Dont Knock the Nissan Micra

VanhireBoys

As the title says... Myself and my wife are just back from Dublin in her beloved Micra "Betsy". Its a '97 metallic green 5dr 1litre. I didnt want to take my car as its joyrider fodder and didnt really relish the prospect of taking Betsy ... How wrong was I.......!

Suprise 1: From empty it took €38 to fill it. I thought the pump was hooky until the petrol was running down the street.

Suprise 2: It was good on the open road and on the M6/M50 it was happy at 120kms - I had visions of vibrations and the engine screaming for mercy....! No such noises

Suprise 3: Outside Loughrea on the way home there was a line of about 5 cars lead by some twat in an 08-SO Passat at 40mph. I spotted the gap and 3rd gear and the wee car was off like a scalded cat leaving all the donkies behind....!

Surprise 4: Galway-Dublin-Galway and its sitting over 1/4 full. I estimate thats 42+ mpg

I will never look at that wee car with distain again... I am converted....!

Do you drive a Micra ? ... Lets talk

Saab Ed

Eh.......

Fresh Pots

Definitely one of the most economic cars around. Pity the new ones look like S**t!

Mycroft H

It will always be a nuns car

fryup

my sister has an automatic......goes like a trooper, not a bother on it

quirky shape not to everyone taste......btw is it still regarded as a lady's car??

roosterman71

A guy I work with has a 99 1litre Micra. Its called Simon, and its nickname is the "Silver Bullett" :pac:

He wouldn't swap that for anything else. And cos its so cheap, he gives it welly when he's driving anywhere and Simon never complains.

igglou

My first car was a 96 bottle green 3 dr micra and I traded her in a year later for a brand new 00 dark blue micra. I have to say I loved them both. They were both very nippy off the line at traffic lights, and only cost me a tenner to run for the whole week to work in Blanch from Finglas. I never had a day's problem with either of them.

They are a great learner car too as they are very forgiving and the pedals are nicely spaced.

What annoys me is when you meet someone crawling along in one and I find myself shouting "Come on, I know what Micras can do, move along please"

Nissan spoilt them from 2002 with the extra line above the bumper and I do not like the new shape they are today.

Glad to see someone else who has some respect for the Micra.

Saab Ed

The Micra is the cause of all evil on earth..........well maybe not but most traffic jams

antodeco

My first car was a micra. 2000 model (far nicer than the newer model). I really liked it. Was quick enough for a 1 litre. Never let me down. It got fairly wrecked from the then missus, but it kept going. Someone then decided to wrap it around a pole doing 160Kph. Both occupants survived with only light injuries (broken collar bone was worst). I never speak badly of them (except the new ones!)

Graham_B18C

I've a Turquise '96 one, bought it after someone wrote my car off, only planned on keepin iit for a month or two...that was November! Still runnin grand, most reliable car I've ever had!

The Green Goblin Baby!

Anan1

It's always fun driving a small car when you haven't in a while, IMO - you can rally the socks off it in places you can't with a bigger, more powerful motor.

bladespin

Great little car, I learned to drive in my sisters 88 micra van, loved it (still do kind of)

joey54

I used to have the attitude of the micra being a "nuns" car. That was until my own decided to give up completely on me with no warning. And what was there to support me in my hour of need??? A lovely Nissan Micra! I cringed when I sat into her the first time.

Then I started the engine up and she was a dream! A solid little motor, made of sturdy strong stuff. She was a pleasure to drive.

I'll even admit to being a bit sad to have to give her back. Ok looks wise its not the best but was built on a strong platform!

Long live the Micra!!!!!!

fonda

They look sh*te though!

Rics

Know nothing about cars but these were always hugely popular, obviously with good reason.

Anan1

fonda wrote: »

They look sh*te though!

Who cares - you can't see it when you're in it.;)

Saab Ed

Anan1 wrote: »

Who cares - you can't see it when you're in it.;)

Same with a fat bird....but you still wouldnt

Anan1

Saab Ed wrote: »

Same with a fat bird....but you still wouldnt

Or would you just not tell your mates?;)

fonda

Anan1 wrote: »

Who cares - you can't see it when you're in it.;)

True

But it looks sh*te inside too

Anan1

fonda wrote: »

True

But it looks sh*te inside too

Dunno about you, but I tend to look out of the car when i'm driving.;)

Saab Ed

Anan1 wrote: »

Or would you just not tell your mates?;)

Kinda like a moped

rivegauche

and they've got a timing chain too!

Micamaca

I still have my ma's nissan micra, which she did buy off a nun I think

Great car! Touch wood...it has to get me to exams in the next two weeks so I don't want it breaking down now as I'm describing its virtues... but very good car so far.

We even left ours sitting in garden in the elements while we spent a year abroad. Came back and husband started it again in a couple of minutes. Not every car you could say that about. Little more rust than before but still going strong and it's a 96. Briliant for fitting into tricky parking places. Has to survive M1 everyday and only problem I have is with all the gobs in huge gigantic cars who obviously bought them as they haven't the foggiest idea how to drive properly, so they reckon they will be safer in a semi-truck. Yeah, but what about the rest of us... :mad:

By the way folks, it is not as foggy in Ireland as you think!!!! Turn off the bleedin' fog lights, will yas...

Pedro K

Last year the clutch in my old car gave up.

The parents were away on holidays so I rang them and asked could I take one of their cars as I needed to be able to get to work while mine was being repaired.
My dad wasn't too keen on the idea of me driving his avensis, my Mam was indifferent on the matter, then my sister came on the phone and said I could take her car.

03 Nissan Micra. New, ugly shape.

Have to admit though, It was lovely to drive. Very smooth and it had a surprising amount of poke in the engine.
I was sad to give it back when the family came home.


I did look like quite the girl however, in a purple Micra with a hello Kitty thing hanging from the rear view mirror!


Also, one of the lads I know drives a 96-97 Micra, (ot sure exactly which year) with over 125k miles on the clock and the thing is still going strong!

unkel

landyman wrote: »

It will always be a nuns car

Nah, the Starlet was a nuns car. But the nuns seem to have disappeared since those days. I haven't seen one in years

L-M

unkel wrote: »

Nah, the Starlet was a nuns car. But the nuns seem to have disappeared since those days. I haven't seen one in years

No, the 94-95 Wine/Dark Blue 3 door Fiesta was the nuns car. :P

Biro

Motors has reached a new low. A thread about a Micra is bad enough, but a thread full of praise for it is way worse. Just because it's reliable doesn't make it great. This shape and the last shape are two of the worst looking cars on the road. They're nothing special to drive, they're really no more frugal than many other small engined town cars, and while they're reliable there's many other reliable cars out there too.

rivegauche

Depends on the faction they belonged to.
Presentation nuns down my way ran Starlets as the personnel carrier of choice.

Graham_B18C

Biro wrote: »

Motors has reached a new low. A thread about a Micra is bad enough, but a thread full of praise for it is way worse. Just because it's reliable doesn't make it great. This shape and the last shape are two of the worst looking cars on the road. They're nothing special to drive, they're really no more frugal than many other small engined town cars, and while they're reliable there's many other reliable cars out there too.

I've yet to think of a car as reliable as a Micra? Yaris maybe but the Micra is the Title holder! It's like the Honda 50 of cars, damn ugly but will run forever!

rivegauche

Biro wrote: »

Motors has reached a new low. A thread about a Micra is bad enough, but a thread full of praise for it is way worse. Just because it's reliable doesn't make it great. This shape and the last shape are two of the worst looking cars on the road. They're nothing special to drive, they're really no more frugal than many other small engined town cars, and while they're reliable there's many other reliable cars out there too.

They're the most reliable small car out there.
I remember that in the UK a few years ago the K10 Micra was shown to be the model of car with the oldest examples still roadworthy and on the road.
Micras just kept going when Metros, Novas and Fiestas were rusting away in scrapyards.

Drummerboy08

Oh god. :eek:

FredH3as

Watch out now...

antodeco

Hmm, I wonder will the be the 2020's version of a classic mini?

billyhead

I had a 1999 Micra as my first car and passed the test in it. I had it for about 3 years. Great little runner. Can't fault it one bit. Very Economical.I am also just over 6ft in height and the space I felt was grand

Biro

Grahamo999 wrote: »

I've yet to think of a car as reliable as a Micra? Yaris maybe but the Micra is the Title holder! It's like the Honda 50 of cars, damn ugly but will run forever!

How can you possibly know unless you've owned them all for 20 years? There are plenty of ultra reliable cars out there in different classes. If nothing goes wrong with a car for 10 years, how can a Micra be more reliable than that? It can only match it. And in most other respects the Micra is average against it's competition, in some ways a little better, in others a little worse. The new shape Micra is not great for reliability at all.
If you want reliability we've a 135 at home that gets plenty of abuse for well over 30 years and never misses a beat. It could drag a Micra around a quarry for probably 2 days straight without running out of fuel and still be fine, which would be more than you could say for the Micra after that ordeal!
Having said all that, I don't like going on long journeys in the 135. Therefore I don't use it as my everyday car. Because there's a lot more to a car than reliability.
Get over ye're selves with yer Micras, the lot of ye! We'll have a thread on the best place to get a blue rince next!

kona

Those k10 micras ar great, did you know you can get a k10 thats a 1L turbo, and then they threw on a supercharger for the craic.
Id say thats fast,scary fast.

Biro

kona wrote: »

Those k10 micras ar great, did you know you can get a k10 thats a 1L turbo, and then they threw on a supercharger for the craic.
Id say thats fast,scary fast.

Yep, the Nissan March superturbo. Last of the cool Micras.

Saab Ed

Biro wrote: »

Yep, the Nissan March superturbo. Last of the cool Micras.

Im sorry say that again..........Cool Micra!!!!!!!

You're having me on...Cool like the way warts are cool:D

CyberGhost

I'd drive a Micra if it wasn't a girly car....... I drive Polo instead.

kona

Saab Ed wrote: »

Im sorry say that again..........Cool Micra!!!!!!!

You're having me on...Cool like the way warts are cool:D

Yes id say a 1L turbo is cool, throw in a superchargr and its subzero, you ned balls to put a engine like that in a micra.

I think the k10 box shape is quite cool...in the right colour.

If you like cars you like cars, and can appreciate them no matter what the cost or design(apart from SUV nobody can appreciate them:pac:) if the cars you like HAVE to be over 30k then sorry your a snob.

Saab Ed

:rolleyes: Not a car snob at all , I just think Micras are rubbish

kona

Saab Ed wrote: »

:rolleyes: Not a car snob at all , I just think Micras are rubbish

not for what they are designed for, excellent car in that regard;) but in the grand scheme, they do look a bit cack.:)

Rowley Birkin QC

Saab Ed wrote: »

:rolleyes: Not a car snob at all , I just think Micras are rubbish

Except this one

Max Power = 409 bhp @ 7000 rpm (10 psi)
Max Torque = 322 lbft @ 6500 rpm (10 psi)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XKETJV3oQ0

Saab Ed

kona wrote: »

not for what they are designed for, excellent car in that regard;) but in the grand scheme, they do look a bit cack.:)

And thats my point ...Excellent tool but not very cool

L-M

bigkev49 wrote: »

Except this one

Max Power = 409 bhp @ 7000 rpm (10 psi)
Max Torque = 322 lbft @ 6500 rpm (10 psi)

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

He hits the rev limiter for about 2-3 seconds in that video, and the Scuby still didn't make any ground on it. I'd hate to see that car cornering, or doing anything else besides going in a straight line:P

B00MSTICK

I think most people knock the micra because its ugly/girly.
Doesn't matter if 100% of those produced were still on the roads, it'd still get knocked.

I love the K10 myself though (see here). A nice black Super S with a MA09ERT would suit me fine.

ianobrien

Micra's are not cool in my opinion, but they are a good laugh to drive. They're nippy enough, they'll rev to 7K plus no problem and have reasonable handling.

We had one a '96 one at home that we put 160K miles on in 7 years, and to sum total of parts - , four shock absorbers, one water pump, one clutch, two sets of brake pads, one handbrake cable, one set of brake shoes, approx 30 oil filters, 16 air filters and 16x4 spark plugs, two coolant changes, one gearbox oil change & 1 fuel filter. The only thing not changed as routine maintenance was the water pump (leaking out of the shaft) and the handbrake cable, which seized on one side. It was serviced at home. And I still hate changing the bloody oil filter - you need three elbows on a four foot long arm!

The thing was driven to death. It regularly was driven at 90mph down forest tracks, exploring lift-off oversteer etc. Three people learnt to drive in it. It set out night navigation trials (and went down farmers lanes that no car went down in ten years) and was generally driven with the foot flat on the floor. We regularly had grass & mud stuck to the front crossmember & rear axle..........

It was replaced with a '00 one, and that one is not half as good - Handling is terrible (understeer & body roll), not half as reliable (electric window trouble - fuel gauge senders - clutch's on the way out after 65k miles! -Timing chain's now rattling on start-up) and not as comfortable for long journeys.

If I had a chance, I'd buy the '96 one back.....

Flyer1

The K11 was one of the best micra's created. I had a 1l version for a little while, couldn't kill it.

kona

Saab Ed wrote: »

And thats my point ...Excellent tool but not very cool

as small cars go the K10 is quite cool IMO, after that forget about it, pulsar engine or not:D

sinead6230

I have a 96 1 litre petrol nissan micra aka "mike" ive had him for three years and has pased two ncts in the time ive had him , cost me 500 euro i was told was to good to be true but here i am and his still goin. Brilliant on petrol about 30 quid fills him down here, able to speed up in no time. Unbeliably im in process of buying a new car and hoping to pick it up this weekend (honda civic type s) and i managed to get 2,500 for mike,,,,,,,,only paid 500 lol Altho im sad to leave him go its time to move on and up but i agree with vanhirboy, nissan micra's (old type not new) are good all round cars for experienced and beginner drivers so thumbs up from me.

xx Sinéad xx:)

VanhireBoys wrote: »

As the title says... Myself and my wife are just back from Dublin in her beloved Micra "Betsy". Its a '97 metallic green 5dr 1litre. I didnt want to take my car as its joyrider fodder and didnt really relish the prospect of taking Betsy ... How wrong was I.......!

Suprise 1: From empty it took €38 to fill it. I thought the pump was hooky until the petrol was running down the street.

Suprise 2: It was good on the open road and on the M6/M50 it was happy at 120kms - I had visions of vibrations and the engine screaming for mercy....! No such noises

Suprise 3: Outside Loughrea on the way home there was a line of about 5 cars lead by some twat in an 08-SO Passat at 40mph. I spotted the gap and 3rd gear and the wee car was off like a scalded cat leaving all the donkies behind....!

Surprise 4: Galway-Dublin-Galway and its sitting over 1/4 full. I estimate thats 42+ mpg

I will never look at that wee car with distain again... I am converted....!

Do you drive a Micra ? ... Lets talk

Cookie_Monster

€2.5k for a '96 micra?

This country has gone even madder than I thought!