I'm driving a 2015 Nissan Micra for a week... observations & fuel economy results
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1405044545

Nissan Canada is loaning me its disruptive little Micra next week.

I call it disruptive because it was launched with the primary goal of being the country's cheapest new car, at $9,998 (plus delivery fee, etc.), undercutting its rivals by thousands.

Nissan starts a war...

Predictably, it has sparked a price war: Mitsubishi is now offering a $2500 rebate on the base Mirage to bring it in at $9998, and Hyundai is offering deals on the Accent to bring it down near $10k.

The bonkers $10k strategy appears to be working: they moved around 1k Micras in each of its first two full months of sales. Here in Canada, that's A LOT of "micro/city" class cars. Compare to typical numbers for the Mirage (200-300 a month) and the Chevy Spark (~100/mo recently).

Of course hardly anyone will be buying the base $10k car, since it comes without North America's two favourite options: air conditioning and automatic transmission.

Automatic, schmautomatic...

And I am somewhat sad to report that the car I will be driving has the automatic.

(I actually would have preferred to spend time with the entry level $10k manual car, but the only press car available in my area is the $16.7k top line one.)

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Update: I also got to spend time with a base "$9998" Micra.

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There's nothing particularly wrong with the auto; for a conventional 4-speed slushbox, it drives nice enough. "Pleasantly unobtrusive" came to mind from a brief spin back in May. But it robs the car of driver engagement and of course efficiency.

Zip, not sip...

The drivetrain (whole platform, actually) is actually straight out of the Versa sedan/Note, at 109hp, 1.6L, 4-cylinders. (Except the Note gets the more efficient CVT.)

That's a relatively powerful engine for the class (eg. the Spark has 82 hp & the Mirage has 74). So while it gains zip, it predictably also has the lowest MPG ratings of those 3 cars:

Automatic

• City: 8.8 L/100 km city / 26.7 MPG (US)
• Highway: 6.6 / 36
• Combined: 7.8 / 30.2

Manual

• City: 8.6 L/100 km city / 27.4 MPG (US)
• Highway: 6.6 / 36
• Combined: 7.8 / 30.6

Of course, those numbers are easy to beat with basic eco-driving techniques.

See also: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...cra-30059.html

Also of course, other markets (hello, Europe) get a more efficient 1.2L 3-cylinder engine (both n.a. and supercharged versions) and a CVT option.

No Micra for U.S.?

Nissan says it currently has "no plans" for the Micra in the States, owing to the fact that Americans prefer sedans over hatchbacks (that's what they say). Also, they're probably reluctant to risk cannibalizing sales of the Versa sedan, which is currently the cheapest new car in the U.S. and a perennial best-seller in its class. (Meanwhile, in Canada, the Versa sedan apparently never sold well at all.)

Questions?

I'll be taking copious notes & photos during my week with the car. Anything special you'd like to know about it?

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...0&d=1405044545

Nissan could at least offer the 1.2L engine alongside the 1.6L instead of making it not available at all. Anyway, where is it sourced from? In Brazil the pre-facelift version made in Mexico is still available, while this facelifted version recently got locally-made. But no automatic transmission back here not even as an option IIRC...

Ours is Mexican made... and yes, it's a little strange that NO auto trans is available at all in multiple South American countries... though it helps with fuel economy.

Here's a Brazilian 1.6L / manual Micra owner showing the results of a 338 km highway trip in his car: 19.3 km/L = 5.2L / 100 km = 45 mpg US.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGS7-jLLejg

1.2L 3 banger... but not here

Offering the 1.2 would cost more (would have to be emissions certified & tested for fuel economy, service training & parts inventory stocked), and the Canadian market probably isn't big enough to justify the expense. But the Nissan rep I asked about it said "it just depends on the market" ... meaning I suppose that if/when gas gets expensive enough, they'd look at it.

I think a bigger issue is this: currently the Versa Note hatchback with the CVT is the company's most efficient I.C.E. vehicle in Canada/U.S. So if they offered either the CVT or a 1.2L in the Micra, it could take that marketing angle away from the more profitable car.

And lastly: typical auto journalists like the 1.6 four, especially compared to a lower powered 3-cylinder. I haven't read a single negative review of the 1.6L Micra, while the Mirage's 1.2L engine has been regularly mocked by gearheads in the media (personally, I love the character of triples ... but I'm obviously biased... Firefly!).

Americans prefer sedans? That's news to me, we move a lot of Versa hatchbacks from Vancouver to Washington state, and they always sell instantly down there. We actually don't bother exporting the sedan models, the hatchbacks are such good sellers.

Yeah, that was Nissan's official line anyway.

I think it may just be a simple answer to a complicated situation.

Also, Washington Americans are practically Canadians anyway. :D

Micra
 

Is she capable of pulling a trailer?

Phil, I actually asked about this, and the answer is "not officially".

Yet it certainly has enough power to do light duty towing, in my non-expert opinion.

Unfortunately, because there's no American version of the car (yet?), there's probably not enough demand to justify aftermarket development of receivers. So Canadians may be hard pressed to set their Micras up for towing duty.

ANY car is capable of pulling a trailer.:D
http://forkenswift.com/album/21-fs-trailer-brush.jpg

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1405430621

I realized yesterday that this is the very same Micra I drove briefly in May in Montreal when I had a chance to compare the fuel economy of the 5-speed vs. the automatic over the same route.

Handling...

When I posted the Montreal thread, someone asked me about the car's handling, but I hadn't really had a chance to play with it.

I have now!

It's nicely buttoned down. Standard front & rear stabilizer bars (Canada is the only country to get both) have body roll under control, and the steering is relatively responsive.

These are two areas of criticism of the Mitsubishi Mirage, and having spent time with the Mitsu recently, I have to agree (the Mirage has a "slower" steering ratio for the same turning radius, much higher steering assist, significantly softer springs/dampers, and only a front stabilizer bar). The Mirage arguably offers a plusher ride, but if you appreciate a little spirited driving now and again, you would definitely pick the Micra, regardless of the cars' drivetrain differences.

The drive home from Ottawa on Sunday evening turned into a real life game of Frogger. There were hundreds of them hopping across the back roads, and the steering got a workout -- lots of flicking the car left & right.

It's no go-kart, but highway on/offramps and twisties can be fun. (Though some owners are already looking to lower their Micras a little and firm them up more.)


Fuel economy so far

After about 250 km of a mix city/small town/back roads & freeway driving, the fuel economy display is showing 5.1 L/100 km (46 mpg US / 55 mpg Imp). That's using just basic ecodriving techniques only, and sticking to the speed limit on the open road (mostly secondary highways, 80 km/h / 50 mph limit). I haven't used A/C yet.

The car's combined rating is 7.8 LHK / 30.2 mpg US.

However that's an uncalibrated number -- owners are reporting the gauge to be 5-10% optimistic. I'll correct the numbers in this thread when I fill up.

UPDATE: the onboard MPG display read ~4.5% optimistic, vs. calculations at the pump.

I will admit the 4-speed auto is driving me a little nuts!

towing
 

Thanks Darin,
since so many vehicles are financed,I didn't know if a warranty could be rendered null and void if a dealer discovered an owner operating the car outside its published 'envelope',say,during routine scheduled maintenance visit.:confused:

automatic transmission
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1405521914

I won't lie: the 4-speed automatic is still driving me nuts.

Ironically, two of the Micra's closest competitors (Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage) use more efficient CVT's sourced from Nissan/JATCO. GM just switched from a 4AT to the CVT for the current model year and saw a big bump in fuel economy as a result.

Nissan says they're using the 4-speed to keep costs down. Unfortunately that means automatic buyers save a few bucks up front, but pay more in the long run through higher fuel consumption.

It's pleasant enough to drive -- shifts are imperceptible under light to moderate throttle. And car reviewers like stepped transmissions more than CVT's.

Fuel economy features

At least the torque converter locks up in 3rd and 4th gears.

And it's got pretty aggressive DFCO. Release the throttle in 3rd or 4th and it instantly cuts fuel. It will even downshift from 4th to 3rd during fuel cut deceleration. That's a neat trick - can't do that in a manual without burning a bit of fuel while you change gears.

This style of DFCO will probably benefit "average" drivers who tend to do very little coasting. Binary driving: either accelerating/cruising or braking.

But I have sometimes found myself going to N to get much longer coasts, even though the engine is idling. If I had the car for a longer time, I'd do some comparisons to confirm that's a good strategy.

Also, it can get very slightly herky-jerky when you're cruising at very light throttle, as it will trip into DFCO, then back out again if you're near that threshold.

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Currently sitting at 5.2 L/100 km (45 mpg US) indicated after ~400 km. Subject to calibration. The proportion of sub/ex/urban driving is rising. Again, this is with basic ecodriving. Nothing my mother wouldn't do.

I'd like to know why we don't get this car. Looks waaaay better than the Versa Hatch. Yeah yeah, I get the "Americans prefer sedans" thing, though that's not true all over.

How is the ride/how are the seats? Interior usability? Build quality? Value for the $? Very curious. It's a really nicely styled little car.

Well, you're not alone. Autoweek ran a poll on its website, and ...

From: Poll: Would you buy a Hyundai i20? | Autoweek

Summary & fuel economy
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1406047868

I returned the Micra having covered 940 km (584 mi.) and burned 50.8 L, which works out to...

• 5.4 L/100 km = 43.6 mpg (US) = 52.3 mpg (Imp.) Fill-up method: slow 3-clicks.

Remember, this is the automatic, rated at ...

• City: 8.8 L/100 km city / 26.7 MPG (US)
• Highway: 6.6 / 36
• Combined: 7.8 / 30.2

44% over the combined rating isn't bad.


Driving style...

This was using conservative eco-driving, not hard core hypermiling, mostly because I wanted to demonstrate what a "regular" driver could reasonably expect to get by changing a few habits. Most regular drivers already see driving just at the speed limit as "extreme"! :D

Speed: The majority of my driving was fuel-friendly cruising on secondary highways at or very close to the speed limit (~80 km/h = ~50 mph), plus about 120 km of freeway (@ ~100 km/h / ~62 mph). Urban/suburban/ex-urban driving probably made up about 200 km.

Very few short trips: by "short" I mean less than a couple of km.

Little A/C use: it wasn't very hot this week, so I only turned the air conditioning on to try it out for a few minutes -- most of the time I had windows down in town and the right two cracked open a little bit when on the highway.

Eco-driving: things like...

• never idling for more than a few seconds,
• moderate acceleration, aiming to get the torque converter to lock early in 3rd & 4th gears,
• minimizing brake use (letting off the gas early to coast as much as practical toward slowdowns/stops/turns, depending on traffic),
• reading conditions ahead to keep from wasting momentum by rushing into avoidable slowdowns, eg. choosing the lane with the best "flow", timing traffic lights, etc.,
• sticking to the speed limit (or very close to it),
• turning off the engine at long stops (when safe)

Owners' fuel economy reports

• 5.3 LHK / 44 mpg (US) ... 5-spd ... 7 fill-ups ... "not trying"
• 5.5 LHK / 43 mpg (US) ... 5-spd ... "I am a turtle"
• 6.0 LHK / 39 mpg (US) ... 5-spd ... "liberal acceleration, mixed driving"
• 6.4 LHK / 38 mpg (US) ... 5-spd ... "rush hour Toronto commuting"
• 6.5 LHK / 36 mpg (US) ... 5-spd ... 13 fill-ups ... "right foot can be a little heavy"
• see: thread with more details

Factory trip computer:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1406048633
4.8 = 49 mpg US. That was my first ~120 km in the Micra ... mostly secondary highway cruising at the 80 km/h / ~50 mph limit.

All Micras come equipped with a factory trip computer that includes a resettable fuel economy display (average) and instant display as well.

Calibrated against my 940 km and 2 fill-ups of mixed driving, the gauge in the car was optimistic by ~4.5%. Not too horrible.

I think it's awesome that entry level cars like the Micra and Mitsu Mirage have factory gauges, even on the base model. It used to be that only fancy (gas guzzing) cars had gauges and the economy cars got zilch. Irony!


Overall:

Nice little car to drive, and fuel economy isn't bad for an old school 4-speed automatic.

The Micra's tighter handling/steering make it FAR more enjoyable to drive than the Mirage. Though personally I prefer a 3-banger -- more character & better efficiency.

I wish Nissan offered the more efficient 1.2L 3-cylinder (n.a. or supercharged) that is available elsewhere. Also, CVT instead of 4AT, or at least the option of 5MT, 4AT or CVT as is done with the Versa sedan in the U.S.

Also, it could benefit from a weight-loss program: 2363 lbs for this loaded 4AT compared to just 1973 lbs for the base manual Mirage I drove last month. 400 pounds difference! The Mirage also has a lower Cd (0.28 vs. 0.32), though Nissan could close that gap easily if they wanted to.

Naturally, I'd pick the manual Micra over the AT. It's worth 10-20% better fuel economy than the automatic (despite their nearly identical ratings). And that's 10-20% better with basic eco-driving techniques; if you throw the whole bag of hypermiling tricks at it, there's much more where that came from!

And the car has some ecomodding potential as well. Very few factory aero mods on this one.

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When there aren't many "...low hanging fruit..." under the tree, it's time to consider a different tree.