Nissan Micra Review 2023

The previous Micra was an ugly, cheap and soulless disaster. That's not just our opinion either, Nissan sold far fewer of them, losing ground to its rivals in the process. This new model is a much better product.

Its eye-popping list of safety equipment and low insurance ratings make it a perfect first car for nervous new drivers (or worried parents) and it now has the style and technology to contend with the class front runners.

Weirdly, this is one small car that feels more at home on the motorway than it does in town. That makes it great for people who do a lot of miles, but don't fancy the steeper running costs of owning a larger model. 

Still, its jittery town ride means there are better options for anyone seeking a suburban runabout. Cramped rear seats and an average boot mean that practically-minded folks are likely to prefer something roomier.

That group might be the same one that is considering a small SUV, but the Nissan Micra has zero off-road capability.

With a starting price from just over £14,000 the Nissan Micra lines up nicely against budget-friendly rivals such as the Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia and Kia Rio. Still, each of this trio has a bit more room inside than the Nissan. 

Yet its sharp styling and generous safety kit could tempt buyers away from sophisticated and chic small cars, including the Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, and more grown-up Volkswagen Polo. All are fine all-rounders that feature some of the nicest interiors in this class, with plush materials and slickly integrated on-board gadgets. 

Buyers looking for a bit of excitement behind the wheel should check out the Ford Fiesta. It remains the best small car to drive, with supple suspension, agile responses, and tidy body control. If comfort is a priority the Citroen C3 has low running costs, armchair-like seats and a spongey ride for soaking up bumps in the road.

No one can deny that this generation of Micra made a quantum leap upmarket compared to its predecessor.

Soft-touch materials cover most of the upper dash surfaces, and the appealing design is refreshingly bright.

The controls feel robust and weighty, the doors close with a satisfyingly deep thud, and it all seems very well constructed, free from creaking panels or flimsy feeling trim. On the priciest versions, you can add a stitched faux-leather panel to cover the centre console (in a variety of colours) to liven up the looks, for a small price.

Yet just when things were starting to look really rosy, Nissan brings you back down to earth with a bang. We praised the nice materials in the Nissan Micra’s cabin, but only the most expensive Tekna models gives you a soft leather finish for the steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake (and they still have manual winding rear windows).

You will touch these three areas every single time you go for a drive, so it would be nice if they weren’t hard plastic and rubber. It cheapens the whole experience of sitting in the cabin, especially when almost all of its competitors offer this on mid-range versions.

If you like staying connected behind the wheel, then avoid the Visia+ trim. It comes with a tinny two-speaker stereo, Bluetooth and a USB port, but not much else, and is good for little more than tuning into local radio.

Stepping up to the Acenta feels like skipping forward a decade in time. Suddenly your Micra will have a nice 7.0-inch colour touchscreen, four speakers, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

This means that you can use your mobile's mapping apps, so you're unlikely to need to add the built-in nav.

The display itself is bright, but doesn't have the sharpest graphics. The touch response can be ponderous, especially on cars fitted with sat-nav, as it takes ages to plan a route or pinch into a specific part of the map. 

Some of the icons are rather small, but it has a handy set of shortcut buttons so you can bypass the screen.

On top spec models, you get a TomTom-based nav that's less intuitive than just using your phone, and a BOSE stereo that includes speakers built into the driver's headrest to create a convincing surround sound.

Music lovers who want to fit this to an Acenta trim can do so for just £550; it's better value than the sat-nav.

Roominess inside the Nissan Micra is a classic tale of two halves; generous up front, but decidedly mean in the rear.

Let's start with the good stuff. Whoever sits upfront gets loads of head and legroom, and it feels wide inside. 

The glovebox is really deep (Nissan reckons it'll carry ten litres worth), and there are nice touches like the big tray in front of the gearstick that is wide enough for a modern smartphone, and illuminated by LEDs at night.

You'll find a pair of shallow cupholders between the front seats, and door pockets large enough to hold a big sports bottle and a few snacks with room to spare. You might need the extra stowage though, as those in the back get nowhere to put their personal items apart from the thin map pockets, and a small cubby to share.

Unfortunately, things continue to go downhill from those in the rear. Headroom is tight, so taller friends may not thank you for giving them a lift, and small windows make it feel claustrophobic. Legroom is also at a premium, and rivals such as the Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 provide quite a lot more.

If you often need to carry more than one adult, the lack of room will be a major issue, but with three seats fitted with ISOFIX anchors (two in the back, one in the front) at least the Micra is quite good for carrying kids. 

Trouble is, the mounting points are hidden far back in the seat base, and the rear doors are quite narrow, so it can be a wrestling match to get a bulky rear-facing seat manoeuvred into place and securely tightened.

The boot is also a disappointment. While it can fit a reasonable amount (300 litres is average for the class) it has a high loading lip to heave stuff over, and you don't get an adjustable floor to minimise the drop in height.

You can fold the seats down in a two-way split to increase the capacity, but they leave an awkward step that stops you being able to slide stuff straight in. If load-lugging is a priority, get a Honda Jazz or Fabia Estate.

Changing consumer tastes and tightening emissions regulations have been a double-whammy that has left the Nissan Micra with just two engines. Both are turbocharged three-cylinder petrols, coming with 100PS or 117PS.

The good news is that they are both decent performers. Either engine can easily handle motorway duties or overtaking, and are urgent enough in-gear that they demand little effort from the driver. The old non-turbo with 71PS was dangerously slow and woefully underpowered, so we're glad that it has now been dropped.

There was also a 1.5-litre diesel that was the strongest engine in the line-up, with a lot of mid-range shove and surprisingly good refinement. The dwindling popularity of this fuel (and sky high PCP costs) killed it off.

With just a 1.0-litre capacity, the response at low revs can bit a little flat, but once it gets into its stride this is a peppy, responsive motor that has more than enough grunt to get moving, even in its lowered-power form.

The standard engine is paired up with a five-speed manual, while the quicker car has a six-speed gearbox. Neither is especially precise, with a long shift that can feel vague or have you searching for the right gear.

Buyers have the option of fitting an automatic gearbox to the 100PS model, but unlike the slick dual-clutch systems in the Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo it uses what's called a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

This type of gearbox is not known for its refinement or precision, and suits driving at steady speeds instead. In the Nissan it's actually surprisingly smooth, but it strangles performance somewhat, making this Micra a whole two seconds slower going from 0-62mph than the manual version with the exact same 100PS engine.

We think the manual 100PS motor is the one to get. It's  a fair bit cheaper and only a little slower than the DiG-T 117PS version, which in turn is not as powerful as a Renault Clio or Ford Fiesta in similar spec.

Normally small cars excel in typical urban environments like multi-storey car parks and congested streets, but feel out of their depth and tiring once you find yourself on faster A-roads and long dual-carriageways.

In the Micra, the opposite is true. Its three-cylinder engines, which can feel flat and a bit thrummy at low revs and send vibrations through the pedals, settle down into a more relaxed gait, and the ride smoothes out too.

As long as you stick with a sensible wheel size (this means below 17-inches) then road noise is quite nicely isolated from the cabin. The Micra also has an acoustic windscreen to help filter out wind noise at speed. It's not the most tranquil supermini - that title still goes to the Polo - but feels mature and relaxing, which we like.

The discontinued 1.5-litre diesel was also a hushed performer, with a six-speed gearbox to keep the revs low on the motorway, and none of the idle clatter that people sometime expect from this type of fuel. The gearbox is not very precise or positive, but with a light clutch, it's relatively easy to drive smoothly in stop-start traffic.

Choose the CVT, and it won't blare or drone as often as the same type of gearbox in say, a Toyota Yaris (in fact that car feels like a tin can compared to the Micra at 70mph) but we wouldn't choose it over the manual.

One of the Nissan Micra's biggest assets is its vast array of standard safety gear. It was one of the first small cars to feature automatic emergency braking on every single model in the line-up, just one of its many driving aids.

This vital piece of equipment uses a forward-facing camera to scan the road ahead, detecting other traffic. If the driver gets distracted or fails to spot an obstacle, the car will flash a warning, and can even stop the car.

It can stop you running into careless pedestrians or parked cars at low speed, and could save you thousands of pounds by helping you avoid costly repairs. That's just the tip of the iceberg though. Nissan also provides a road sign reader, auto-dipping headlights, and lane departure warning.

If you do start to drift out of line, the Micra has the ability to gently nip the brakes to steer you back into your lane. You can turn this system off it you want though, as it can feel a bit unnatural the first few times it intervenes.

Some of this equipment was previously optional (as part of a safety pack) which explains why the Nissan got just four out of five stars from Euro NCAP when it was crash tested in 2017. When it was retested with the kit that is now standard, it gained the extra star back, with strong ratings in most of the individual categories too.

Every model comes with six airbags, cruise control with a speed limiter, a hill start assistant that gives you a second to build the revs up to make clean getaways uphill, and of course stability control and ISOFIX points.

From N-Tec trim onwards you get rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. These should help you keep your alloys off high kerbs and the bumpers free from small dings and dents. Any buyers lacking confidence in their manoeuvring abilities should add this kit to Acenta models (as part of the Vision Pack) for around £770.

The Intelligent Around View monitor is a 360º parking camera that's very impressive, but feels like overkill. It comes as part of the Vision+ Pack offered on Tekna trim, throwing in a Blind Spot Warning system for £700.

There's been one recall issued with the 1.0-litre 117PS engine that corrected a fault that saw the engine stall when idling, though there have been no other common issues reported.

Nissan as a manufacturer doesn't enjoy quite the impressive reputation for reliability as you might expect, finishing in 19th place out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, behind the likes of Honda and Toyota. 

Its impressive haul of safety equipment means the Micra is one of the most affordable small cars to insure. How cheap you ask? Well, the older 71PS petrol in base Visia trim is in insurance band 1 out of total of 50. Take a look at our guide to the cheapest cars to insure for more. 

That puts it on a par with basic versions of the Skoda Fabia, Kia Rio and Volkswagen Polo, making it perfect for any newly qualified drivers, or those who have recently lost their no-claims bonus. The current line-up is not as affordable. Still, with the 100PS model starting in Group 8, and the 117PS version in Group 11, it's not bad.

Almost all Nissan Micras will be subject to the new road tax rules introduced in April 2017. That means paying £150 to the DVLA every year, regardless of the fuel type, since Nissan does not make a hybrid or electric version of the Micra.

The first-year rate of tax you'll pay if you're buying a brand new car will be pretty reasonable too. Cars fitted with the 100PS engine will cost £175, but the CVT automatic and 1.0 DIG-T 117PS model are both £215.

None of the current range are particularly economical, so not ideal as company cars. The cleanest sit in the 28% BIK bracket, where a hybrid Renault Clio is just 22%, and the Zoe EV will cost you nothing in tax.

Cast an eye over the glossy brochure and the Micra looks great. It has a smart cabin, classy materials and lots of features. The price seems temptingly low too, but the basic Visia+ is nothing like the car on the page.

It gets steel wheels, plain black plastic mirror caps, a two-speaker stereo, with Bluetooth, and air-con, but little else. The next step up Acenta is much more like it. This car has a 7.0-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, 16-inch alloys, cruise control, plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. It covers most of the important bases, but there are odd items missing; no Micra gets electric rear windows for some reason.

Imaginatively titled N-Sport cars liberally sprinkle the Micra with performance enhancing upgrades such as a set of faux-carbon fibre mirror caps, 17-inch alloys, Alcantara and faux-leather seats, keyless entry and start. Alright, so none of that is going to make you go any faster. Still, you do also get a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, which (given the Micra's poor visibility) is arguably going to be a bit more useful day-to-day.

Only the priciest Tekna versions come with a leather steering wheel and gearknob, which feels like a major omission given it comes on even the basic versions of some of its rivals. The top spec Nissan makes for this with the poshest materials, a fancy BOSE driver headrest speaker system, navigation, and climate control.

There's an N-Tec special edition that slots into the range between the Acenta and N-Sport. It gets a few of the visual upgrades from the latter like black 17-inch alloys, but also adds sat-nav, and rear parking sensors.

Nissan limits which options you can fit by trim level too. This means forking out for the Tekna model just for the opportunity to tick the boxes to fit brighter LED headlights (£495) or fancy 360º parking cameras (£700).