Nissan Micra 160SR - The Verdict

The Nissan Micra is primarily popular because of its fuel efficiency. So will a sporty, less economical version be a hit? David Wilkins and a team of readers from the North-east give their verdict

Garry Charlton tests the Nissan Micra

Price: £9,995
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol
Performance: 0-62 mph in 9.8 seconds, 42.8 mpg
CO2: 158g/km
Worth considering: Citroën C2 1.6i VTS, Ford Fiesta 1.6 Style, Peugeot 206 1.6 Sport

This week, it's the turn of our readers in the Northeast to give their verdict on one of our test cars.

There are two reasons why I decided to take the Nissan Micra to this particular corner of the country. The first is that that is where the Micra comes from. Coals to Newcastle perhaps, although Nissan's factory is actually closer to Sunderland than its black-and-white striped neighbour to the north. Southerners conflate these two proud cities at their peril.

Another reason for taking the Micra to Tyneside was that, while this latest generation of Nissan's small car has been out for some time, its styling is still fresh and funky - its headlamps are halfway up its bonnet for heaven's sake. Why is that important?

Well the way Newcastle is going, you wouldn't want to let the side down by parking anything too shabby in front of one of those trendy new landmark buildings that have sprung up there. It's not as though the Geordie police have actually set up roadblocks on the A1(M) to turn back Daewoos and the like - it's more just a question of good manners, really. But I'm sure that any Novocastrian constable of cool would be happy to wave the Micra through.

And this isn't just any Micra - it's the sportiest model, the 160SR. Admittedly it's not quite as sporty as I or our reader-testers originally thought; like me, two of them jumped to the reasonable conclusion that a car called "160SR" (SR stands for Street Racer) must have 160 horsepower.

The truth is less exciting; 160 denotes its 1,600cc. The engine produces a "mere" 110bhp, which is still a lot for a small car - and the money.

So what's it like? Nippy, pleasant and easy to drive quickly. But I'm not sure what the point of a sporty Nissan Micra is. If you download the Micra "e-brochure" from Nissan's website, the performance section only contains data for fuel consumption ("Frugality never felt so good") and CO2 emissions, and, to be fair, those are probably the dimensions of performance that most Micra buyers care about.

You will search in vain for information on 0-60 times or top speeds. And the longer you spend with the 160SR, the more you realise that the important thing about it is not its smart bodywork or sporty engine; it's the fact that it's a Micra.

That means the sort of reliability and low costs that make Micra owners some of the most loyal there are. As Bill Clinton might have put it if he'd been a Nissan salesman, it's not the styling or the horsepower - it's the economy, stupid.

Garry Charlton, 32, IT developer from Newcastle
USUAL CAR: MAZDA 3 SPORT

Overall, I was quite impressed with the car. From the inside, the engine noise sounded good, providing a feeling of being quite sporty. On the motorway, cruising at 70 felt comfortable. Around town and at lower speeds it was also very able. The smooth gearbox helped here, as well as what felt like variable power-assisted steering. The suspension was a little stiff, sometimes providing a rougher ride on some road surfaces. The instrument panel was at first quite confusing as there seemed to be lots of digital displays all grouped together in the centre. Not quite sure what market the car is aimed at - after all it's just a slightly quicker Micra.

John Sutcliffe, 28, broker consultant from Newcastle
USUAL CAR: SAAB 9-3

The car looked pretty good for what I would normally class as an "uncool " supermini reserved for the more mature driving market. Sitting in the car, the first thing I noticed was the sporty interior and the very comfortable seats. However, the cream dials on the heating controls looked like they had been removed from a retro kitchen appliance. On a morning where heavy rain hit our test route, it was obviously important that the windscreen wipers were activated. However, as simple as this sounds, Nissan have decided to make both stalks as complicated as possible. The engine was adequate, if not as punchy as I had hoped, but the cornering was excellent.

Simon Aldred, 40, accountant from Settlingstones, Northumberland
USUAL CAR: NISSAN X-TRAIL 2.2DCI SVE

The car looks the part with its spoilers and graphite alloys, but the extended bumpers look very vulnerable to scuffs and scrapes. My wide-ranging test route proved that the car was more driver-oriented than the standard Micra. The ride is firmer, with road imperfections more noticeable, although you feel more connected and in control. The engine is quite punchy, making overtaking easy, and the gear change is smooth. The car feels very well put together, there were no squeaks or rattles. My biggest complaint would be the lack of an off-clutch foot rest, though this car is not alone in this respect.

THE VERDICT: If you would like to take part, e-mail motoring@indepen dent.co.uk or write to: The Verdict, Features Department, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, giving your address, phone number and details of the car, if any, you drive. For most cars, participants must be over 26 and have a clean licence.