Oppo Quick Review: 2017 Nissan Micra

"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
04/30/2018 at 19:47 • Filed to: None

I test drove a Nissan Micra yesterday in the base “S” trim which means a 5 speed manual, manual windows, manual mirrors and no AC. This thing is basic. So basic in fact, that it felt like I was driving a car either from the mid 1990's or from the Indian/Asian market. This is a refreshed 4th Gen Micra (K13). My wife can’t drive stick, so she will have to learn, but did drive an automatic and liked the size and feel.

More on why we suddenly need a 4th car (holy crap!) can be found here:

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Specs that matter: 1.6L engine, 109HP, 107 ft/lbs, 4 wheels and cheap as hell.

Literally the exact car my wife may buy

Sold in 160+ countries other than America, this particular model is for the Canadian market. But, when I say Canadian, I really mean Québec. Most Canadians have buying/driving habits that mirror America. Québec on the other hand, prefers hatchbacks and manuals more than the English speaking provinces. The Canadian market Micra gets wider wheels (barely), upgraded sway bars and is the only Micra that has folding rear seats! This is because Nissan basically googled “Canadian Stereotype” and determined it had to fit a hockey bag to have any chance in hell here.

There is a dealer in BC with 15 base model manuals in their inventory selling them for $8,888 which is below MSRP. For Americans to compare: a base Fiesta is double that at $16,5680 MSRP and a Mitsubishi Mirage is $10,998 base MSRP.

Driving:

I only drove it for about a mile, maybe less. The 1.6L engine putting out 109hp is quite loud in this car, probably due to the combined fact of the cheap plastic/lack of sound deadening and that the engine is about a foot away from your knee. The clutch is light and has short travel, the gearbox is kinda vauge with a very retro feel. Steering is pretty good and the car actually handles pretty well due to Canadian market unique upgraded sway bars. Turning radius is literally a dime.

mmm plastic.

Interior:

Did I mention how cheap this car is? It has 4 seats and a steering wheel. That’s pretty good for the price.

Exterior:

Full disclosure, I think these are really cute and cool. For the price, it is good.

DISCUSSION (46)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:03

I love basic, cheap-yet-still-well-built cars. I quite like the Micra, actually...not drive one or really seen one up very close other than parking lots and the like, but they seem to be decently built and reliable enough. That one actually looks quite nice in that shade of red!

My current car has no power anything, no cruise, etc and a stick like the Micra you tested and I am perfectly fine with it...something to be said for simplicity. I do miss power mirrors when parking in close quarters though, but otherwise! :)

How do you think she would take to driving stick? Could you find a used base-model Micra like it with low kms that is a year or two old to get it even cheaper? I got my very similar in terms of basic-ness/engine size/hp 2009 Hyundai Accent in 2013 for $6900 all-in used at a local Mazda dealership with only 54000kms on it.

dogisbadob > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:04

Nissan needs to sell it down here. At $8888 they’d sell a ton of them! People can’t afford new cars anymore. Also, the Micra is quite handsome, easily the best-looking small hatchback.

Do they not know that we are still a DEPRESSION and that the “recovery” is a myth? (low-paying temp jobs don’t count) Wages have stagnated if not fallen., and the Micra at less than $10k in the US would show that Nissan understands that and has our economy in mind.

If they sold this down here, every Uber/Lyft car would be a Micra almost overnight.

Plus, it already meets US standards.

Wacko > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:04

Funny thing is you can double the price with options.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > dogisbadob
04/30/2018 at 20:05

$8888 Canadian which is like $5USD. You could get this or a latte

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
04/30/2018 at 20:06

I think she can do it, she thinks she will do badly though. But any automatic models are like $2000-$4000 more.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Wacko
04/30/2018 at 20:06

easily!

404 - User No Longer Available > Wacko
04/30/2018 at 20:09

Exactly like the Porsche purchasing experience.

Svend > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:10

Does Nissan still make that Micra for Canada?

We’ve had the new model for a year or so now.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Svend
04/30/2018 at 20:13

I think they just are clearing them out for us. I much prefer it over the 5th gen that you guys get. This is still an honest cheap car!

S65 > dogisbadob
04/30/2018 at 20:16

Nah, we’ll have to stick a bunch of body cladding on and lift it ‘2 for it to sell here

Svend > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:28

I think for the 5th Gen they moved it more upmarket because the under £10,000 market is a very busy area.

Such as the VW UP (and it’s SEAT and Skoda cousins), Vauxhall Viva and Corsa, Ford Ka+ and Fiesta, Fiat Panda, Punto 500 and Tipo, Hyundai i10 and i20, Peugeot 108 (and it’s Toyota and Citroen cousins), SEAT Ibiza and Mii, etc...

Kinja'd!!!

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:31

Buy it, make it a street legal Micra Cup car (except: roll cage, steering wheel, slicks).

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Svend
04/30/2018 at 20:32

So much want in that list.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
04/30/2018 at 20:37

If it was for me, I would totally

Svend > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
04/30/2018 at 20:39

Sorry man.

I think that’s why I left out some of the sub-£10,000 cars.

Wacko > 404 - User No Longer Available
04/30/2018 at 23:30

Well they do have a Micra racing series so that makes it more Porscheish.

Wacko > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
04/30/2018 at 23:35

The cup cars all started life as base model Micras

So it’s basically a build your on cup car by removing more parts.

pip bip - choose Corrour > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 05:27

manual windows and no a/c?

GIB!!

Under_Score > dogisbadob
05/01/2018 at 07:08

We have the Versa to fill that spot.

dogisbadob > Under_Score
05/01/2018 at 10:35

nope, not the same, not as cheap, and the Versa sedan is fugly

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 11:17

$8888 CAD is $6894 USD. If Nissan sold these in America, they’d obliterate the used small car market.

fintail > dogisbadob
05/01/2018 at 11:21

This is one where I wonder if it isn’t offered because they know they couldn’t meet demand. $8888 CDN is just under $7K USD. There’d be people lining up.

benjrblant > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 11:27

I don’t wish for a Micra but I wish for trim packages like this. I’d be all for more modern cars coming standard with manual windows and locks, and a manual transmission again.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
05/01/2018 at 11:29

Even up here, why buy a used Kia Rio for like $14K (Canadian) or similar if you can get a stripped out Micra S

Nissan basically just came in and undercut the whole market with this thing.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > benjrblant
05/01/2018 at 11:31

Sadly, this is probably the last time a vehicle will be sold in North America like this. We only got it like, 2 years ago with the mid-gen refresh. Now it is gone again.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Under_Score
05/01/2018 at 11:35

We have the Versa too. This is exactly the same car drivetrain and platform wise. Just smaller, cheaper and better in every way.

benjrblant > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 11:40

THANKS A LOT. NOW I HAVE A SAD.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > benjrblant
05/01/2018 at 11:40

WELCOME TO MY EXISTANCE

vicali > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 12:33

What the newish requirement?

When I was helping a friend get their daughter a first car we looked at a few Yaris (Yariis?, Yarisus?, a flock of Yari?) sedans, they were a year or two old and right around $5K.. Majority of them were student cars at the local uni and driven very little.

Elantra is also a fantastic option.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > vicali
05/01/2018 at 12:36

Yeah, I may still look at those two. Still hard to pass up $9K for a new car though.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 12:53

The biggest plus I see with this car... the HVAC controls are NOT integrated with an infotainment system.

They’re straightforward, easy to use dials and knobs.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 12:56

You can still get the Mitsubishi Mirage which starts at only CAD$11,000.

vicali > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 12:59

Thing is your still paying depreciation on that..

on Kijiji you’ll find a ton of compacts for way less than $9K - the $5-7K market is full of pretty great shape ones;

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kamloops/2011-mazda-2-for-sale/1350837606?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kamloops/2012-kia-rio-hatchback/1332856187?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kamloops/2011-hyundai-accent/1350836470?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/kamloops/2014-ford-fiesta-se-hatchback/1344761959?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2018 at 13:11

Yeah, but I don’t think they are quite as basic as the above listed car.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 15:21

Mirage is more basic in some ways... for example, it only has a 3 cyl engine.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2018 at 15:27

Yeah, true. Who knows, we may get a Mirage. My wife is fighting the 5speed manual idea pretty hard which would negate any real savings cost wise.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 16:41

Who earned the money that is paying for the car?

If it’s money you earned, and if this car will also be driven by you regularly, then you have every right to put your foot down and insist on the manual.

On the other hand, if it’s money she earned and it’s a car she will have to live with (with you having your own car), then sure... get the slushbox.

Back when I was married, since I was the one earning all the money as well as the one doing all the car maintenance, a manual car is what I would buy and my stance was that when she starts working full time, she can buy any 2nd car that she wants that she can afford.

Unfortunately she never did start working full time... even now... 10 years after we’ve been split up.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2018 at 16:53

Eiiigh. Tough answer and loaded for a married guy.

I make well over double what she does, but we are a “team”.

I also have 2 cars already plus one we share. I would say that this would be her buying it for a new job that pays a few more dollars an hour.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/01/2018 at 17:25

“I make well over double what she does, but we are a “team”.”

Hey... at least she’s doing something. It’s worth supporting that. And it may be that one day, you’ll retire or get packaged out and you can have her be the primary earner.

But I’ve also known of a couple of cases where the woman worked and didn’t make all that much compared to the husband, but it really saved their asses after the husband fell ill and couldn’t work.

Aaaanywaaaay.... if it’s her who will have to live with it daily, let her go with the slushbox if she really wants it.

BUT also tell her that you don’t want to hear a single word about it feeling slow and/or the fuel economy isn’t as good as expected.

Because (as you probably already know) that’s what happens when you equip a low end/low power car with automatic... they feel slow and the real world fuel economy is markedly worse than the properly driven manual version of the same car.

The base engine with the slushbox is why many people thought the PT Cruiser sucked. If they drove manual PTs instead, they would have thought they were ‘pretty good’.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2018 at 17:27

I don’t think she’s too concerned about driving dynamics. She is starting in a social assistance role and will be driving women and children to court or transition housing.

E90M3 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/20/2018 at 17:50

So whatever did you end up doing? I missed it.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > E90M3
05/20/2018 at 18:27

We did put a deposit on one, but the dealer was not great so we backed out.

Were going to try and save money over the summer, see how her new job is and reassess in September

E90M3 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/20/2018 at 18:30

Ah that makes sense.

I sort of wish we got shit boxes like that in the US, but then no one would buy one. I’m reminded why I got another BMW every time I get a rental. Unless Mercedes brings either the A-Class or B-Class here, looks like no small hatch for me anytime soon.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/21/2018 at 15:07

This may be the fastest cheap car on the market. 109hp and right around a ton is a pretty decent power:weight ratio. This is better than some sporty cars from the 90s. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was fun to flog, but I am sure it wouldn’t win any races.

Well, except spec races. This would make a hilarious spec racing vehicle. This car is, with the Canadian markup, under $7k in Freedom Bux (tm). If they sold it here, it’d probably be like $6k, while a Yugo started at $4k in 1985.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
05/21/2018 at 15:09

It is fun to spec race! I enjoyed my short time behind the wheel. I kinda wanted to get one for myself, but I shouldn’t just drop $8K willy nilly.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
05/21/2018 at 15:51

That wreck cost less than every Nurburing crash video I’ve ever seen and it looks like so much fun.