1996 Nissan Micra Shape review from UK and Ireland

Nissan and any other Japanese car makers really can't be beaten when it comes to reliability.

This particular model has been excellent. The only things ever to have gone wrong are as follows:

Rear slave cylinder

Throttle body starting to fail

Timing chain tensioner - never bothered fixing it, just been driving with it since I bought it.

And that is it. It's had a few odd mornings in the winter (2005 winter was very cold) when it wouldn't start very easily, but she had never let me down!

I bought the car, as they are very cheap to insure, run, fix, and above all else, are very very reliable.

THE EXTERIOR.

The car doesn't look like a sexy Ferrari, but nor does it pretend to be one either. It may seem a little feminine, but it doesn't make you want throw up every time you see one, unlike some modern £30,000+ cars today!

THE INTERIOR.

Very basic, but all very well made, better than the equivalent Ford or vauxhall. Nothing has ever fallen off or malfunctioned so all good. This particular model didn't even have a cigar lighter, or trip meter. The seats are fairly comfy, and one excellent plus is the very generous head room, I'm 6ft 1, and fit in easily. Visibility is very good also, it is such a pleasure to throw into the tightest of spaces in town, and U-turn round the narrowest roads.

Rear legroom is very limited, but it's not a family car, so I don't think that matters too much.

THE DRIVE.

Around town, the car is fine, excellent turning circles, lock to lock time, and decent smooth gear box. Out on the motorway, the car is a little stretched. At speeds approaching 70+, the engine noise becomes apparent. The car pulls fairly well in all gears, and I have done numerous long journeys at motorway speeds and the car has felt very stable. She does get caught in the cross winds now and then, and when some total egyt in a BMW pulls out infront of you in the fast lane, it takes a while to re-gain speed with the little 1.0 engine.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR.

Unfortunatly I did most the research for the car after I bought it, stupid really I know. The engine should be fairly quiet, no rattles coming from the left side of the engine. These engines, as do most Nissan's, use a timing chain instead of a belt, so they never need replacing. However, a few Micra's have suffered premature wearing of the timing chain tensioners. What this means is that the engine makes a loud rattling noise. If you locate a fairly loud rattling coming from the same side of the engine as the alternator, you're looking at a large bill!!

This generation of micra (K11) suffered from premature wearing of the throttle bodies, something that should have been rectified under warranty (so I've read). What this means, is that excess air leaks into the inlet, thus making the mixture weaker, thus making it erratic to drive, ie: doesn't settle at idle, uses up a bit more fuel than it should, and th emost obvious: acclereation becomes a bit jumpy and not smooth.

SUMMARY.

If you require a solid, dependable car to get you around, and if you aren't fussed with the look of the car, then this is the best bet. In my opinion, the engineering of this little car is far greater than any offering from VW, Ford, Vauxhall etc. These little things are bombproof, and if cared for will last a very long time.