But more refined and a lot more solid. I’ve taken it from Ontario to PEI and back and I was quite comfortable.

It stays planted even at highway speeds, however, cross winds push it around a bit but it has to be quite windy to notice. Once you find the sweet spot on the rpms you really enjoy what it has to offer. The automatic is a 4-speed with a Low and 2nd gear and an overdrive on/off. Shifts are so smooth it feels like a CVT but without the whining from the engine. It also has electronic stability control of which you can turn off.

Sales are picking up in Canada as the car catches on. The big selling point aside from price is it’s nimble, “sporty” feel. That’s what drew me as I was about to take delivery of a Versa Note, but once I drove the Micra, my mind was made up. TonyJZX years and years ago i drove a Mini Cooper S with the usual high spec trim fast little thing and built like a swiss watch but probably not $40k+ worth not sure its so fun to drive sans supercharger etc. Then i remember 20+ yrs ago driving the issigonis mini and the original VW bug new mini isnt a decendent of old mini The Micra as reviewed here is more ‘Mini’ than the New Mini car for the masses, cheap and strangely fun to drive like fat girls and scooters, enjoy riding them but dont tell your friends also on a technological level, it amazes me that a car like that has multiple airbags + a black box that does DSC TC ABS EBFD and TLA etc.

Nissan Micra Reviews

And all probalby on one circuit board that costs $10 in bulk. Shaker Part of me really likes the idea of this car, as I’ve driven a ’67 Beetle, ’72 Fiat 128, and a ’76 Rabbit; all manuals that I remember fondly.

But, I’m sure that the rubber shifter and numb clutch (along with the emissions-required throttle hang) would sour the experience pretty quickly. That aside, for the price, this little bug looks pretty good; no gobs of black plastic on the rockers, good visibility, and no need for a backup camera, because you only have to back 2/3 into any garage or parking space, and you’re.in.

I forgot to mention something in the review and should add it here. One of the commenters mentioned the Micra having a “crashy” ride. In contrast, I thought the ride was excellent considering the short wheelbase and simple suspension.

The only issue I really had with the ride were during jaunts across the local suspension bridges here. Traxxas mini revo manual. The wheelbase wasn’t a good match for the expansion joint spacing. Other than that, the Micra had a better ride than even some of the German machinery to go through our media fleet. Gtemnykh Very interesting. I appreciate a well sorted comfortable ride at the bottom of the segment.

Someone else asked this above, Mark have you driven the US spec base model Versa or Versa Note here in the US? If so, how do they compare? I briefly drove a Versa S in bare bones 5spd manual trim, I’m a sucker for totally utilitarian cheap cars. Integrated headrest front seats like a Lada but with worse seat fabric, shifter was not Honda-slick but perfectly usable. Seemed plenty peppy to me with the stick shift, you’re right that little 1.6 motor is a peach. The sedan is actually incredibly practical for families as the rear legroom is awesome (albeit the car is narrow) and the trunk is midsize good at 15 cu ft.

Of course the hatchback is best if you have bulky things to haul and only 2 people. The nice thing about this US variant is that A/C is standard. Man, now you’re making me want to totally reverse course on my plan to upgrade to something cushy from my Civic and get a stripped out Versa:/. DweezilSFV Finally some originality in the taillight dept.

Minimalist motoring.No CVT. Totally up my alley. Looks like a simple car and not some gaping mawed insect. Well done, Nissan.

About the same weight as a 95 Saturn SL1. Had no problem on freeways with that, can’t see there would be on the Micra. Every offering out there doesn’t have to be premium. Just make the thing work as intended ask a fair price.

Japan cut it’s teeth here on cars like these. Nice to see them going back to their roots. Jim Broniec This article is insanely timely – I just spent two weeks in Dublin, Ireland driving this AMAZING little car. I have not had that much fun driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road around countless roundabouts as I had driving this car. I invented reasons to drive anywhere. And drive FAST. It’s light as hell and gets great mileage.

It’s also loud, but so is the stereo system in it. And getting attached to the pirate Dance 91.6 radio station was I think half the fun.

The car has a soul. It kind of reminded me a bit of the Suzuki Forenza.

It’s got a similar wheelbase and semi-similar handling. Interestingly, Suzuki is still pretty prevalent in Ireland, and their ads are nifty. But I digress – my rental had 90K kilometers on it, and was beat to HELL, but I’ll be damned if that car didn’t just enjoy being driven. You forgive the road noise, the tinny hollowness of the metal; remember – this car sips fuel. And in Europe, that’s important. I filled her at half tank and it cost me about 48 Euro.

But no matter. If she comes stateside, I’ll buy it. Recent Comments.: If they used the 2.0T from the Arteon (the only engine option coming to the US) it has similar power.: “Losing the six sucks, but I have a feeling the ’18s will be on lots for quite some time.”.: Porsche just recently bought 10% of Rimac, makers of the Concept 2 and the engineering firm behind the.: @MBella In Europe? No, they cancel. It was in the news yesterday. Ford of course denies it.: deanst, both Ford and Chevrolet have to cut costs where the can to compensate for UAW contracts past.