2008 Nissan Micra review
February 5, 2008 by rjw
2008 Nissan Micra review
Model tested:
- 2008 Nissan Micra City Collection, 5-door, 4-speed automatic, 1.4-litre, $16,690
Distinctive styling. Keenly priced. Good fuel consumption
Turgid open road performance. Small boot. Too cutesy for some.
CarAdvice rating: 
- by Robert Wilson
It’s not often that I burst into a peal of Clarksonian laughter on seeing a press car but when I clicked the key in the Nissan holding yard and a Micra winked back at me I let out a guffaw that could have been used on a Top Gear trailer.
My transport, metal attire and self-image for the next week was short, rounded – and pink. The two frog-like headlamp eyes that poked from its stubby bonnet lit up in camp anticipation. Instantly I reverted to 15-year-old schoolboy mode “That is so gay!” I proclaimed to the rows of impassive vehicles.
Other car makers want their cars to be all things to all people. Not Nissan, at least not with the Micra. It is unambiguously a city car and aimed squarely at women. And not the glorious variety of women in general, but girly girls. That’s why it only comes as a four-speed automatic, which, I soon discovered was nothing special when teamed with its 1.4-litre 74kW and 137Nm engine.
If the Hello Kitty collection included a car the Micra would be it. But at least it’s good value at $14,990. For that it comes with the auto, ABS brakes , front airbags and air conditioning. A $1700 City Collection option package adds side and curtain airbags, a six-disc CD player (as obsolete as the gramophone in the age of the iPod, if you ask me) and 15-inch alloy wheels. A pity there’s no electronic stability control. Its inclusion would have scrubbed all the bitchy phrases from this review.
*****PRIMO!*****
To old a model, took to long to reach Oz.
Great value for money though!
Looks is too much in-your-face
Cheers
F-0
You can’t expect much from an auto car in that size range… and most people won’t be buying it based on how it handles unfortunately. I do believe it will sell well though.
Great review! Some of the comments made me laugh!
I guess you get what you pay for. 15 grand for a small auto is a very good price.
This is also built in Japan which is a bonus and should be decent quality compared to the likes of the Getz, Rio and Barina which are very close in price to the Micra.
This is also the cheapest auto car in Australia I think, and should be mentioned in the review.
Good fuel Consumption and turning circle!
Boot is tiny and its at such a great price for a car like this but shame for the styling! Nissan do better next time!
Rob.you new! Matt too busy at the moment or you sharing the load ?
Gee I hope your next test drive is better…hahaha
How was yours Matt……??? Me looking foeward to that one babe!!
do yourself a favour and buy a Mazda2 or if your have abit less to spend ‘Toyota Yaris’ I know i did
Is this the first time Australia has had this Micra version? It been on sale here for years now. Fugly
where are you No Name?
In the motherland otherwise known as the UK Anthony.. Sorry i’m a pohm. ha ha
That’s how little Nissan cares about us, No Name. Yes, it’s just landed and you guys have had it since 03, am I right?
Bavarian Missile, I see you’ve shortened your name. I refuse to. I might make it longer: Golfschweinhundt! Achtung Spichtfeueren!! Gott ein Himmel!! AAAARRRGGHH! Guess I read too many Commando comics when I was a boy.
Where wuz I? Oh, here I am. Where’s that dratted woine? There it is.
Yup, anyway this micra wotsit. Groovy colour. I recall Torana GTR XU1s being offered in the same hue with white vinyl seats. HQ Premiers, too. Mmm mmm. With chrome wheel trims and white painted roof, of course.
That’s all good No Name. We welcome all your Pommy friends to the site. They are helping us become the fastest growing auto site in the country. Thanks for your support mate.
Hi Golfieuntdasgrobemunchenessen. Yep its been here for years, we even have a soft top version (really fugly)check out the UK nissan website. I don’t think its nisan don;t care its more about what has generally sold in Aus.
I was just saying on the “scared of import” post that Nissan make the Dualis here for export over the world (800 per day), but it is being made in Japan due to high demand. We had the Primera but that now out of production.
I did read once that when Nissan first produced UK built Nissans back in the 80’s they took one back to Japan, tore it down to find it was better built that the same Japanese built one. Good Stuff.
Is Bav Miss really Bav Miss??? Q of the day.
Cheers Anthony. Always willing to add a bit of my knowledge. Love this site good fun, I guess I’m trying to prolong my wrench from Melbourne where i lived for a while a couple or two years ago. I’m known as “Cupid Stunt” on the Forum.
Yeh the nissan Ok but other are btter looking. Its just been facelifted halfway though its lifespan. Look out for the softop version.
No name is cool……….we have similar loves……hehehe
don’t we honey?
This is by far the UGLIEST car on the road! Even Ssangyong makes better looking models than this.
Yep BM…..just having one now….ANZAC biscuit that is
I showed the picture of this to my dogs, male and female staffies the male farted and the female growled.
I told them it was cheap and they just turned and left the room.
Good review though.
It’s actually not a bad looking car. Would look alright in ANY other colour.
Top Speed: Don’t get your hopes up.
Bavarian Missile and I ALSO have similar interests.
I saw one outside a toy shop the other day, and assumed it was a new line of pedal cars they were promoting. I never thought for a minute it was a real car – still dont. A quick question though – do you need a licence to drive it, and could you drive it around your lounge room with the other toy cars.
Nissan has built the ugliest girl car ever, and Coz this would make one stupid slot car, you would have to crash the thing to put it back in shape.
Looks fine to me, although the colour is offensive. And ugliest car ever? C’mon, other Nissans like Tiida and X-Trail are uglier than this. If they market this well, it’ll sell.
do they make them for men?
My nephew saw this article while I was just reading it and asked, “Has it been in a crash?”
Steve
i cannot see why there is no manual tranny available for this car? how stupid is nissan oz? i mean tiida? YUCK!
Looks like “Subaru-itis” or New-Rex-itis” is catchiing..
When in the UK a year ago, I looked (and laughed) at these revolting cars and said to myself “They will NEVER sell in Australia!” And I hope I am proved correct. C’mon, be serious, it is NOT cute, it is downright ugly!
Has a look that could grow on ya. At least it looks different. Yeah it does look like that colour they use to paint hQs and xu1s. Where’s JAMISON? I think we might need his intellectual appraisal.
Hi all! yes, fair enough the micra is a little lacking in great looks, but its a great car to drive. Ive had one for a little over a month now and im impressed. Its comfortable to drive, its extremely fuel efficient (i had a hyundai accent and it costs me the same amount to fill it and i get twice as many k’s out of it). Its actually not that small once you get in it either.
Well…. if it were to grow on people….. so does cancer!
but i suppose its safer than a barina? even thouigh these have been in europe now for what…. 8 years??
troy
Good thing they brought it out before the new Jazz. Hope they enjoy the sales while they last.
I have had my Micra for 1 month and I love it too – it is the best car, and personally I like cars that look like toy cars. I used to drive a new VW Beetle (too many problems so traded it for the Micra) and Mazda 121 bubble car. By far, the best car I have ever had for petrol consumption, handling and features. Love it
Hi Everyone,
I used to own a 1995 Nissa Micra and it was a fab little car! I then sold it to another Micra enthusiast and bought a Holden Viva – WORST thing I ever did! The amount of issues I have had with this thing – it’s a pain in the rear. Because I loved my first Micra so much, I was having a look at this new one, but not sure whether I should take the jump….
I think youre full of it! city car, uncomfortable bla bla, I just drove all the entry levelers and the Micra out performed all of them all things considered. I reckon it even out performed the so called leader being the fiesta paticuarly with four people in it. I bought the misses one. And for the record I live out in the sticks.
i love this car, handles great and much better built than a crappy ford fiesta…dunno why people slate it, yep it looks odd to some people but you get over it…looks like a Fiat 500! really it’s been out so long here most people are used to the looks….
Pity Aus gets lumbered with the auto though, it’s really poor for an auto tranny, the manual shifts like a switch, my 1.2 with 80bhp cracks 0-100 in 10 seconds and does 45 mpg.
btw what do you consider a good looking car in Aus?, most stuff i saw was utes or boxy station wagons….
Thought you guys were more function over form, so if the micra does the city car job what the problem??
something I would happily trade my Nissan Tiida on this but I will wait till the next model comes along.This has been around a long time worldwide.It’s a lot cheaper than Fiat’s Bambino or a Smart Fortwo and much more practical both those are too small for the driving I tend to do and can’t hold much.Thirdly my family have all had a Nissan or Datsun somewhere in their lives.My Aunt had a 120Y Coupe and a 260Z 2 plus 2 Coupe then there was my Brothers Pulsar last of the Australian Built ones in the family for a long time then the 200sx and 350z of my late father and now my Tiida Hatchback buying a Micra will keep the tradition alive.
This looks like the perfect upgrade for my ageing Daewoo Lanos (Automatic). However, I suspect a 50cc scooter will have more power once the airconditioning is on.
I know nothing about cars- except the current crop seem soulless- and all clones of each other to me.
But I’m forced to check out the market as my precious 95 Micra that I love dearly- is terminally ill- and I’m forced to move on. I love my Micra- been a great little car and after being able to just drive into a car space anywhere – why would I want anything bigger? What better place to start looking than the next generation. Tomorrow I’m going to check out the new model- which I find to be very cool-(reminds me of the old vw beetle) and a Hynundai Getz- them’s me choices. What with being strapped for cash- and as I said wanting something tiny…. Glad to see that those who actually drive a Micra are full of praise- unlike he that wrote the review.
The reviewer should look ‘turgid’ up in the dictionary. Must have been typing anything for the deadline
Just returned from Spain – drove a black 5 speed manual Micra probably 3000km in 20 days.
Not a bad performer – 175kmh not a problem on highways although I was overtaken by Sassyongs and Ford Transit Vans.
Interestingly it had a tacho, 3 rear headrests and lap/sash seatbelts, alloy wheels etc. which are not available on the Aussie models.
Great to drive and park – no problems at all.
Noticed that it performed better on 98 fuel.
Also saw a hartop convertible variant.
Nissan could do OK by importing the manual version.
i have been driving new micra for the last 4 months….luved it!….some gud things: ‘easyyy’…that’s the word..easy to drive, park and turn in sydney’s small roads…, gud fuel efficiency, excellent view frm driver’s seat, spacious inside. Few flaws…not great uphill,wiper low quality. Definitely worth the money spent!
Hey! I just bought the 2008 Nissan Micra model TODAY! In London Rose!! That’s right! It’s pink! :D
Haha and I am beyond excitement, it is the cutest car and drives like a dream. But saying all that, I’m 21 and a girly girl lol.
How could Nissan make such a crappy looking car???
I have been driving the all-new Micra for the past 6 months already now. To all of those critics out there who commented on its looks and driveability, stop behaving like a child. If you don’t like it, just say it’s not to up to your taste. No point in saying that it’s ‘fugly’, that it looks like a toy car etc. It’s a downright cheap car at 15 grand, so you obvioulsy can’t compare it to an AMG can you? :)
I wonder if any men have bought such fugly wheels, you would have to be gay, Nissan makes the mistake by building a car for one gender (Females), not a very good marketing ploy, just look at TiiDA which is only aimed at females too, you don’t see many on the road but everytime I do a female is driving it… embarrassing Nissan embarrassing..
Something Missan at Nissan >>>>> Soul ..
Im considering buying this cute little car but was wondering if there is any word on the soft top coming to australia soon..Dont want to buy one now then have the softop arrive soon..
Not Quite.I often see Tiidas Used as Driving School Cars and by the Car Rental Companies in the Cities and the Airports some driven by Women Some by Men and Some by Learner Drivers with a man/woman accompanying them.I drive one too.My Cousins Toyota Echo is even uglier than Either the Tiida or the Micra