Nissan Micra

Mark Prince, General Manager,

Nissan Widnes

"The Nissan Micra is a safe, stylish supermini. The Micra looks the business, even when compared with other offerings in this very fashion-conscious section of the car market. Running costs are reasonable and it comes with a high standard of safety equipment. The Micra is priced similarly to rivals such as the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris, although the Ford is likely to hold onto its value better but not by much! Nissan has an excellent reputation for reliability, and that's reflected in its placing in the most recent JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study, where it finished fourth out of 24 brands, which means there is very little likely to go wrong with the car. There's lots of safety technology fitted as standard to all models, including driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, hill start assist and high-beam assist. On top of this, lane-keeping assistance (which helps steer you back in your lane should you be distracted and drift out of it), as well as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection (which will automatically bring the Micra to a stop if it detects a likely collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian), are all part and parcel of the Micra's make-up. Whether you do a lot of miles or not, your driving position is crucial, and this is something the Micra does particularly well. The seats are supportive, and there's plenty of steering wheel adjustment, so most people will find it easy to achieve a comfortable driving position. The Nissan Connect infotainment system that's standard on most models has plenty of customisable options and is relatively intuitive. It combines a touchscreen that you can pinch and swipe like a smartphone with separate buttons and dials that make it simple to jump between different screens. As well as being user-friendly, the interior looks good, with an appealing mixture of textures and finishes. All Micras come with a fixed rear seat base and a backrest that splits and folds 60/40."