| Re: Nissan Micra Diesel. EDIT: 140,000 km / 10 years of happy ownership
Ownership Review of a Pre-Worshipped 2011 Nissan Micra Diesel
This thread might be a bit long and it's going to be my first proper ownership post, so please overlook mistakes if any.
Childhood:
I have always had a fascination for mechanicals be it cars, bikes, engines, aircrafts or anything for that matter. I had been driving scooters since a very young age. My dad had a Chetak in the 2000s and that's my first memory of a personal transport. I always admired the way the clutch was on the left handle and rear brake on the right foot. It was very unique as I had seen only Honda scooters on the road and their operation was very straight forward without a clutch. I always wanted to drive the Chetak but my dad sold it before I was tall enough. Anyways, he got a used kinetic honda when I was in grade 8. I had been cycling for years and driving an automatic scooter came very naturally to me. That was my first experience of freedom. The ability to have a personal vehicle that can take you anywhere. I loved the Kinetic as it was so easy to use. You had storage underneath and controls were simple. I was always ready to buy something from the store that my mom needed if I got to take the Honda. Soon my dad sold the scooter and got a used 2000 Maruti 800. This gave my first experience of observing a car and how it works. I used to always watch my dad on how he drives and how he controls the vehicle. It was very fascinating how this tiny car was capable of transporting us, a family of 4, anywhere we intended.
Adolescence:
I had left my hometown Ooty in 2014 to pursue my bachelor's. I used to come home every month and in 2015 I started to learn to drive. My dad with his vast experience was my teacher. Before this I was allowed to only control the steering of my maternal Grandpa's Omni. This was very useful as I lived in a hilly region and we had to tackle a lot of winding roads. The steering input had to be precise so I'm grateful for the time my grandpa helped me. So coming back, my dad started teaching me and he was a lenient teacher but his exercises were very difficult. He had a keen eye and point out quickly if I had veered out of line or if my shifting was not upto standards. I also had an exercise where I had to reverse for about a kilometer. I remember how painful my neck used to get. The 800 was a breeze to drive. Gear shifts were smooth, it felt quite and nimble, direction changes were easy. My dad also took me to some inclines and my goal was to climb without rolling back. This was the most difficult one and it took some time to learn it. Finally in 2017, I got my license. My dad used to let me drive occasionally but I was still nervous as I didn't have a lot hours driving in traffic.
Adulthood:
I finished my graduation and moved to Chennai for my first job in 2018. As soon as I got my first job, I wanted to buy a bike and finally get my own vehicle but I had to be realistic and put my goals away for a few years. Come 2021, I got my first bike, the apache 200 4v. I will pen the ownership for that bike some day. I bought it brand new and so far it's been a blast to own.
Why a Car?
It had been a few years since I acquired my license and I haven't got the chance to drive that much. I drive the 800 once every few months whenever I go home and I could see how out of touch I was. I couldn't drive smooth as my dad and I knew I was now scared of driving in traffic.
Finally I decided I'll need a car of my own for 2 simple reasons.
1. To learn to drive in traffic and develop my driving skills.
2. To learn more about cars through ownership (as I learnt a lot about bikes and maintenance through ownership).
I never intended to buy a car for the freedom it offered or the joy of driving. They were all perks that I later enjoyed and I'm really happy that I decided to get a car.
Requirements:
1. It had to be under 2.5L and a manual.
2. It had to be manageable in traffic.
3. It should offer a comfortable driving position.
4. It should be drivable. I wanted something responsive. Engine was a high priority.
5. Spares should be easily available and should be maintenance friendly.
6. I was ok with 2nd or 3rd owner as well. Outlook also didn't matter much as I would be buying an old car. My main priority was to get a car that
Options considered:
I started out on olx and marketplace to look for options. I watched couple of YouTube videos and read a lot of team bhp threads to get an idea of how to buy a pre-owned car. I started looking at options under 3L with the plan to negotiate to 2.5 range. Later on I decided it would be wise to set aside some money for initial service and any surprises I might get during the ownership. The plan was simple. Check out used cars on the weekends and test drive them to see which ones I liked.
Fiat Linea:
Amazing build. The doors and bonnet felt so solid. Beautiful flowing lines. Rejected as the length of the car was overwhelming.
Fiat Punto:
I checked out the Punto as it was a hatchback. But I had the same weird driving position issue as the Linea. I liked the 75ps mjd. I could see there was some lag but I thought it was decent performance. I was more impressed with ride manners. The car felt solid when driven on bad roads. The steering was best I had driven. I liked the thumb contours. Punto was shortlisted.
Ford Fiesta:
I simple loved how this car looks and was searching for a 1.6S for a very long time. I couldn't find any in Chennai and decided to look for a regular 1.6 sxi. I liked how the car felt to drive. Solid steering feedback. As good as the Punto if not better. I didn't shortlist it as I thought it would be better to go for a hatch.
Ford Figo:
Naturally, I saw the Figo and loved it but not as much as the Fiesta. This was the pre facelift Figo and imo was not that much of a looker. I drove the 1.4 tdci in the Figo and I was mighty impressed. Little to no lag in lower rpms, excellent handling and very spacious compared to a Punto. I was getting a well maintained zxi one for well below 2.5 and this was the favourite.
Honda Brio:
It was close to 3L but decided to check it out anyways. The 1.2 in the Brio felt lively. Good performance and very rev happy. Didn't like the handling much and rejected due to the boot space.
Maruti Swift/Ritz:
I was keen on getting a 1.3 mjd and was after the swift initially. I couldnt find any well maintained options under 3L as swift had good resale. I checked out the Ritz and unlike many people I liked the quirky look of the Ritz. It was practical, spacious and the 1.3 was great to drive. Rejected because it was boring.
Datsun Redi go:
Rejected as the engine was puny.
I10:
Puny engine.
Beat:
Didn't get a chance to drive it. But I didn't want a 3 cycl version of the mjd.
Vento/Polo/Fabia/Jetta/Rapid:
Rejected all VW group cars due to their reputation for not being maintenance friendly. I do love the polo though.
Alto K10:
Felt barebones. But what a performer. It revved like crazy and was so fun. I was seriously considering it but Figo was still unbeatable.
Duster:
Didn't fit my purpose but just wanted to check it out. Amazing drivability and suspension.
Honda City:
The 3rd gen was a gem but was slightly over my budget and by that point I stopped looking for sedans but this car needs to be mentioned specifically for the rev happy engine and handling characteristics.
Micra/Pulse:
The k9k was on many others cars as well. Logan was known to be a proven car in the taxi market. I searched for Micra's or Pulse's as I was keen on driving the k9k. I came across a Green Nissan Micra and despite polarising looks, I loved the roundness look of the Micra. The colour was also unique but the outlook was very average. I drove it and instantly this was the best in terms of drivability. There was almost no lag in lower rpms. It was as good if not better than the Figo's 1.4. The steering was strictly average but was super light in City conditions.
Decision making:
After much thought and discussions with my father and some mechanics, the Figo was rejected. Mainly because my dad had forbidden me from buying a pre-facelift Figo or Fiesta for to mechnic feedback. The injector failures were well known and I dropped the Figo with a heavy heart. Punto was dropped because I hated the driving position. No proper dead pedal and no matter how I adjusted, the steering was too close always. K10 was a serious contender but I liked the Micra Diesel better. I finalised on the Micra because of its lovely engine and it's practicality.
Buying process:
I took a mechanic with me to double check and mechanic gave a go. He did miss a few things like checking coolant level and not noticing boost pressure sensor was broken (I learnt about these issues through ownership). The other aspects such as steering, suspension, ac, etc was good and I decided to purchase it. I went to nearest Nissan showroom and got the service history of the car. The car has run 1.16L up till that point. I was ok with a high mileage car as I know these engines easily last upwards of 3L+ kms. There was clutch work done at 70k, suspension at 80k and a major work was done at 90k. The oil and coolant had mixed due and there was major work done related to it. There were service records upto 95k and this was good enough for me. Tires needed replacing and outlook was decent at best. Lots of scratches and minor dents. One major dent on right rear fender as well. I thought I'd repaint if I wanted to own it beyond 2026 when FC will be up for renewal. Besides, I assumed I was going to drive in Chennai and scratches will be inevitable. One interesting observation from service records was that Nissan service was very costly. They used 0w40 oil which itself was 4.5k every time they swapped it. The oil capacity was 4.55L for k9k.
I negotiated it down to 2.1L and I thought this was best as I can use remaining money for sevice and other consumables. I paid the money and in a few days I took delivery of my first car. It was monumental for me.
About the Car/Engine:
The Micra was a cute car and loved the quirky looks and this Spring Green colour was unique. The diesel variant was launched in 2010 and you could get it only in XV and XV premium options. Mine was a 2011 XV. The engine is an absolute gem. A proper old school 4 cycl, 8V, Sohc setup. The 1.5L k9k was offered in 3 tunes. The micra had the lower 65ps/160nm tune without an intercooler. The scala/sunny had the 85ps one. The duster/terrano had an optional 110 ps option but they were notorious for injector issues. The micra is excellent to drive. The turbo kicks in very early and the peak torque is at 2k rpm. It idles at 800-850 rpm and press down on the throttle and your immediately met with response and there are some moments which will push you back to your seat. It pulls cleanly up till 3.5k rpm and beyond 4k there is nothing much. Keeping it between 1.5k in City conditions is great in terms of drivability and efficiency. For spirited rides, keeping it between 2-3k rpm will work wonders. The shifts are smooth, precise and buttery. The steering is so light in City conditions and good when doing speeds below 100kph. The brakes are decent and lack abs so pressure to press pedal should be carefully modulated. The car come with 165/70 r14 tires. Very puny for the power it has but I didn't want to upgrade because of the acceleration it offered. For city conditions this is good enough. The AC is a chiller. It cools the cabin in a matter of few mins. There is no proper dead pedal per se but there empty space to keep your left foot. The clutch is heavy and it's one of my main complaints but I've gotten used to it and my left leg has probably become stronger now. The feedback from Clutch is excellent. You know exactly at what moment the car will move and it's easy to modulate in hills as well. The rear seat offers decent space. The Micra is a Global model and it's designed smartly. The one sold in India is the 3rd gen micra, k13. The k11 and k12 are proven cars globally and this was also one the factors in me finalising the micra. The tires are placed at the 4 corners and this maximises space. The boot is of decent capacity for a car of this size.
The ground clearance is low but it does scrape if 4 people are there. I have to take the bigger bumps sideways to avoid scraping the bottom. The suspension is good. Neutrally tuned of not slightly stuff. Need to slow down for huge potholes but also can do speeds upto 90. Post that it feels like a boat.
Pros:
1. Excellent engine offering amazing drivability. Addictive diesel torque. Relaible car.
2. Spacious and city friendly.
3. Decent handling with minimal body roll.
4. Fantastic AC.
5. Great efficiency. 17-18 in City and 24 in highways.
6. Feature loaded for its time. Keyless entry (not working in mine though, planning to get it fixed), electronically adjustable and foldable mirrors, adjustable headrest for all 4 passengers, seatbelt for 3rd passenger and rear wiper.
Cons:
1. Poor headlights. Nice design though.
2. Costly company service so better to source parts and do it via a local mechanic.
3. Not comfortable seats for long journeys
Work done so far:
1. Changed rear tires to mrf zvts and front ones to Yoko earth 1.
2. Changed timing belt, water pump and ac velt. Timing case cover replaced. This needs to done for cars that have done 1L+.
3. Oil service with fuel filter replacement and gearbox oil replacement.
4. Boost pressure sensor replaced.
5. Gear lever replaced as it was worn out and sticky
6. Glow plugs and starter motor as they were on their last legs.
7. Radiator cleaning with coolant flush as engine was overheating. Also changed radiator cap.
Planned stuff for future:
1. Repaint before 2026 as I plan to hold on to this car for the foreseeable future.
2. Clutch needs replacing. There is still life but I like to do preventive maintenance.
3. Fix keyless entry. I have been using the keyfob to press the button to start the car everytime. This is a workaround provided by Nissan but I didn't bother fixing it thus far.
4. Remap to 80ps+ tune. Might also need 15inch alloys with wider tires.
5. Replace left headlight unit as it has some minor cracks.
Lessons learnt/Regrets:
1. Owning this has taught me a lot on owning a car and the different aspects related to maintenance. I have learnt a lot about how stuff works.
2. Should find a trusted mechanic. Finding a skilled mechanic who can get a job done for decent amount is difficult.
3. Met with an accident where a biker rammed into my right fender. I had comprehensive insurance and I learnt how the claim process works and how money is deducted as per depreciation. Also learnt about CSR report which might be helpful during claim process.
4. Better to take a second mechanic while evaluating. The more issues you find, you can negotiate further. Be careful with who you take as well. Don't fall for people online. An evaluation for a used car shouldnt cost more than 1k.
5. Learnt a lot about driving in City which was my initial goal. Now I've gotten so good that no car intimidates me. I've driven many other cars and my dad also recently picked up a new Brezza (practical option).
6. I have tried to pin my thoughts as much as possible. Forgive me if it was too excessive or not detailed enough. I leave you with some pictures of Greenie.
Last edited by venukrithish : 4th January 2025 at 13:39.
| 
12th June 2019, 09:48
(1)
Thanks
and also the unwanted financial stress. If nothing I'd rather buy a new one without selling this if it is happy to run for another 5 to 6 years. I was also thinking of remapping it from wolfmoto for a higher power and torque tune but I don't have any feedback from people who has already done these so a bit reluctant to go ahead without knowing any stress points to the car for a higher tune.