Nissan Micra diesel Initial ownership Review

Micra Owership review Why a new car? We needed a car to do daily city service. We own an Alto since 2007 which was doing a fine duty, except the mileage part (15-16kmpl in city) plus being without power steering it was a pain to drive in cities bumper to bumper traffic. Thanks to the Government's constant petrol hike gave us enough reasons to upgrade to a diesel hatch, and I wanted a car my dad could drive easily and was equally easy to maintain. What Car? Thanks to fellow BHPians to help me choose this car. Details are available here. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchb...s-vw-polo.html Dealer experience It was just too good. No exaggerations no tall claims about their machine. He humbly excepted all the short comings with Micra (compared to VW Polo), namely 1. GC(153mm) 2. Paint quality 3. Service interval of 5k vs 15k of polo 4. Steering is too light for highway cruzing. It was his honesty that pulled me towards Micra. clap: Which variant? Micra comes in 2 variants the Diesel and Diesel premium (Base plus climate control, alloys and fog lamps). Price difference 50k. Fog lamps is something I don't need. Climate control is something I don't care, then 50 k for a set of 4 alloys wheels? Went for the base diesel finally. The Bargain No offers no bargains on a diesel car. But he agreed for Teflon, under body coat, mud flaps and mats. Which color? 6 color options- White, black, silver, orange, cherry red, and green. Orange and green were too loud and ruled out. White, black and silver were too dull to show the true curves of the car. Cherry red was the only option left The booking and delivery Cherry red diesel was available in stock, booked it immediately (22/10/11) and delivery was delayed till 24th Oct. (Dhanterus being an auspicious day to buy cars). The delivery process took less than 30 min. and was pretty smooth. Initial Driving experience The car is a breeze to drive in cities bumper to bumper traffic. Steering is ultra light. Small turn radius makes parking a child's play. Pick up can put a petrol car to shame. Turbo lag oh what's that? Gear shift is accurate and clutch is light (compared to Atlo and Estilo) Highway manners In one word- BAD. The brakes are inadequate, Steering is too light for highway cruzing. Absence of ABS further decreases your confidence. Anything beyond 120 kmph is a strict no no. The space and comfort The front seats are quite supportive, have adequate space, no more elbowing with the co passenger. Rear bench can seat three average size adults comfortable. The Air conditioning Didn't get a chance to bake the car in sun and test it but with 4 on board it cooled the cabin in less than 2 mins. Real test will come in summers. The Ride quality The suspension is soft tuned. It irons out small potholes easily, but goes crazy over large ones. Over all ride quality is very good for city drive and well built highways. Average Kya Hai? The most important question and my prime reason for buying this car. In city I am getting a mileage of 19-20 kmpl and on highway if u kill the Narain Karthikeyan inside you and don't speed over 80kmph the mileage turns out to be 33kmpl. Yes! You read it right 33kmpl. I have tested it thrice on a stretch of 50 kms and every time it was b/w 32.4 to 33.7 kmpl. The sale executive told me he is getting a FE of 26 kmpl on a mixed drive and I thought he was joking. Accessorizing (Reliance Autozone, Gurgaon) 1. Sunfilms. I have installed Vkool basic for side and rear films and Llumar for front windscreen ( Rs 11.5 k) 2. Alloys and tires: Neo alloys and Michelin tires 175-65-R-14 Set of 4 (Rs 23k) with exchange 3. Hella Horn: Rs 1200 4. Steering Cover: Rs 550 5. Parking sensors: RS brand Rs 1500( 50 % off ) 6. Gear shift lock Rs 1100 yet to be installed, plate was not available Service experience Took my car for its first service at 1000km. It is actually a general check up and washing. Service centre is 40 kms from my place. I didnt book in advance and reached the there at 11 am( and wondering if I am later. Maruti and Tata refuse after 10.30 am). And then comes the shocker. Mine was the only car that came for service that day. On enquiring I was told on a lucky day they get max of 5-6 cars. The on road Service :thumbs up Nissan has a tie up with TVS for road side assistance. I had an (unfortunate) chance to avail it. On my way back from Gurgaon I noticed some abnormal noise from the engine. It was 8 pm and I was to drive another 120 km on NH2. Worried I called up Nissans ORS no. The TVS guy reached me in 15 mins. The culprit was the loose engine cover, the guy who installed the horn had forgotten to tighten it. This TVS guy is Nissan trained and can do road side repairs, and was carrying extra new battery, suspension parts tyres and even 10 liters fuel. It's not just towing service that they provide. I was told they even take care of food and boarding needs if required. Great going Nissan. I got 2 calls within 30 mins to confirm if repairs have been done to my satisfaction and the car is running fine after repairs. The GC Issue The stated GC of the car is 153 mm. I was bit worried about this but till date I have scrapped not even a single bumper What is missing Highway manners (or ill manners), Absence of USB and Steering mounted controls, absence of passenger airbag, absence of storage pockets in rear doors. No head/ neck rest for rear passengers. Attached Thumbnails

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