1997 Nissan Micra Reviews

The first few days of owning the car, the car would not start, but all what was needed was the spark plugs wiped and cleaned, and it started first time.

I love it, I am a delivery driver, and have owned a Ford KA, a Rover 400, a Peugeot 306 and now a Nissan Micra. This is the first car that I felt safe and happy going 60 in a 60 on dark country lanes.

The speed for an automatic is pretty good, it does give a nice smooth drive near enough all of the time. I was a bit worried, thinking that automatic means slow, but I was passing manuals with no problems at all.

It is a great car for low cost motoring, I received a rebate from my insurance company, and also £7 cheaper insurance every month. Tyres are cheaper, and fuel is cheaper to fill the tank.

Brake pads worn out after 75,000 miles.

Nothing else!

Reliable. Just keeps going!

Good all-round visibility.

Easy to drive.

Excellent for parking.

Very economical.

Did not have the car long enough for much to go wrong, but the only things I replaced were the tyres, and the centre and rear exhaust sections.

Locks were stiff and difficult to operate on doors.

The killer that was so bad that I got rid of the car was rust, and lots of it.

Nissan Micras are rot boxes, the floor pan was rotten under the back seats area, and the sills both sides were totally and extensively rotted into holes. I don't know how on earth it had MOT on it like this.

As I knew that I would soon be pedaling the car like Fred Flintstone through the floor, I got shot to the scrap man straight away - what a death trap.

I was always told how reliable Nissans are, but what good is a reliable engine if the car it powers is rotten through and fails its MOT, requiring hundreds of pounds of welding doing.

11 years old and 90,000 miles is not valid enough an excuse for a car to be scrapped due to severe under body rot. The car I bought as its replacement, a 14 year old Vauxhall Cavalier, is tons better underneath, hardly any rot at all.

I would not advise anyone to buy an old Micra, or if you do, check underneath it first for rot and budget plenty for welding at MOT time.

As far as the car was concerned, it was a cheap runabout, cheap on fuel, cheap on tyres, group 3 insurance, but very poorly built, rattly and generally shabby.

Never again, this car has left a bitter taste in my mouth for a Nissan, I will stick with Ford or Vauxhall, at least they are designed for the weather we get in this country.

The only thing I will say in its favour, was that it started up, it drove around, and it stopped. It had no creature comforts, no power steering, no electric windows, no sunroof, no central locking, no A/C, no nothing - very utilitarian. I was more comfortable on the bus. There is no way that they are worth the second hand prices asked for them. The Cavalier cost me less than the Micra did and it is much much better, even though it is only a 1.8 8v LS model.

All you people that want to drive around in tiny cars to save on the fuel economy - give the Micra a miss, or buy one less than 7 years old, or the money you save on fuel will go to pay the welder at MOT time.