Nissan Micra Review

I really, really like the modern range of Nissans.  There's just something about the look of them that assures you that you're getting yourself a good reliable car.  And you are.  Nissan are famed for the reliability of their vehicles, value for money, and all the added little extras you can find inside the cabin.  But enough about Nissan, this is a review about one of their cars in particular.

The Micra.

Nissan totally revamped the Micra in 2003 so much so it really didn't resemble the old Micra in any way whatsover.  Which was a good thing as previous Micras were uninspired, ugly little things.  A joint program between European and Japanese designers delivered unto us one of the most cute, stylish and eye catching superminis of recent times.

This car has personality.  You really do feel like cuddling it at times.

The very curvy body shape does make it look like a long lost cousin of the new shape Volkswagen Beetle but there's a reason to why it's been designed this way,  for a supermini there's certainly alot of space inside the cabin for driver and passengers.  It's like Doctor Who's TARDIS, it looks bigger on the inside than it does on the outside,  most noticible being the incredible headroom due to the curved roof.

But it's the extra space in the cabin that also produces the one main flaw in the Micra; the boot size having suffered in providing the extra leg room in the cabin.  But for me this really wasn't a problem though it may be for some.
The Micra is a supermini, not an estate car, so personally I had no issues with the slightly smaller boot.  I could easily fit in a weekly family shop from the supermarket, large holdall bags etc. and when I needed that extra bit of space, the backseat has the option to slide forward another 8 inches.  And for the bigger items that you may need to transport, like most hatchbacks, the Micra's backseat can be folded over to a nearly flat position.

Driving the Micra is in general a joy.  The Micra I drove, the 1.2 s, certainly had some power under the bonnet for such a small car.  Acceleration was sharp and fast and you always sensed there was a little more horse power if you needed it, for example when overtaking.  Out of the many cars I've driven over the years the Micra has been by far and away the best for overtaking either from standstill or on motorways.  When you put your foot down to overtake you really do find yourself pushed back in your seat.  This car has some punch.

My one complaint about the engine, and to be honest it's really only a slight niggle, is the engine noise.  When motoring along a dual carriageway or motorway the engine can sound quite noisy and a little strained when doing high speeds of around 70mph or more.
However while driving in the urban environment the engine is as quiet as a mouse, you really don't hear it while ticking over at traffic lights.

Although quite competent at high speeds the Micra is basically a city car and easily one of the best in its class.  It's nippy and is incredibly easy to park with it's fantastic all round visibility and tiny turning circle which is the smallest of all the superminis currently on the market.  You find a space, the Micra will fit in it.  For me it really is the perfect city car.

The interior of the Micra is stylish and yet simple, and depending on the range you choose, has a nice selection of extras ranging from rear parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers down to free i-pods and holders.
The dash is easy to read and all the buttons and switches are where you'd expect them to be and easily accessible without having to take your eyes off the road for to long if not at all.

To sum up, the Micra is a nice little car and certainly worth considering if you're in the market for a supermini.  It's a cute, stylish car with the beating heart of a beast inside.

Pro's.

Powerful, responsive engine.

Excellent handling.

Very good all round visibility.

Easy to park.

Spacious interior.

Driver friendly.

Con's.

Noisy engine at very high speeds.

Quite a hard ride over long distances.

Can be buffeted by wind at high speeds.

Smallish boot.

Movie Review: Wanted (2008)

This is a film I have been meaning to watch since I first saw the trailer on TV.  I finally got to watch this film and I have to say, I was not disappointed.

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a normal average person working in an office cubicle as an account manager.  He keeps himself to himself and finds it hard to put a false ‘I love work’ smile on his face all day.  He despises his boss and hates the fact that his ‘best friend’ at work is never at his desk because he’s always at a ‘dental’ appointment…but Wesley knows he’s going over to his place to screw his girlfriend.  So, Wesley doesn’t have a great life.  A job he dislikes, a boss he hates and a best friend who is obviously messing around with his girlfriend.  It’s a about time Wesley experience a new lease of life.

One normal day, Wesley is in the pharmacy picking up his prescription anxiety tablets, when a mysterious, sexy woman (Angelina Jolie) starts to talk to him.  She explains to him very quickly that she knew his father, one of the greatest assassins in the world.  She then wastes no time in telling him that his father died on the roof of a building the day before and now the person who killed him, is now trying to kill Wesley.  Right there and then a shoot-out begins in the middle of the pharmacy.  It’s from this point on that the film really takes off and the action is non-stop.

I thought the acting in this film was brilliant.  I mean, on paper, it was always going to be good with Jolie, Freeman and McAvoy cast as the main three characters.  Once again Angelina Jolie is outstanding as an action woman and Morgan Freeman is brilliant as the wise and powerful one.  I hadn’t really seen any of James McAvoy’s recent movies, but after some research, I found out he was actually born in Scotland and has had his fair share of appearances on Channel 4’s hit series ‘Shameless’.  McAvoy’s performance in this film was phenomenal, he played the bored office worker brilliantly, but once he is introduced into the world of assassins he is excellent as a determined trainee, who really wants to kill the man who murdered his father.

What I thought was particularly great about this film is that there is actually a story behind all of the action.  I love action films as much as the next guy/girl, but lets be honest, most of them are just full of shooting scenes and great combat with no real reason or solid story to back it all up.  What ‘Wanted’ does is have a great story behind all of the curved bullets and super human healing, and a twist that really throws a spanner in the works and creates a great ending to what I would class as, an excellent modern action film.

The film is a little on the long side, it’s about two hours long, and admittedly it doesn’t pick up straight away, but give it twenty minutes and you’ll be loving it.  I really would recommend this film to action lovers of all kind.  It really is one not to be missed, and makes you realise just how boring your life is.

Cast
James McAvoy -as- Wesley Allan Gibson
Morgan Freeman -as- Sloan
Angelina Jolie -as- Fox
Thomas Kretschmann -as- Cross
Duration
110 minutes
Rating
UK-18
Release Date
UK – June 2008
Extra Information
The first half of this movie is loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar.