I'm getting a new car

[cosmicpanda]

Well, more precisely, my parents are, and I'm living with them until March and have to drive around in it.

They've traded in their lovely, respectable Nissan Tino, with all the foibles and wee minor faults that I've grown to love over the years, that we've taken on family trips and all that, and purchased a brand new Nissan Micra.

Bugger. Now I have to drive around in that. At least it's not a convertible, so I don't need a paper bag...

[ShiftingGears]

Ouch.

[Garry Walker]

:rotflmao:

[J4MIE]

Seconded.

I feel for you buddy :(

But surely anything with an engine can be driven quickly? Looks aren't everything :)

[turves]

look at Geoff Jones on the Isle of Man a few years back...

[MrJan]

Fantastic cars I'm led to believe but I think I'd rather walk than have to drive one :p :

[cosmicpanda]

I tried to convince them that they don't need a car with working windscreen wipers, handbrake, ignition switch, and central locking systems but they remain heartless :(

Then I tried to point out the various Top Gear reviews - compare the recent Fiesta test through a shopping mall to Richard's test of the Micra. That failed to sway them, and even a last ditch effort at pointing them towards a Honda Jazz - after all, Top Gear says that Honda is popular amongst old people - didn't work.

We're picking up the Micra tomorrow and I get to drive it home for them while they bugger off to Auckland in another car! I'm overjoyed.

[Daniel]

:laugh:

I had a Micra hirecar in Finland and also in Switzwerland and even though the one in Switzerland didn't have a lot of mileage on it boy did it feel tired and even slower than the Finland one :mark:

It's got a surprisingly high top speed for such a bag of crap though as I found out :eek:

Cosmicpanda, for the love of GOD do NOT take it on gravel if you value your life. There is no steering feel, absolutely none and there really is no way of telling whether the car is gripping or not. It felt dangerous on gravel at anything more than about 40kph and I consider myself as someone who is fairly confident (not fast though :p ) on the slippery stuff :crazy:

[cosmicpanda]

That'll stink when going to rallies, then.

[52Paddy]

My dad had an 06 Micra as a hire car when his current car was in for repairs (01 Focus Estate.) I don't remember too much of it other than the lack of comfort. Its felt very stiff on the road and the smallest of bumps would go right through the car and into your bones. Not sure if its the same with the very latest models. I always hated the look of the new Micras though. That would be enough to turn me off buying one. Then again, they're your old folks so that may not be relevant in a sense. :look:

[anstis]

cosmicpanda, i'm sure you've seen what Reg Cook is driving

http://www.wellingtonclubsport.co.nz/rcook_pics.htm


at least you don't have to stick your name in the side window :-)

[J4MIE]

I had a Micra hirecar in Finland and also in Switzwerland and even though the one in Switzerland didn't have a lot of mileage on it boy did it feel tired and even slower than the Finland one :mark:

You must have been going backwards then :eek: :eek:

But then you usually struggle to keep up with me :p :

[cosmicpanda]

Well, took it for a drive today through some of the backroads around here, and a former WRC stage...

It's definitely a better car than the one we traded in. The ride isn't uncomfortable on tarmac but was too firm to be comfortable in the potholes and corrugations found on the gravel road. I'm having to get used to the new positions of the gear lever and handbrake.

It is almost zippy when accelerating to 50 km/h or so, and can handle my steep driveway with no problems. It can't do passing lanes very well, though.

Daniel, I didn't think that it was too bad on the gravel, with the only problems being with the rougher stuff. I was going very slowly most of the time due to all of the corners, but on the straighter, smoother bits 70 km/h was fine. I probably wouldn't want to go much faster than that on gravel in that car, though, unless it was a wide road or the road was closed :)

[leopard]

Nissan got used to producing compact or massive cars, so driving it trough the gravel would be fine relatively.

Yeah, I think your parents took it into the worthy consideration why would their choice goes to Nissan, and Nissan again.

Unless if fuel consumption is your first point. :)

[Daniel]

Daniel, I didn't think that it was too bad on the gravel, with the only problems being with the rougher stuff. I was going very slowly most of the time due to all of the corners, but on the straighter, smoother bits 70 km/h was fine. I probably wouldn't want to go much faster than that on gravel in that car, though, unless it was a wide road or the road was closed :)

You're a braver man than I! ;)

[thompp]

Leave home, get your own highly paid job, then you can choose and buy your own highly respectable car....!

[cosmicpanda]

Thompp, I'm a university student, and spend most of the year away from home. While the high paying job is some way off, I'm going to get one eventually :D

Anyway, I have decided that I quite like the car. I was roundly laughed at today at work, but I like the headlamps, rear vision, manouverability and the fancy electronic key. It's also more fun to drive around corners, even if it might not actually be any faster.

[Daniel]

Thompp, I'm a university student, and spend most of the year away from home. While the high paying job is some way off, I'm going to get one eventually :D

Anyway, I have decided that I quite like the car. I was roundly laughed at today at work, but I like the headlamps, rear vision, manouverability and the fancy electronic key. It's also more fun to drive around corners, even if it might not actually be any faster.

Old fart :p

Though I can't speak as I want one of these

http://www.carpages.co.uk/fiat/fiat_images/fiat-panda-26-07-07.jpg

:uhoh:

[veeten]

well, nothing says 'blue rinsed matron' quite like it, eh Daniel? ;) :p :

[Daniel]

well, nothing says 'blue rinsed matron' quite like it, eh Daniel? ;) :p :
Better than this though!
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00366/Nissan_Micra_1_2_366962a.jpg

[leopard]

I can but suggest among MPVs are currently in the market, X-Gear livina is the most elegant in design, having received an FWD award that allows even a child to see the feature and what's on with the front wheel.

http://ari-sty.co.cc/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/livina-x-gear-8x6.jpg

[Valve Bounce]

Better than this though!
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00366/Nissan_Micra_1_2_366962a.jpg


OMIGOD!! I am speechless. :eek:
I was going to say you can't see how ugly a car is from the inside, and I have driven some really ugly cars, but I'd rather be seen driving around in a 1978 Lada (the ones used by the Cyprus Government). .

[veeten]

Micra.
cliff.
push it over...

"Hmmm... now, where did it go?..." :uhoh: ;)

[cosmicpanda]

It's a chick magnet :)

[Daniel]

OMIGOD!! I am speechless. :eek:
I was going to say you can't see how ugly a car is from the inside, and I have driven some really ugly cars, but I'd rather be seen driving around in a 1978 Lada (the ones used by the Cyprus Government). .

The weirdest bit was seeing your headlights while driving :mark:


It's a chick magnet

You into older women? :p

Well I'm going to testdrive one of these tomorrow. It's a Panda but not as old farty looking :p

http://www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/full/RevNews178.jpg

[cosmicpanda]

The weirdest bit was seeing your headlights while driving :mark:

...

You into older women? :p

You get used to seeing the headlights. I find that it's nice to be able to see where the corners of the car are when turning into my garage - it's a very difficult corner to do else, although I did do it for years in a car where I couldn't exactly see the corners.

Older women can be lovely but there are some closer to my age as well. Finally, there were some real chicks (sparrows) that flew into me today :mark:

[vauxhall corsa]

don't like nissan micra

[Daniel]

Nice work resurrecting an old thread for no particular reason........

[MrJan]

This is going to be good if Vauxhall Corsa carries on, Daniel is going to go nuts :D :D :p :

[Mark in Oshawa]

mmm..I would take the bus than drive those two little critters. What passes for styling with some carmakers just perplexes me....

[Daniel]

mmm..I would take the bus than drive those two little critters. What passes for styling with some carmakers just perplexes me....
The Panda and Micra are not meant to be stylish :p

[harsha]

they'd better not launch this in India...we have enough ugly looking hatches as it is :bigcry:

[vauxhall corsa]

Nissan Micra must be one of the worst cars ever made

[Mark in Oshawa]

The Panda and Micra are not meant to be stylish :p
Would it kill someone to design something small and stylish? The Fiat 500, the Beetle and Mini all had style of a sort.

These cars are just generic blobs really.

[Daniel]

Would it kill someone to design something small and stylish? The Fiat 500, the Beetle and Mini all had style of a sort.

These cars are just generic blobs really.
Fiat 500 costs quite a bit more than the Panda though. I'd happily buy a Panda. You can get one for £5300...... come on! That's a good deal whatever way you look at it.

[vauxhall corsa]

what year nissan micra is it.......
oh yea it dosen't matter which year micra it is they are all horrible

[Daniel]

what year nissan micra is it.......
oh yea it dosen't matter which year micra it is they are all horrible
You do talk a load of **** :D

[vauxhall corsa]

The fiat Punto is nice

[leopard]

Micra was produced for the VW beetle crash up against.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCtqSg5q1mM