25 Jul 05
As a warm supermini the Micra 160SR is as good as they get, and for £9995 it's a veritable bargain. And while Ford's Fiesta Zetec-S is just as quick, it's a stiff £1500 more, the Mini Cooper is undoubtedly faster but is a rich man's choice at over £12,000 without options. The 160SR is cheap to run too, with a 6E insurance grouping and average economy of 42.8mpg.
One major downside of the Micra 160SR is that even with the beefed-up looks it's still a very girly car. Big, round headlights and bulbous curves don't scream bodybuilder, and may limit its appeal amongst the boy racer crowd. (Nissan insiders did hint that super-pumped-up limited editions of the Micra 160SR complete with extreme NISMO bodykits may be introduced later, though.) As it stands the Micra 160SR is a little car capable of bringing plenty of thrills to those who accept its city-chic looks, frugal running costs and bargain price tag. It may not have the Mini Cooper's kudos, but still has a big dollop of individuality about it.
