Nissan Micra 1.2 12v Visia CVT 5dr Car Review - February 2012

The Micra’s large windows and thin pillars make for all round good visibility. On the dash most switches and controls are easy to find and use, although some are a bit cheap looking. The biggest challenge most people will face is finding a good driving position. There is adjustment for height on the steering wheel - but not for reach, and the driver’s seat on entry-level versions has no adjustment for height. The seats are a bit lacking in support as well.

The 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, 12-valve petrol engine is responsive enough with good pulling power (81lb-ft of torque) and it’s an easy drive. With maximum power of 79bhp, 0-62mph in 14.5 seconds and a top speed of 100mph it won’t win any prizes for outright performance, but it does offer enough power for city driving and excellent economy of 52.3mpg on average.

This Visia model fitted with the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) automatic gearbox is slower than the manual version. Overtaking on open roads has to be well planned and the auto-box is slightly noisier than the manual version. It can become irritating after a while.

The ride is acceptable at low speeds with the suspension dealing with bumps and rough surfaces in an acceptable way. However, at higher speed the Micra’s ride isn’t so sure footed. There’s quite a bit of body-roll when cornering and the steering lacks feedback which makes it feel vague. Grip is also less than confidence inspiring when dealing with bends.

At low speeds and around town the engine is hushed enough and the car is comfortable, but at motorway cruising speed there’s a lot of noise, both from the road and wind around the body.

It’s cute! It’s distinctive and the clean, modern, international styling should please most buyers.

The Visia models are basic and the equipment level matches. It comes with power steering, central locking, stability control, electric front windows, immobiliser, CD and MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth – but loses out on alloy wheels, air conditioning or height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

Add-ons include rear parking sensors at £365, air conditioning at £500 and metallic paint at £420.

Although the Micra is not as large as other superminis, it still has a reasonable amount of space for passengers. There's plenty of headroom and legroom available for adults in the back. The boot provides 265-litres of space with the rear seats in position and split-folding rear seats give access to a potential 605-litres in total – enough for your shopping but not much else.

All models have stability-control and emergency braking assistance as standard and font, side and curtain airbags for crash protection. Ant-theft protection is provided by an immobiliser fitted as standard to all models.

Nissan have always had an impressive reliability record and the Micra in particular has been a strong performer. That should give you peace of mind. The Micra comes with Nissan’s 3-year (60,000 miles) warranty and with service intervals of 12,500 miles.

Although attractively priced at £10,650, the entry-level model doesn’t come with air-con, so you’ll have to fork out a bit extra to get it or go for one of the higher-spec models which will boost the price. Then you’re in the same range as rivals such as the Hyundai i20 and Suzuki Swift, both of which are superior cars in some ways.

Superb fuel economy and 125g/km CO2 emissions (VED band D) mean the Micra will cost very little to keep running, though.

The Micra has always been a popular budget motoring option with buyers and will probably continue to be so; as demand increases for cars with better fuel economy and low running costs.