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Old 21st June 2011, 16:44   #1
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Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married couple

Dear Friends,

I have primarily driven only petrol cars till now, my daily drive is a Baleno. Recently there has been a compelling need to go for a diesel car, I travel once or twice out of station to my in-laws place (Chennai - Blore) every month, so this equates to a monthly running of atleast 1500/- kms per month.

Regarding Diesel:
I test drove the Ford figo & Nissan Micra diesel yesterday. I primarly liked the eagerness of the underlying micra engine in terms of power delivery, listing few likes & dislikes

Figo:
Likes
1.) Fun to drive hatch
2.) Fully loaded with ABS and Airbags
Dislikes
1.) Bland looks
2.) Too common on Chennai roads
3.) Turbo-lag when compared to the Nissan DCi
4.) Found the ride quality to be harsh on bad roads.
5.) Too many rattles on the test drive car.

Micra:
Likes
1.) Cute looking car (wife liked it) & not too common on Chennai roads
2.) Good ride quality.
3.) No turbo lag, can be driven like a petrol.
4.) Premium feel, Good interiors when compared to figo.
5.) Good cabin insulation under normal accelration.

Dislikes
1.) EPS, I can live with it.
2.) Only D-airbags, no ABS & P-Airbags. :-(
3.) Only one service centre in Chennai

My Budget:
6.5-7 Lakhs

Now the big question is which car should I go for? Please help me select one between figo and micra, do not recommend other vehicles.

1.) How expensive would be micra to maintain? Meanwhile I have asked for spare parts list, need to visit their showroom to get the details?
2.) Resale value of micra & figo after 3 years?
3.) Assuming I booked a micra, Am I taking the risk of having an air bag only on the driver side, I am trying to understand the implication to both driver and front passenger in the case of impact?
4.) Which would give maximum bang for buck after installing petes box?

From the Petes India site, I will present you the power and torque figures:
Car OE Power Pete's Power OE Torque Pete's Torque
FORD Ikon 1.4 Tdci
68 83 160 190

MAHINDRA Logan
65 87 160 207
Note - Logan Dci engine used on the micra.



Rgds,
Vinod

Last edited by Mr_Bean : 21st June 2011 at 16:47.
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Old 21st June 2011, 18:20   #2
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

The Figo & Micra, both, work excellent as a city hatchback. Can't go wrong with either. That said, my vote goes to the Figo. The price, clean looks, ride, handling & ABS / Airbags are deal clinchers to me.

Looks: Figo is an old design, while the Micra is modern. However, the Micra's cute looks don't appeal to me at all (very feminine). I prefer the Figo's clean styling.

Interior Quality: Micra all the way. The plastics & parts are of far better quality. Even the dash design et al is more appealing in the Micra.

Space: Both are more or less the same. Figo's back seat offers better thigh support than the short one in the Micra.

Engine: Neither is high on power; both have mild turbos which result in excellent driveability. Micra has an edge in outright driveability, but no one will complain of lag in the Figo either. Neither is a highway scorcher and offer very average performance. In comparison, a car like the Swift has significantly more lag, but better outright performance too.

Ride & Handling: Figo has amongst the most balanced ride & handling. Micra's ride is okay, but handling isn't. Figo's high speed stability is better too.

Equipment: You get Airbags & ABS with the Figo, which aren't even an option with the more expensive Micra diesel. Micra does have some feel-good stuff in the smart key (pure keyless entry & go).

Reliability: Figo's built to strict costs and niggles are already being reported. Nissans are known for their excellent reliability. The Micra does feel, overall, to have better quality too.

Last edited by GTO : 21st June 2011 at 18:22.
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Old 21st June 2011, 18:29   #3
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

i would recommend the micra after having driven both i would put the money on it as its a better overall package BTW which variant you are planning to go for
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Old 21st June 2011, 20:39   #4
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

I would suggest to opt for Figo, its a true VFM car. Agreed that niggles are already reported but does not in any way demean the build quality of Figo. Also with the service network of Ford much better than Nissan, Figo is a better alternative.

Have you thought of Polo diesel?
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Old 21st June 2011, 21:24   #5
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

My vote for the Figo too!! As already pointed out, Figo provides the best bang for the buck and also does not have service hassles in terms of the number of service centers at least. The child spare parts concept where you replace a considerably cheaper child part than an expensive full assembly is a nice one in helping reduce the maintenance costs. Vote goes in favor of Figo.

And dont worry about the Pete's box. There are many more diesel specialists now in B'lore and you can get your car worked upon by any of them (TDI Racing, EngineCAL etc) and they are guaranteed to provide a good VFM deal.
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Old 21st June 2011, 21:30   #6
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

IMO, Figo TDCI is the VFM car in this segment. Backed by the service network, which is still a suspect in case of Nissan, Figo is a better bet in comparison to Micra.

Cheers!
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Old 21st June 2011, 23:32   #7
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

My wife and I looked at the Micra some months ago before we decided to buy Figo (and she almost changed to Logan) -

We are relatively newly married couple who became parents recently - need was for a comfortable (both space and suspension) spacious ride. I always planned to do hyderabad-mysore once I got better at driving (probably weekend after next will be the first). So I guess my requirements were very similar to yours.

This is why we chose Figo:
  1. Space: though it may appear Micra and Figo have similar space, that is not so. Boot space is largest of all hatches in Figo (very important to carry baby stuff). Also the seats are deeper - sitting for hours wouldn't hurt make you feel as if you are in an airplane economy seat. And it was wider
  2. Service network if you ever plan to do a long drive, it is better to have as wide spread a service network as possible - who knows when you might need help from the nearest workshop
  3. ABS: I don't care much for airbags (dangerous to the driver, dangerous to pregnant women and babies, very-dangerous if you are not wearing seatbelts, useless if you are wearing seatbelts) but ABS is one thing I would rather not overlook. If you are planning to do high-speed highway driving you better get this.
  4. Handling: strictly based on reviews we didn't TD - we wanted good handling (again, long highway travel)
Why it was a (slightly) hard decision:
  1. Micra looked cute to my wife - I don't care either way, though novelty could have been there.
      1. But then like in case of blood-group, it pays sometimes to be part of the majority.
  2. Nissan is Nissan and Ford is Ford (though it isn't clear whether that means anything in India)
  3. Micra uses Logan's diesel - I had already heard so much about it from Meru drivers and seen several odometers with 3L+ (and two with almost 5L). GTO's review also added the zero tubo-lag part. But after the Figo test-drive we chucked the idea.



We didn't look at resale value (plan to keep the car till it dies) - but if you do then a more popular car = better resale value.

Last edited by vina : 21st June 2011 at 23:38.
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Old 22nd June 2011, 21:33   #8
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Figo no doubt in comparison to the Micra. Figo is the better driver's car and you drive a lot.
While the outright performance in the Figo is not that good, i have consistently done 140+ km(chennai-tvm) over long periods of time with minimal fatigue and no discomfort for the passengers. The ride/handling at high speeds is the best. It does get loud at high speeds but with the glasses rolled up it is manageable.

Why don't you wait for the new swift?

Last edited by vishnurp99 : 22nd June 2011 at 21:35.
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Old 22nd June 2011, 23:35   #9
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Micra feels more premium than the Figo for sure and should have great reliability.

The downside is the lack of support in the rear seats (not sure if it is of much relevance in your case) and lack of ABS and passenger airbag. If Micra has ABS and airbags, I would have recommended it whole-heartedly.
But in the current scenario, I would recommend the Figo thought I don't like the outdated styling and interior quality (but safety is more important than anything else, isn't it?).All said and done, Figo is the best VFM hatchback, particularly the diesel.
Did you consider the Punto? I know issues are there and the A.S.S. is not good but might want to check out.
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Old 22nd June 2011, 23:56   #10
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Bean View Post
Please help me select one between figo and micra, do not recommend other vehicles.
But why?
There are many more compelling choices given your budget. You will be doing a disservice to your hard earned cash if you do not give a good look to Ritz, Swift D, Polo or Punto. In case you already have had a look at them then i rest my case.

That said I will go for Figo.
Its a proven car and Ford has a better dealership network compared to Nissan.
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Old 23rd June 2011, 03:49   #11
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Nissan joining hands with Renault plans to widen their service network across India. Also there are possibilities for Micra to be equiped with a modern & well tuned diesel power-plant (not to forget 'more clean') in future (not near future)

Present Micra dCI has a well proven engine and I do agree that the looks are subjective, I would suggest you to go for it. Since it is not a CKD car, spare parts are not so expensive.

I'm not against Figo, she is a hot cake in market today. But Micra is Micra. I bet the build quality is far better than Figo.

PS : Guys, hope you know my profession, I could not reveal more on New Micra presently, sorry for that.
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Old 23rd June 2011, 13:20   #12
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Boss View Post
Nissan joining hands with Renault plans to widen their service network across India. Also there are possibilities for Micra to be equiped with a modern & well tuned diesel power-plant (not to forget 'more clean') in future (not near future)
...

in the above "their" refers to Renault or Nissan?
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Old 23rd June 2011, 15:28   #13
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Bean View Post
Now the big question is which car should I go for? Please help me select one between figo and micra, do not recommend other vehicles.
Dang, there goes my opportunity to recommend the Punto. Oh wait, I just did
Of the two you mention, I would go for the Figo. Reasons:
- Passenger airbag available
- Better *** reach/ availability
- As you may not use the rear seat, lack of power windows may not matter much to you

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Boss View Post
Present Micra dCI has a well proven engine and I do agree that the looks are subjective, I would suggest you to go for it. Since it is not a CKD car, spare parts are not so expensive.

PS : Guys, hope you know my profession, I could not reveal more on New Micra presently, sorry for that.
Why dont they offer both airbags on the Micra diesel top end? At that price, it should be affordable to do that. Or is it a design limitation?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vina View Post
in the above "their" refers to Renault or Nissan?
Obviously Nissan. AFAIK Renault did not have any *** of their own in India. The Logan was with Mahindra, and I hope Renault dont shock us by going worse than them! I have heard some absolute stunners about Mahindra ***, made me think Tata is the holy grail.
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Old 23rd June 2011, 16:07   #14
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

Quote:
Originally Posted by vina View Post
My wife and I looked at the Micra some months ago before we decided to buy Figo (and she almost changed to Logan) -

We are relatively newly married couple who became parents recently - need was for a comfortable (both space and suspension) spacious ride. I always planned to do hyderabad-mysore once I got better at driving (probably weekend after next will be the first). So I guess my requirements were very similar to yours.

This is why we chose Figo:
  1. Space: though it may appear Micra and Figo have similar space, that is not so. Boot space is largest of all hatches in Figo (very important to carry baby stuff). Also the seats are deeper - sitting for hours wouldn't hurt make you feel as if you are in an airplane economy seat. And it was wider
  2. Service network if you ever plan to do a long drive, it is better to have as wide spread a service network as possible - who knows when you might need help from the nearest workshop
  3. ABS: I don't care much for airbags (dangerous to the driver, dangerous to pregnant women and babies, very-dangerous if you are not wearing seatbelts, useless if you are wearing seatbelts) but ABS is one thing I would rather not overlook. If you are planning to do high-speed highway driving you better get this.
  4. Handling: strictly based on reviews we didn't TD - we wanted good handling (again, long highway travel)
Why it was a (slightly) hard decision:
  1. Micra looked cute to my wife - I don't care either way, though novelty could have been there.
      1. But then like in case of blood-group, it pays sometimes to be part of the majority.
  2. Nissan is Nissan and Ford is Ford (though it isn't clear whether that means anything in India)
  3. Micra uses Logan's diesel - I had already heard so much about it from Meru drivers and seen several odometers with 3L+ (and two with almost 5L). GTO's review also added the zero tubo-lag part. But after the Figo test-drive we chucked the idea.

We didn't look at resale value (plan to keep the car till it dies) - but if you do then a more popular car = better resale value.
Apologies for being . I have never seen how an airbag operates, therefore I have following questions:

1. Do airbags release to face or body on impact? During impact the seating position may get affected right? In case the driver is having spectacles and the bags release to face, will it not be dangerous to eyes? I understand the risk of windshield breakage and risk of glass pieces to face and eyes, but this question is only with respect to risk to a spectacled person due to release of airbag.


2. Iam under the impression that ABS+EBD and airbags is a lifesaving combo and reduces the fatality by a considerable percentage. Am i missing something in situations pointed out above( children, situations where belts are not worn, etc )

My mind is valuating price difference of swift vxi + ABS and swift zxi.
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Old 23rd June 2011, 18:07   #15
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Re: Nissan Micra DCi Premium (or) Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for a recently married co

I would recommend the Micra. Whole heartedly. I have absolutely no issues in the last 11 months, not even minor rattles or squeaks on my Micra. The engine is smooth (in my case petrol engine, I haven't driven the diesel Micra), gearbox is refined and well , interiors are made of really good quality materials. Also, interior space is another big plus with the car. It is a practical city hatch.

The only niggle, which you have already mentioned is the EPS. Too light for my liking. It is a breeze to use in the city, but take it out on the highway, and at 120 kmph you have to really control it. Small bumps and undulations get magnified to a scary extent. Since most of your mileage will be in the city, an occasional highway run would not be a bother.

Last edited by W.A.G.7 : 23rd June 2011 at 18:09.
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