1994 Nissan Micra L review from UK and Ireland

The gearbox packed up at around 10,000 miles, and took the clutch plate with it. All problems were fixed under warranty.

Other than that, nothing - and I mean nothing - except a shock absorber and a cracked boot handle cost me a penny outside of routine servicing. Reliability was excellent.

I bought the Micra new in '94 - the first and probably last time I'll buy new, now that I'm wise to the amount one loses on any new vehicle, thanks to depreciation.

But I'm glad I did. It lasted me 6 years and 120,000 miles. Many of those miles were spent bouncing along ropey British and Irish country roads, loaded up with a family and a camping trailer. The only thing that went seriously wrong was sorted under warranty. I'm confident that the equivalent contemporary Ford or Vauxhall would have given up the ghost long before the Micra.

It's now a decade old design of course, and as such is seriously outgunned by more modern rivals - such as the latest incarnation of the Micra and the Yaris, which have set new standards of quietness, equipment levels and performance.

But at the time it was the class leader.

The seats were wonderful. I could drive it all day and experience no back pain, unlike certain cars which cripple me (the Vauxhall Vectra for example.)

The driving position was slightly upright, but somehow suited the car's personality and road stance.

The dash layout was lovely and simple, and the cabin was light filled and airy.

The gearbox was pretty good, although it had a bit of a long throw and could be notchy. The downsides were the clutch which needed a tad more muscle power than it should have which I suspect is a fault found rather frequently on Nissans. Also, the unpowered steering which was a touch lifeless, especially as the miles piled on.

Towards the end it began to burn some oil, so it was time to say goodbye. I replaced it with another sunderland built Nissan - a Primera. I fancy the X trail next.