Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £7,895 to £13,395
Distinctive cheeky looks, remarkably pleasant interior, good ride, build quality, good visibility, extremely easy to drive, nice simple auto gearboxes, lively diesel engines
A little squidgy to drive, engines could be a smidge quieter, electric power steering very light at town speeds, but not much else to complain about at all
Very good in all respects, with some of the best small diesels around
There aren't many easier cars to drive than the Micra, to be honest - that's why it's always been so popular with driving schools. The turning circle is outstanding (very tight at just 9.2 metres) while the large glass area means visibility is very good all round. It is some 30mm shorter than the previous Micra, and top-spec versions even have parking sensors.
The manual gearbox is slick and easy to use, and the auto 'box, thankfully, is kept simple with just a responsive, smooth fully-auto mode - no fiddly paddle shifts or never-used sequential 'manual' gears here.
All of the controls are light and progressive, but we're not entirely keen on the steering, which is light in the extreme around town and builds to become quite firm at higher speeds. We'd like a slightly more consistent weight.
The Micra is designed more with comfort in mind than sporting driving dynamics, but it's not a bad car to drive. It doesn't become woeful if you press on, just expect some roll and squidginess around the corners. The manual gearbox is compliant and has a reasonable weight, but the 1.2-litre engine becomes a little bit vocal at higher revs.
The 80bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine is the pick of the petrol engines, it's surprisingly lively and willing. The 88bhp 1.4 is harsher, noisier and has no useful power upgrade at all. All petrol engines are low-geared for quick progress around town, but can happily (if noisily) cruise at higher speeds; none are particularly torquey for overtaking, but the 1.2 performs well for its size and is a good all-rounder.
The engine to choose, however, is the excellent 85bhp diesel engine it's strong and smooth, yet will return over 60mpg.
A 110bhp 1.6-litre petrol is offered in the SR which is sprightly if not an all-out fireball, see our Driven story for more on this model.
