The Nissan Micra

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tudy the Micra’s specifications and list price for long enough, and you’d buy one. All Micras come with a 16V petrol engine, of either 1·0 or 1·4 litres in capacity (the 1·3 was dropped from the range). Performance is sprightly about town, even in the 1·0 model, and the 1·4 feels quite punchy on the open road (I’d tried a 1·3 in the past, and found this to be more than quick enough too).

At first, the salesman tried to tempt me with a 1·4 three door model, one of the sportier variants, that had air conditioning. Instead, I insisted on trying the 1·0 litre model, simply because I didn’t think the extra cost was justified on the larger engine. We took one out to drive, and it drove reasonably well. Although a multivalve petrol engine, the little 1·0 donk provides good low down and mid range power, but it did feel a little bit wanting in the upper gears. It felt a little soft in the twisty stuff, but acceptable.

I agreed to try the 1·4 model, after seeing that the cost difference wasn’t all that much. True to his word, the 1·4 felt rather more taut on the road, and of course, is rather quicker. It felt much quicker in the upper gears, but given the good linear performance, I thought there too much body roll. Driven against the Ka, the 1·4 Micra feels sloppy with poor body control, but it’s significantly quicker in a straight line.

The Micra is also good value, and we could get either engine with the specification that we wanted, including Nissan’s excellent N-CVT automatic gearbox. The dealership were a little bit snooty about taking the Mondeo in, but when pushed, would at least match the £1,000 figure that I had in mind.

But the real nail in the Micra’s head was that they look rather... designed for the elderly.

I like the Micra’s 1·4 litre engine, the model’s reliability, fuel economy and insurance premiums, and the overall level of equipment: it’s good value for money.

But I dislike the car’s image and looks.