Playing car reviewer for a day, 2015 Nissan Micra: ecodriving results; Q&A.

[niky]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Wider rear track advantage is what? I dunno.

It's to clear space for the optional V6.



Which will probably be the most ticked option box in the US. Besides the double-wide cupholders.

-

That roof is freaky cool. Would love to see a smoke test of that one.

[NeilBlanchard]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

One weird thing I learned about the car that I don't fully understand:

Its rear track is slightly (5mm) wider than the front track. Every other car in its class (and most in general) have a narrower rear track. To accomodate tapering bodywork toward the rear, is my guess.

Wider rear track advantage is what? I dunno.

Wider hip room for the rear seat, maybe?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

The Micra is not so bad at all, in spite of the limited internal space. Altough it has the 5 seatbelts, it's actually just a 4-seater. And featuring the 4-speed slushbox instead of the CVT doesn't seem to be a good move...

[MetroMPG]

And you can get it with a diesel!

But not here...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

And you can get it with a diesel!

But not here...

We can't get it here too

Hell, in Brazil we don't even have the option for an automatic transmission in the Micra...

[Cobb]

Ive seen commercials in the Richmond, VA area advertising the car on TV.

Originally Posted by P-hack

I appreciate you are excited about it, but being "discriminated" against for being a US citizen is pretty much a turn off for me. It is obvious their price is not a function of their costs, but where they sell 'em, and they will "homer" them up before bringing them here. It isn't a sub 10k car to me, never will be.

[MetroMPG]

So I did the Micra thing in Montreal. Let's cut to the chase:

I got to drive the manual and the automatic over the same 34 km route in around Montreal. Conditions were pretty ideal: cars were warmed up, weather was perfect (minimal A/C), roads were dry, traffic was moderate, highway portion had very mileage-friendly speeds (probably never went past 90 km/h / 55 mph).

The results:

• 5.1 L/100 km - 5-spd manual (46 mpg US)
• 5.6 L/100 km - 4-spd automatic (42 mpg US)

This was with very basic ecodriving techniques: no pulse & glide, no engine-off coasting -- in fact, the engines stayed on at all times, even long traffic lights. Anticipation, choosing the best lane to preserve momentum, timing lights, minimizing brake use were the order of the day. I kept up with traffic (right lane flow on the highway portion). I went a bit over the posted limit in the urban/exurban portions. In other words: this was driving that ANYONE could do.

For context, the car's official ratings are:

• 7.7 L/100 km - 5-spd manual (31 mpg US)
• 7.8 L/100 km - 4-spd automatic (30 mpg US)

So that's decent: 48% over the manual's combined rating, and 40% over the automatic's.

A little more effort and a few more hypermiling techniques could easily get the manual Micra into the 50's or 60's mpg US range in sub/urban driving.

I didn't have a chance to gather any steady speed vs. fuel consumption numbers, but I'm hoping to be able to borrow a Micra to get that and some additional info.

Here's the full ecodriving report:
2015 Micra fuel economy/mileage test: ecodriving a 5-speed and automatic in Montreal

And here are my general impressions of the car:
2015 Nissan Micra test drive review (manual & automatic) - first impressions

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Are those crescents embossed into the sheet metal? If so, they might have an aerodynamic function?

I did ask about this.

They're not for aero; they're just to stiffen the roof panel. Minimizes vibrations, etc.

But they do look neat.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Cobb

If its drive by wire throttle does it over work the throttle so at lower rpms it feels like a can of whup ass, but as need rises it reduces the throttle opening?

It is drive by wire.

I actually found it to be very easy to drive smoothly, ecodriving style. Throttle "tip in" and release was easy to modulate. Unobtrusive... which is just what you want.

I never really goosed it.

I also didn't really get to play with the handling, with the exception of one sweeping highway off ramp that might have caused my mom to reach for the holy S&^t handle (and she's an early reacher). It felt relatively taut & flat. I suspect most would find it fun to drive quickly.

The "regular" journalists had a chance to drive the car on a closed handling course (autocross-ish). I didn't.

[niky]

You ought to be regarded as a regular journalist! If Ford grants lifestyle bloggers that right...

-

In your opinion, how would it compare to the Mirage in the same conditions?