• General 25.10.2011 No Comments

    The Nissan Pixo looks very much like the Suzuki Alto, and those looks go far further than skin deep; in fact for most intents and purposes the two cars are identical. There are a few superficial differences which help to differentiate between them, for instance the ‘faces’ of the cars are a little different, but they come from a shared Nissan and Suzuki design stable.

    The Pixo is 100% a town and city car. It is great for negotiating through the small gaps in city traffic and parking in the smallest of gaps, but it is rather challenged by long distance motorway driving. It is a little noisy, not all that comfortable, and there is not very much spare space for the luggage one you have four occupants, but that is not the point; the point is this car is cheap with the base price for a new model of just under £7,000.

    So what do you get for your money? The engine is a 1 litre petrol unit with 68 bhp (as in the Alto) and you can get from 0 to 62 mph in just a little less than quarter of a minute but if you are sufficiently patient it won’t be too long before you reach the maximum speed of 96 mph. This is not too bad for an engine with just three cylinders and if you opt for the manual gearbox rather that the automatic, then you can enjoy an average fuel economy of 64 mpg.

    The steering is light and ideal for nipping into the traffic and into that tiny car parking space. The shape of the car, which is completely blunt at the back, makes parking it very easy. The car is reasonably comfortable particularly for the driver and front seat passenger, though there is a decided lack of space in the rear.

    If you are looking for a cheap town and city car, then this might be your ideal choice. CO2 emissions are 103g/km which means that road tax is only £20 per year. The car insurance for younger drivers on this car is epically cheap.

    Nissan Pixo

    Nissan Pixo

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  • Uncategorized 13.10.2011 No Comments

    The Nissan Micra is now in its fourth generation and it continues to be popular amongst people who enjoy the economy and city driving ease of a small car. It is cheaper than its major rivals which are the Vauxhall Corsa and the Ford Fiesta but is it as good?

    When the new model was launched in 2010 there was only one engine available.
    This is a three cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine and it develops a fairly modest 79 bhp. There are two gear box choices: a continuously variable transmission automatic gearbox (CVT); and a five speed manual gearbox.

    As you might anticipate from the spec, this is no fast flyer. The 0 to 62 mph acceleration time is 13.7 seconds with the manual gearbox and, perhaps a little surprisingly, the CVT gearbox version takes 14.5 seconds. Top speed is around 100 mph if you are brave enough.

    A new engine was introduced earlier this year. This is a three cylinder 1.2-litre petrol powered direct injection supercharged petrol unit (DIGS) and it has turned out to be quite spritely. It develops 96 bhp, the acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph is reduced to just over 11 seconds, and the top speed is increased to 112 mph.

    The new Micra is great at doing what it was designed to do. It is a great city car, it is nippy, and it is easy to park. It is also very economical. As well as being the fastest engine, the DIGS is also the most economical as the fuel consumption is 68.9 mpg.