The Mighty Micra
Vusi's rating
fter a short wrestling match with my buddy 'T', he relinquished his car keys. Being over the legal drink-driving limit, my rugger-bugger mate, who had a burly bouncer poised fashionably on his chest and two of his mates holding down each arm, became a docile and willing participant in the 'car key handover' process.
He 'allowed' me to pry his car keys out of his pocket, which were cushioned amidst a fine selection of condoms, still neatly housed in their shiny wrappers, that would have been of no use to him, given his inebriated state.
"Okay ... you drive," he said begrudgingly, still pinned to the ground. There are times when he is sensible beyond his 23 years. Within five minutes on the ride home, he was snoring up a storm.
Now that we've established how I laid my hands on a Micra 1.2 Visia Plus (sounds eerily like the offshoot of a South African political party), let's find out what makes this 'pocket rocket' tick.
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the Micra, if anyone would like to shoot the breeze with me, join the Vusi political party or simply air their tilted views, feel free to email me at [email protected]. If your letter has any merit, we'll print it. If it has no merit, we'll probably still print it. Let's get back to the Micra ... sheeez, talk about a lengthy digression.
The Micra 1.2 Visia Plus ticks many of the small car boxes as it is packed with premium features such as air conditioning, power steering, radio CD, airbags, front electric windows, comfortable seating and it also bears a very low maintenence index.
Being a 1200 cc engine, the Micra records very good consumptions in the combined urban and rural cycle. The four-door option is always the best bet and allows easy access for passengers. Don't be swayed to purchase the two-door option for its sportier look or you'll regret it when trying to get gran into the back seat.
The Micra is an excellent entry level purchase and pushes many of the relaibility buttons for young buyers entering the car market, as well as those buyers wanting to downscale to a more fuel-cient motor vehicle.
Motoring correspondent
Vusi Mulambo