Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £7,895 to £13,395
Rounded, naive-looking styling, light controls, build quality.
Rounded, naive-looking styling, ride comfort falls behind current standards.
Love it or loathe it for its looks. As a car, it's unexceptional, but well made and very reliable.

A supermini is handy in traffic and easy to park, but nowadays they're fine for long journeys, too. The current Micra was one of the best when it debuted in 1993, but despite a facelift in 1998, it's not the best any more. Made here in the UK, the Micra had a facelift a few years ago but it's ageing now. Rounded, toy-like looks still generate a reaction, though. Was replaced by a very good all-new model in 2003.