Nissan Micra hatchback (2010-2016) - MPG, running costs & CO2
The Nissan Micra is cheap to run, but rivals offer better fuel economy
There are two petrol engines to choose from in the Nissan Micra range, however there’s no diesel model available. On the plus side, the petrols do manage pretty impressive economy figures, no doubt helped by the fact that the cars feature engine stop-start technology, which improves fuel economy by about 4%.
Nissan Micra MPG and CO2
The first of the two engines is a basic 79bhp 1.2-litre petrol that can return fuel economy of 56.5mpg. CO2 emissions of 115g/km mean road tax will cost just £30 annually. The more hi-tech engine is the supercharged 97bhp version of the 1.2-litre, but it’s actually cheaper to run thanks to CO2 emissions well below the 100g/km threshold for free road tax. The supercharged engine also has an impressive fuel economy figure of 68.9mpg.
Although these are strong mpg figures for a petrol engine, diesel versions of the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta can achieve a far more impressive 80mpg-plus and likewise qualify for free road tax. However, if you tend to make multiple short journeys around town rather than long motorway trips, the Nissan’s petrol engine makes more sense.
Both of the petrol engines come with the option of Nissan’s CVT automatic gearbox. However, if you choose this option then economy in the basic engine drops to a less impressive 52.3mpg, while CO2 emissions rise to 125g/km for road tax of £110. In the 97bhp engine, fuel economy drops to 56.5mpg and road tax costs £30 a year when you add the CVT.
Insurance group
Insurance ratings for the Micra run from group five for the basic 1.2-litre Visia to group nine for the DIG-S Acenta.
Warranty
Nissan provides fairly standard warranty cover for your Micra – three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you want real long-term peace of mind, though, you’d probably be better off with the Hyundai i20, which comes with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Servicing
Nissan offers Micra owners fixed-price services that start at £149 and come with free Europe-wide roadside assistance (which Nissan says is worth £95), so even if the car suffers a problem, you’ll get home safely. Nissans have an excellent reliability record, though, so the company is probably fairly confident that few of its customers will ever have need to call on the rescue service.
