1991 Nissan Micra GS 1.2 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Fine Japanese design and engineering
Faults:
Rough idle. Traced to a loose vacuum hose and fixed in 5 minutes.
General Comments:
A worthy successor to the Datsun Cherry and Sunny. Extremely reliable and well built. In the UK, it outlasts all other small model cars from the period. And that's a fact:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/features/nissan-micra-443911.html
It does not rust easily, unlike the British-built successor Micra, the K11.
For a shopping trolley, the handling is sharp, with a crisp throttle response. Gear ratios are close, but fifth is fine for cruising at 80 MPH. A tailgate rattle is the only noise on bumpy surfaces, and that was easily fixed. Great visibility and lots of light in the cabin. You feel the bumps on rough London roads, though. Front seats are comfortable on a longer journey. Brakes are OK; it's pretty hard to lock them up.
Servicing is a breeze, except for the annoying location of the oil filter. The only thing that lets it down is its poor safety in a crash, but then it was designed way back in 1982. From the glory days of Nissan.
Highly recommended for the price. Forget about that nasty old Peugeot 205 or Fiesta you were looking at, swallow your pride and get a Micra.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th September, 2010
22nd Aug 2012, 05:46
OP here. I recently had an offer to buy the Micra for twice what I paid for it (I paid £300). OK, so that's nothing, but it's the first car I've had that has doubled in value within a year. Everyday classic status on its way, I think. I kept the car. Just too much damn fun to drive.