[venukrithish]

This thread might be a bit long and it's going to be my first proper ownership review, so please overlook mistakes if any.

Childhood:
I have always had a fascination for mechanicals be it cars, bikes, engines, aircrafts or anything for that matter. I had been driving scooters since a very young age. My dad had a Chetak in the 2000s and that's my first memory of a personal transport. I always admired the way the clutch was on the left handle and rear brake on the right foot. It was very unique as I had seen only Honda scooters on the road and their operation was very straight forward without a clutch. I always wanted to drive the Chetak but my dad sold it before I was tall enough. Anyways, he got a used kinetic honda when I was in grade 8. I had been cycling for years and driving an automatic scooter came very naturally to me. That was my first experience of freedom of transport, the ability to have a personal vehicle that can take you anywhere. I loved the Kinetic as it was so easy to use. You had storage underneath and controls were simple. I was always ready to buy something from the store that my mom needed if I got to take the Honda. Soon my dad sold the scooter and got a used 2000 Maruti 800. This gave my first experience of observing a car and how it works. I used to always watch my dad on how he drives and how he controls the vehicle. It was very fascinating how this tiny car was capable of transporting us, a family of 4, anywhere we intended.

Adolescence:
I had left my hometown Ooty in 2014 to pursue my bachelor's. I used to come home every month and in 2015 I started to learn to drive. My dad with his vast experience was my teacher. Before this I was allowed to only control the steering of my maternal Grandpa's Omni from the passenger seat . This was very useful as I lived in a hilly region and we had to tackle a lot of winding roads. The steering input had to be precise so I'm grateful for the time my grandpa helped me. So coming back, my dad started teaching me and he was a lenient teacher but his exercises were very difficult. He had a keen eye and point out quickly if I had veered out of line or if my shifting was not upto standards. I also had an exercise where I had to reverse for about a kilometer on an empty stretch of road. I remember how painful my neck used to get. The 800 was a breeze to drive. Gear shifts were smooth, it felt quick and direction changes were easy. My dad also took me to some inclines and my goal was to climb without rolling back. This was the most difficult one and it took some time to learn it. Finally in 2017, I got my license. My dad used to let me drive occasionally but I was still nervous as I didn't have a lot hours driving in traffic.

Adulthood:
I finished my graduation and moved to Chennai for my first job in 2018. As soon as I got my first job, I wanted to buy a bike and finally get my own vehicle but I had to be realistic and put my desires away for a few years. Come 2021, I got my first bike, the apache 200 4v. I will pen the ownership for that bike some day. I bought it brand new and so far it's been a blast to own. It also set the bar for performance as the apache was a hoot to drive in the city.

Why a Car?
It had been a few years since I acquired my license and I haven't got the chance to drive cars that much. I drive the 800 once every few months whenever I go home and I could see how out of touch I was. I couldn't drive smooth as my dad and I knew I was now scared of driving in traffic.
Finally I decided I'll need a car of my own for 2 simple reasons.
1. To learn to drive in traffic and develop my driving skills.
2. To learn more about cars through ownership (as I learnt a lot about bikes and maintenance through ownership).
I never intended to buy a car for the freedom it offered or the joy of driving. They were all perks that I later enjoyed and I'm really happy that I decided to get a car.

Requirements:
1. It had to be under 2.5L and a manual.
2. It had to be manageable in traffic.
3. It should offer a comfortable driving position with a dead pedal or empty space to stretch my left leg.
4. It should be drivable. I wanted something responsive. Engine was a high priority.
5. Spares should be easily available and should be maintenance friendly.
6. I was ok with 2nd or 3rd owner as well. Outlook and colour also didn't matter much as I would be buying an old car. My main priority was to get a car that was genuine and not a lemon.

Options considered:
I started out on olx and marketplace to look for options. I watched couple of YouTube videos and read a lot of team bhp threads to get an idea of how to buy a pre-owned car. I started looking at options under 3L with the plan to negotiate to 2.5 range. Later on I decided it would be wise to set aside some money for initial service and any surprises I might get during the ownership. The plan was simple. Check out used cars on the weekends and test drive them to see which ones I liked.

Fiat Linea:
Amazing build. The doors and bonnet felt so solid. Beautiful flowing lines. Rejected as the length of the car was overwhelming as a first time buyer.

Fiat Punto:
I checked out the Punto as it was a hatchback. But I had the same weird driving position issue as the Linea. I liked the 75ps mjd. I could see there was some lag but I thought it was decent performance. I was more impressed with ride manners. The car felt solid when driven on bad roads. The steering was best I had driven. I liked the thumb contours. Punto was shortlisted.

Ford Fiesta:
I simple loved how this car looks and was searching for a 1.6S for a very long time. I couldn't find any in Chennai and decided to look for a regular 1.6 sxi. I liked how the car felt to drive. Solid steering feedback. As good as the Punto if not better. I didn't shortlist it as I thought it would be better to go for a hatch eventually.

Ford Figo:
Naturally, I saw the Figo after the Fiesta and loved it. This was the pre facelift Figo and imo was not that much of a looker. I drove the 1.4 tdci in the Figo and I was mighty impressed. Little to no lag in lower rpms, excellent handling and very spacious compared to a Punto. I was getting a well maintained zxi one for well below 2.5 and this was the favourite.

Honda Brio:
It was close to 3L but decided to check it out anyways. The 1.2 in the Brio felt lively. Good performance and very rev happy. Didn't like the handling much and rejected due to the boot space.

Maruti Swift/Ritz:
I was keen on getting a 1.3 mjd and was after the swift initially. I couldnt find any well maintained options under 3L as swift had good resale. I checked out the Ritz and unlike many people I liked the quirky look of the Ritz. It was practical, spacious and the 1.3 was great to drive. Rejected because it was boring.

Datsun Redi go:
Rejected as the engine was puny.

I10:
Puny engine.

Beat:
Didn't get a chance to drive it. But I didn't want a 3 cyl version of the mjd.

Vento/Polo/Fabia/Jetta/Rapid:
Rejected all VW group cars due to their reputation for not being maintenance friendly. I do love the polo though.

Alto K10:
Felt barebones. But what a performer. It revved like crazy and was so fun. I was seriously considering it but Figo was still unbeatable.

Duster:
Didn't fit my purpose but just wanted to check it out. Amazing drivability and suspension.

Honda City:
The 3rd gen was a gem but was slightly over my budget and by that point I stopped looking for sedans but this car needs to be mentioned specifically for the rev happy engine and handling characteristics.

Micra/Pulse:
The k9k was on many others cars as well. Logan was known to be a proven car in the taxi market. I searched for Micra's or Pulse's as I was keen on driving the k9k. I came across a Green Nissan Micra and I loved the roundness look of the Micra. The colour was also unique but the outlook was very average. I drove it and instantly this was the best in terms of drivability. There was almost no lag in lower rpms. It was as good if not better than the Figo's 1.4. The steering was strictly average but was super light in City conditions. It was comfortable and we'll spaced pedals.

Decision making:
After much thought and discussions with my father and some mechanics, the Figo was rejected. Mainly because my dad had forbidden me from buying a pre-facelift Figo or Fiesta after feedback from some of his mechanic friends. The injector failures were well known and I dropped the Figo with a heavy heart. Punto was dropped because I hated the driving position. No proper dead pedal and no matter how I adjusted, the steering was too close always. K10 was a serious contender but I liked the Micra Diesel better. I finalised on the Micra because of its lovely engine and it's practicality.

Buying process:
I took a mechanic with me to double check and mechanic gave a big thumps up. He urged to buy it as these days well maintained diesels are a rarity. He did miss a few things like checking coolant level(I found some rust later and got it flushed) and not noticing boost pressure sensor was broken (I learnt about these issues through ownership). The other aspects such as steering, suspension, ac, etc was good and I decided to purchase it. I went to nearest Nissan showroom and got the service history of the car. The car had run 1.16L up till that point. I was ok with a high mileage car as I know these engines easily last upwards of 3L+ kms. There was clutch work done at 70k, suspension at 80k. The oil and coolant had mixed due and there was major work done related to it at 90k. There were service records upto 95k and this was good enough for me. Tires needed replacing and outlook was decent at best. Lots of scratches and minor dents. Paint match was horrible. I could see 3-4 panels with different Greens. One major dent on right rear fender as well. I thought I'd repaint if I wanted to own it beyond 2026 when FC will be up for renewal. Besides, I assumed I was going to drive in Chennai and scratches will be inevitable, so better learn properly and then paint it if needed. One interesting observation from service records was that Nissan service was very costly. They used 0w40 oil which itself was 4.5k every time they swapped it. The oil capacity was 4.55L for k9k.

I negotiated the price down to 2.1L(I was going to be the 3rd owner) and I thought this was wise as I can use remaining money for sevice and other consumables. I paid the money and in a few days I took delivery of my first car in Aug 23. It was a monumental moment for me.

About the Car/Engine:

The Micra was a cute looking car and I loved the quirky looks and this Spring Green colour was unique. The diesel variant was launched in 2010 and you could get it only in XV and XV premium options. Mine was a 2011 XV. The engine is an absolute gem. A proper old school 4 cycl, 8V, Sohc setup. The 1.5L k9k was offered in 3 tunes. The micra had the lower 65ps/160nm tune without an intercooler. The scala/sunny had the 85ps one. The duster/terrano had an optional 110 ps option but they were notorious for injector issues. The micra is excellent to drive. The turbo kicks in very early and the peak torque is at 2k rpm. It idles at 800-850 rpm and press down on the throttle and you're immediately met with response and there are some moments which will push you back to your seat. It pulls cleanly up till 3.5k rpm and beyond 4k there is nothing much.

Keeping it between 1.5k in City conditions is great in terms of drivability and efficiency. For spirited rides, keeping it between 2-3k rpm will work wonders. The shifts are smooth, precise and buttery. The steering is so light in City conditions and good when doing speeds below 100kph. The brakes are decent and lack abs so pressure to press pedal needs be carefully modulated. The car comes with 165/70 r14 tires. Very puny for the power it has but I didn't want to upgrade because of the rolling acceleration it offered. For city conditions this is good enough and overtakes are brisk. The AC is a chiller. It cools the cabin in a matter of few mins. There is no proper dead pedal per se but there is empty space to keep your left foot. The clutch is heavy and it's one of my main complaints but I've gotten used to it and my left leg has probably become stronger now. The feedback from Clutch is excellent. You know exactly at what moment the car will move and it's easy to modulate in hills as well. The rear seat offers decent space. The Micra is a Global model and it's designed smartly. The one that sold in India was the 3rd gen micra, k13. The k11 and k12 are proven cars globally and this was also one the factors in me finalising the micra. The tires are placed at the 4 corners and this maximises space. The boot is of decent capacity for a car of this size.

The ground clearance is low and it does scrape if 4 people are there. I have to take the bigger bumps sideways to avoid scraping the bottom. The suspension is good. Neutrally tuned if not slightly stuff. Need to slow down for huge potholes but also can do speeds upto 90. Post that it feels like a boat.

Pros:
1. Excellent engine offering amazing drivability. Addictive diesel torque. Reliable car.
2. Spacious and city friendly.
3. Decent handling with minimal body roll.
4. Fantastic AC.
5. Great efficiency. 17-18 in City and 24 in highways.
6. Feature loaded for its time. Keyless entry (not working in mine though, planning to get it fixed), electronically adjustable and foldable mirrors, adjustable headrest for all 4 passengers, seatbelt for 3rd passenger and rear wiper.

Cons:
1. Poor headlights. Nice design though.
2. Costly company service so better to source parts and do it via a local mechanic.
3. Not comfortable seats for long journeys.
4. No abs in diesel models to keep price competitive.
5. Only airbag for the driver.

Work done so far:
1. Changed rear tires to mrf zvts and front ones to Yoko earth 1.
2. Changed timing belt, water pump and ac velt. Timing case cover replaced. This needs to done for cars that have done 1L+.
3. Oil service with fuel filter replacement and gearbox oil replacement.
4. Boost pressure sensor replaced.
5. Gear lever replaced as it was worn out and sticky
6. Glow plugs and starter motor replaced as they were on their last legs.
7. Radiator cleaning with coolant flush as engine was overheating. Also changed radiator cap to weed out potential overheating again.

Planned stuff for future:
1. Repaint before 2026 as I plan to hold on to this car for the foreseeable future. If I buy a new car this can still serve as a beater.
2. Clutch needs replacing. There is still life but I like to do preventive maintenance.
3. Fix keyless entry. I have been using the keyfob to press the button to start the car everytime. This is a workaround provided by Nissan(so your car cab start even if battery in key fob is dead) but I didn't bother fixing it thus far.
4. Remap to 80ps+ tune. Might also need 15inch alloys with wider tires.
5. Replace left headlight unit as it has some minor cracks.

Lessons learnt/Regrets:
1. The Micra has taught me a lot about owning a car and the different aspects related to maintenance. I have learnt a lot about how stuff works.
2. Should find a trusted mechanic. Finding a skilled mechanic who can get the job done for decent labour wage is difficult.
3. Met with an accident where a biker rammed into my right fender. I had comprehensive insurance and I learnt how the claim process works and how money is deducted as per depreciation. Also learnt about CSR report which might be helpful during claim process.
4. Better to take a second mechanic's opinion while evaluating. The more issues you find, you can negotiate further. Be careful with who you take as well. Don't fall for people online. An evaluation for a used car shouldnt cost more than 1k.
5. Learnt a lot about driving in city which was my initial goal. Now I've gotten so good that no car intimidates me. I've driven many other cars since and my dad also recently picked up a new Brezza (practical option).
6. I have tried to pin my thoughts as much as possible. Forgive me if it was too excessive or not detailed enough. I leave you with some pictures of Greenie.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Doge]

Congratulations, I can't help but say that I love that colour! I have never seen that acid green micra, looks very youthful and fun.

[vijayols]

Had a XV premium diesel when it was first introduced. Is a hoot to drive. Amazing pick up and manoeuvrability. Superb mileage and turning radius is fantastic.

Only hiccup was the oil tank is low and had busted it twice especially on bad Bangalore roads.

Congrats on your buy. You would enjoy the ownership.

[anandavinash]

Congratulations venukrithish. I owned a Micra Petrol XV MT for almost 10 years in Mumbai and loved it as a city car. Very spacious and easy to drive. I imagine the Diesel is also very frugal in terms of fuel consumption. Safe driving.

[Civic_doc]

Congratulations on your new purchase ,the Micra was one of the Nice spacious cars at that time. Sourcing body Parts and service parts can be. An issue. The engine is a Gem. Wish you happy miles. The color is awesome

[fordday]

Colour, just because of that colour I can buy this. So attractive it looks in the pictures.

Wishing you happy ownership.

[Utopian]

Congrats on the colorful and cool-looking Micra. Even after all these years, it looks amazing. Kudos to you to keep it in such good shape.

[NavtejS]

Great thread! Can resonate with your feelings regarding k10 and Figo. I also picked up first gen figo last year and enjoying the ownership.

K9 engines are known for their reliability. Have seen logans with 5lac kms going strong. So unless govt. Regulation don't make any changes for BS4, we are good.

[heyanoop]

Congratulations! I’ve been owning the same 2011 diesel version for the past two years, and I agree—the engine is a gem! The car has been reliable and easy to maintain. The only major hiccup I faced was when the alternator failed, but I managed to source one from a scrapyard and get it fixed. Other than that, no significant issues so far, and it’s currently clocked at 1.30 lakh kilometers.

However, I’ve been dealing with one persistent issue regarding the auto-folding mirrors. If the mirrors are set to auto-fold, they sometimes get stuck halfway when the car starts. To get them to unfold smoothly, I either have to:

1. Disable and re-enable the auto-fold feature while the engine is running, or

2. Turn on the ignition without pressing the clutch (before starting the engine) to let them unfold properly.

Interestingly, a friend with a 2012 Pulse also experiences the same problem. Have you noticed this issue with your car as well?

[venukrithish]

Originally Posted by heyanoop

Congratulations! I’ve been owning the same 2011 diesel version for the past two years, and I agree—the engine is a gem! The car has been reliable and easy to maintain. The only major hiccup I faced was when the alternator failed, but I managed to source one from a scrapyard and get it fixed. Other than that, no significant issues so far, and it’s currently clocked at 1.30 lakh kilometers.

However, I’ve been dealing with one persistent issue regarding the auto-folding mirrors. If the mirrors are set to auto-fold, they sometimes get stuck halfway when the car starts. To get them to unfold smoothly, I either have to:

1. Disable and re-enable the auto-fold feature while the engine is running, or

2. Turn on the ignition without pressing the clutch (before starting the engine) to let them unfold properly.

Interestingly, a friend with a 2012 Pulse also experiences the same problem. Have you noticed this issue with your car as well?

Thanks for your compliment. Yes. I have had the auto fold issue as well. I keep it disabled always and open after turning on the engine. The motor being weak is probably a cause as well. I couldn't find these issues in the Micra thread so I think this happens with age.