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-   -   Review: driving a $9998 2015 Nissan Micra (Nissan's most efficient manual in Can/US.) (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/review-driving-9998-2015-nissan-micra-nissans-most-32097.html)

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 02:35 PM

Review: driving a $9998 2015 Nissan Micra (Nissan's most efficient manual in Can/US.)
 
2 Attachment(s)
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433872221

Nissan is loaning me a base level Micra subcompact for a couple of weeks. What do you want to know about it?

It's probably best known north of the 49th as "Canada's cheapest car", with a starting price of $9998 Canadian petro dollars (as indicated above, that's $8024 American freedom bucks at today's exchange rate).

Sub-$10k is quite the marketing party trick (even if it doesn't include mandatory fees like $1400 shipping, taxes, licence, etc). Canadians have been snapping them up, even the base models. One owner happily calls his "my ten grand tin can"!


Versa Note / sedan guts

If you're in the States, you have seen lots of Micras whether you realize it or not.

The car is built on the same platform and uses the same 1.6L drivetrain and many interior bits as the Versa Note and Versa sedan. (In Canada, the sedan was dropped and replaced by the Micra because apparently Canadians prefer hatchbacks over sedans.)


MPG must be big in such a small car, right?

Well...
  • City: 8.6 L/100 km city / 27.4 MPG (US)
  • Highway: 6.6 / 36
  • Combined: 7.8 / 30.6
It's not stellar, but it does happen to be the Nissan model with the best manual transmission fuel economy rating in Canada/U.S. ... which is essentially the same as the manual Versa.

Nissan was up front when they introduced this car: its mission wasn't "best MPG"; it was "lowest purchase price." Sharing the 1.6L drivetrain with the Versa was a big part of that recipe. (In countries on the other side of the pond, a more efficient 1.2L triple -- naturally aspirated or supercharged -- is the standard Micra engine.)

Fortunately, we know that manuals are handicapped by EPA testing, and it's not hard to beat the ratings with even the most basic eco-driving techniques. ( EG, see: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...cra-30059.html )


OK, so just how stripped down is it?

Have a gander at the "options list".

Whoever wrote this must have had a good chuckle while deciding what was worthy of mention "at No Extra Charge"...

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433526824

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 02:36 PM

the other end of the spectrum
 
This is the second time Nissan has loaned me a Micra.

Not quite a year ago, I got to try a top of the line, fully loaded version:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1405430621
(See: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...uel-29461.html )

Nissan has been pretty clever in the way they've doled out Micras to the media.

When the car was initially released, the only loaners available were mid & upper trim cars. The top spec one that I drove was as far away from $9998 as was possible to go: it would have cost over $20k with all fees & taxes.

But after about 6 months, when the pace of reviews began petering out, Nissan introduced a bunch of entry level, manual Micras to the press fleet. Few writers could resist sampling the unicorn -- the elusive "ten grand tin can" -- the actual trim of the cheapest car in the country. Unsurprisingly, that has triggered a second round of media coverage.

Good strategy for extra publicity.

I bet Mitsubishi -- which dropped the price of the base Mirage to match the Micra's shocking $9998 starting price -- is still kicking itself at how this has all played out so well for Nissan.

Clever, clever.

user removed 06-05-2015 02:40 PM

Ahhhhhhhh, got to have those chromed inside door handles :rolleyes:. They should have dropped a cylinder and stroked it.

regards
mech

picasso1387 06-05-2015 02:46 PM

That "feature" list is great! They'll even throw in a roof and four doors, no additional charge. Must be nice to have all those mandated safety features on a $8k car though!

Daox 06-05-2015 02:51 PM

Base model as it may be, its still better equipped than my first car, a 1993 Tercel (which I still own, yay). It didn't come with a tach, variable intermittent wipers, or floor mats. Obviously a lot of the safety stuff too.

I'm kind of surprised to see a rear window wiper and washer. That seems like something they could cap off easily and save some money on.

I look forward to seeing what this car does for you. I anticipate that you'll be able to get some pretty amazing fuel economy despite its less than stellar ratings.

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picasso1387 (Post 482210)
That "feature" list is great!

I know! I laughed at the "manual windows" line. The media have been making hay about them -- it's probably the last new car you can buy with wind-up windows.

So I guess that makes it a "feature" if you count entertainment value alone.

dirtydave 06-05-2015 03:06 PM

I love this car. good job nissan!

Baltothewolf 06-05-2015 03:39 PM

It really bothers me that the 1.2L turbo version isn't available here in the states. I'm sure it puts out less emissions, so what gives?

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 04:03 PM

why no cheap Micra in the U.S.?
 
1 Attachment(s)
Here's why they don't sell a Micra in the U.S:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433534486

(Source: Cheap Wheels: The Least Expensive New Cars of 2015 )

The Versa has been the top-selling subcompact in the U.S. for years, and it's also the cheapest new car (MSRP). Nissan already has a success story in that car and would probably end up cannibalizing their own sales if they added the Micra to their U.S. lineup.

In Canada, the sedan never sold well, and it was cancelled when the Micra came out. You'd think the Micra would steal Versa Note sales, and it definitely has. But their combined sales have increased to the point Nissan now has the biggest share of the subcompact segment.

--

PS: the 1.2 in the Euro Micra is supercharged (or n.a.)

Vman455 06-05-2015 04:34 PM

Actually, the block heater is a nice no-cost feature. Or is that fairly standard on Canadian cars?

I would pay extra to get manual windows.

Arragonis 06-05-2015 04:36 PM

Boring History Alert!

The Micra has been sold here in Europe since the K10 which sold bucketloads despite being really horrid to drive.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...L/DSC00419.jpg

No, they really were horrid to drive. The styling came from Giugiaro and was (allegedly) a rejected design option for the FIAT Uno - the doors look similar ?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rima_serie.JPG

The K11 was much better :

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...t_20081017.jpg

and The K12 was pretty good, even if a lot of it came from Renault via the Clio.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...20_front-1.JPG

The new one is selling much slower, this is a review from here in the UK

Nissan Micra K13 2010 - Car Review | Honest John

Basically, like Mitsubishi Mirage, their models are way behind what the competition are offering...

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 04:47 PM

We actually had the 1st generation Micra here as well. Then it went away until this one.

As for the reviews, it's all relative: you guys are practically swimming in subcompact & supermini competition. When you've got little else to compare it to (there's not much else in this segment on this side of the ditch), it doesn't suffer as much.

As a result: I have not read a single negative review of the car in Canada after 80-something reviews. Many are positively glowing. "Cheap and cheerful" is a frequent conclusion.

I think a good reason for that is the price: people expect the cheapest car available to be somewhat horrible, and then when it isn't, expectations are exceeded! That colours a lot of reviews.

EDIT: also, the Canadian version gets a few tweaks that address some of the Euro criticism. Front & rear stabilizer bars are standard here (only country that gets both); the steering ratio has been made "faster"; the standard tire size is bigger (and on the top trim bigger yet). At least that's what Nissan's saying.

What's a Micra cost in the U.K.? Google says $9998 CAD = 5263 GBP.

Arragonis 06-05-2015 05:57 PM

In the UK a Micra costs £8995 which is 14700 USD.

20% of some of that is VAT.

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 07:53 PM

Filled out post#2 with how Nissan cleverly doubled their coverage of the Micra by managing the press fleet.

Chrysler kid 06-05-2015 09:05 PM

The fact you still drive a metro and not one of the nissans says enough, they type of people who need a sub $10k car are the type of people who destroy them by not doing any maintenance or cleaning and then buy another new car 4 years later because now the car is "always braking down and the interior is trashed"

Our fleet vehicle is a 2014 ford fiesta with crank windows. Came standard with blue tooth and sync, but no cruise control and no keyless entry

MetroMPG 06-05-2015 09:10 PM

^ All generalizations are dangerous, including this one. :)

MetroMPG 06-06-2015 03:55 PM

block heater
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Vman455 (Post 482245)
Actually, the block heater is a nice no-cost feature.

Yeah, it is a nice touch. In the Micra it's a 400w unit, in the block.

Nissan took pains to explain the changes they made to the car for Canada, eg: rear heater ducts, block heater, 15 inch tires standard (16 on the top trim), standard front & rear stabilizer bars, faster steering ratio. (The last 2 items address handling complaints I've read about the Euro Micra and I believe were also aimed squarely at the competing Mirage which is criticized for epic body roll and lifeless steering.)

I honestly don't know if the block heater is common standard equipment on new cars, but in a quick search shows it on a few other Nissans -- Sentra, Rogue, Altima -- and it's implied on others as part of the PDI fee "block heater cord installed".

niky 06-07-2015 03:37 AM

We never got the Micra here officially, except as the Verita variant of the K11, which was a Micra with retro lights, grille and chrome hubcaps.

We do get the Versa sedan, which is quite a lot of car for the money. Even if it's not a terribly great car, the cubic inch per dollar equation is hard to ignore.

niky 06-07-2015 03:47 AM

We never got the Micra here officially, except as the Verita variant of the K11, which was a Micra with retro lights, grille and chrome hubcaps.

We do get the Versa sedan, which is quite a lot of car for the money. Even if it's not a terribly great car, the cubic inch per dollar equation is hard to ignore.

MetroMPG 06-07-2015 10:13 AM

Quote:

"a lot of car for the money"
What is the cheapest new car in the Philippines? I don't suppose that's it (Versa).

MetroMPG 06-07-2015 10:31 AM

Also the cheapest race car in Canada
 
1 Attachment(s)
With standard front & rear stabilizer bars (the only country to get both, apparently) and supposedly Canada-specific faster steering ratio, the Micra has a surprisingly good ride/handling balance. In that department it puts the competing Chevy Spark and especially the Mitsu Mirage to shame.

And because it uses the Versa's 109 hp 1.6L engine as a cost-saving measure (instead of the Micra-specific 1.2L triple from the other side of the Atlantic), it's also got the most power in its class.

So when someone proposed organizing an "affordable" one make racing series based on the car, Nissan apparently jumped at the chance.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433688215

They take a base $9998 Micra S (the one I've got), gut it, then fully kit it out with a roll cage, NISMO suspension bits, slicks on light alloys, intake & exhaust, racing seats, safety equipment, etc.

And you end up with a $19998 (CAD) race car.

The inaugural race in the Quebec-based series was 2 weekends ago at le Circuit Mont Tremblant. They've got 25 teams fielding cars. It turned out to be so popular they're already talking about expanding the series into Ontario. It's actually running this weekend as part of the F1 event in Montreal on le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

So yup, I'm drivin' a race car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xBr_xFxXWY

MetroMPG 06-07-2015 10:45 AM

PS: anybody else remember the Honda/Michelin Civic-based series?

roosterk0031 06-07-2015 11:38 AM

Please bring them to the states, add AC and I'd take two for $9495. Make the auto cost 10,495 and maybe a third.

MetroMPG 06-07-2015 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roosterk0031 (Post 482409)
add AC and I'd take two for $9495. Make the auto cost 10,495 and maybe a third.

Aye, there's the rub. Guess how much it costs to move up from a base $10k Micra to one with AC or automatic. I dare ya.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 482212)
I'm kind of surprised to see a rear window wiper and washer. That seems like something they could cap off easily and save some money on.

I agree. I don't think a rear wiper is a mandated safety item, so this could have been another mid-trim bait feature... with a black plastic plug on the sheet metal where the wiper arm would have been mounted to the base car, to perpetually remind you what a cheapskate you are. :D

niky 06-08-2015 09:26 AM

Great idea... a cheap race series... we have something similar using the Vios (Yaris sedan)... in a country where the local touring car series was once down to under a dozen cars, we now have a field so big (40 and counting) that they can't run them all in one heat. The Vios goes from $18.7k to $26.5k with the same kind of modifications plus LSD plus racing tuition and spares.

That includes 12% VAT, so it's actually a good price.

I'd think you could make the Micra cars even cheaper by sticking to simply the cage, seat, kill switch and gutting. :D But then they probably wouldn't be as fun. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG (Post 482403)
What is the cheapest new car in the Philippines? I don't suppose that's it (Versa).

The local Nissan is hobbled by the lack of ASEAN production compared to its rivals, so the Versa sedan starts at $15.7k. The Versa-sized Vios starts at $14k for the 1.3 (cheaper if you're willing to go taxi-spec.) Maybe if Nissan opened up a Micra production line in Indonesia, we could see them for much, much less.

Cheapest sedan with decent legroom from the Japanese is the Mirage G4, at $12.3 (already with AC and power windows, but not much else). The cheapest sedan bar none is the one I'm driving now, the Tata Indigo, which is $11.6k (same as the base Mirage hatch here). That's with power windows, a radio, alarm, foglights and a 1.4 liter diesel. Not bad considering the high tax paid for imports from India! Its pretty crude, even compared to a Mirage, but it's got hydraulic steering, a proper shift linkage, a gutsy turbodiesel and skinny tires, so I've been having a hoot of a time over the past week, hooning everywhere and still getting 35 mpg mixed.

Cheapest car overall is also Indian. The Suzuki/Maruti Alto, which starts at $8.6k with absolutely nothing on it. Not even a solitary airbag. Still, gets 30 mpg in heavy traffic and up to 70 mpg on the highway. Just don't drive near anything bigger than you.

Which is, uh, everything.

Arragonis 06-08-2015 03:11 PM

There is a series in the UK for cheaper cars to go rallying, e.g. a 1-Litre engine limit. A lot of them use Aygos like I used to drive, some of them use Micra K11s - the 1.0 4cyl 16v Edition.

Richard Hammond (off of Top Gear) had a go a few years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7CIhxVvT0k

Bonus points if you spot the Chevette and the Civic :D

MetroMPG 06-09-2015 04:57 PM

Micra on my eco-driving route 47 / 51 mpg US
 
3 Attachment(s)
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433881666

(^ The actual Micra - pic snapped this morning.)

I have a route through town that I use for eco-driving coaching, and I've saved all the results for each driver/car. It comes in handy for making comparisons. So far I've got numbers for about 16 vehicles.

It's a ~7.5 km sub/urban route that includes lots of stops, turns & traffic lights and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish (ending up at the starting point).

Micra results:

Conditions were pretty good: about 15C / 59F, dry & calm, moderate traffic. Car was already warmed up at the beginning.

Basic eco-driving results:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433882726

46.6 mpg US = 5 L/100 km, using just basic ecodriving techniques. Plus shutting off the engine at longer stop lights.

With moderate hypermiling:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433882726

50.6 mpg US = 4.7 L/100 km with basic stuff plus engine-off coasting (EOC) to stops & some turns. No pulse & glide on straight through sections though.

To put that in context, some results from other cars on the same route:
  • 75 mpg US - my 1998 Firefly/Metro 1.0, 5-spd (lots of EOC)
  • 70 mpg US - 2013 Lexus 200h hybrid (lots of EOC)
  • 56 mpg US - 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.2L 5-spd (basic ecodriving)
  • 51 mpg US - 2015 Nissan Micra 1.6L 5-spd (EOC)
  • 47 mpg US - 2015 Nissan Micra 1.6L 5-spd (basic ecodriving)
  • 44 mpg US - 2007 Camry Hybrid (basic ecodriving)
  • 41 mpg US - 2009 Honda Fit 5-speed (basic ecodriving
  • 40 mpg US - 2007 Honda Civic EX 5-speed (basic ecodriving)
  • 39 mpg US - 2009 Honda Civic LX 5-speed (basic ecodriving
  • 37 mpg US - 2004 Toyota Echo automatic (basic ecodriving)
  • 36 mpg US - 1997 BMW 328i 5-speed (EOC)
  • 33 mpg US - 2007 Toyota Corolla 1.8 auto (basic ecodriving)
  • 24 mpg US - 2002 Subaru Outback automatic (basic ecodriving)

Baltothewolf 06-09-2015 05:49 PM

That's really good. You think that 46 would have been 41-42 if you hadn't shut off engine? The reason I ask this, could the normal person just drive carefully and coast in neutral with engine on up to stop lights/signs and get 41-42?

MetroMPG 06-09-2015 06:36 PM

Thinking back, I probably didn't shut the engine off more than 3 or 4 times at lights on the first lap. I doubt it would have made a 10% (~4 mpg) difference.

Baltothewolf 06-09-2015 06:56 PM

A 10k car that gets 45mpg is not bad at all.

Arragonis 06-10-2015 03:24 PM

We don't even get the 1.6.

So if you had a Micra 1.2 with stop/start (£14,445) would that get a better figure ?

MetroMPG 06-10-2015 03:33 PM

I'd imagine so.

The Micra 1.2 would be closer to the Mirage 1.2, which on the same route turned in 56 mpg US = 4.2 L/100km = 67 mpg Imp with basic ecodriving techniques (plus manual stop/start at lights, as I did with the Micra 1.6).

The Mirage has the city advantage of much lighter weight:
  • 895 kg (1973 lbs) manual Mirage, vs...
  • 1044 kg (2302 lbs) for our manual Micra, which is at the portly end of its class.

MetroMPG 06-10-2015 03:50 PM

any colour you like, as long as it's black
 
2 Attachment(s)
Aesthetic criticism: I don't like all black interiors. What a sad, dark place to spend time.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433965800

Mitsubishi Mirage, that means you too. In both cars, other countries get the option of lighter shades in the interior below the level of the dashboard cap. Why not us?

Blast from the past! Manual mirror adjusters & window cranks:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1433965800

Fat Charlie 06-10-2015 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG (Post 482856)
...other countries get the option of lighter shades in the interior below the level of the dashboard cap. Why not us?

Because most people don't clean their cars and dark interiors hide it a bit better. A lot of times, floor mats are even 1/2 step darker than the interior color. We're just lucky to generally get lighter colors in the upper half of the interior.

MetroMPG 06-10-2015 04:31 PM

True - the headliner is beige/sand.

Probably true about cleanliness as well... I've seen some truly horrid interiors so far on my C.R.A.P Prius hunting adventure.

But look at this:

Euro Micra:

http://micra-forum.com/images/dto_ga...rs/24/1079.jpg

Our Micra

http://www.autoguide.com/gallery/d/9...Interior-4.jpg

Sadness.

MetroMPG 06-12-2015 11:31 AM

looks happy on the outside
 
1 Attachment(s)
Happy looking car in a happy looking setting:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1434122588

MetroMPG 06-12-2015 11:35 AM

First mod!
 
1 Attachment(s)
It's supposed to get up to 26C / 79 F this weekend. Ooh lawd, the heat.

So I just installed the Micra's "A/C"...

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1434123205

Actually, that's the second mod I've done: the tires are now bumped up to sidewall max (44). Much better!

A few more temporary mods & testing are coming next week.

Fat Charlie 06-12-2015 12:03 PM

I thought the first "A/C" mod involved tire pressure... ;)

wdb 06-12-2015 12:29 PM

Wish people would give me cars to test - Porsche, Aston, McLaren are you reading this? ;)

For the record in the US the Chevy Sonic LS comes with manual transmission, windows and mirrors. But OnStar is standard!?! And A/C.

Fat Charlie 06-12-2015 12:35 PM

The Sonic was a close second when I got the Fit. You just had to be careful about the exact engine you got, especially since sales types would rather hype the turbo and don't understand when you don't want that. :rolleyes:


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