I've just bought a K11 Micra
Discussion
My Saab is temporarily FUBAR
and as I need a car for work a quick trawl of EBAY Motors and Autotrader revealed a P reg 1.0 Micra about 20 mins from my house.
For £350 I've got steelies, black bumpers, windy windows, manual locking and mirrors and un-assisted power steering. However, it has pretty much full service history, a years MOT, 4 nearly new tyres and is a mechanically sound car which starts on the button and is quiet on tick-over. The guy even threw in some spare parts and a jerry can.
The engine is quite revvy and is pretty nippy up to 50 mph. On the way back home it even managed to cope with a 70+ blast down the motorway.- I'm now deaf, though.
I know it's perhaps not the most PH of cars, but it's actually quite liberating having a car you don't give a st about and it's quite a laugh extracting all 54 bhp from that 998cc engine.
I'm genuinely surprised at how capable it is.

For £350 I've got steelies, black bumpers, windy windows, manual locking and mirrors and un-assisted power steering. However, it has pretty much full service history, a years MOT, 4 nearly new tyres and is a mechanically sound car which starts on the button and is quiet on tick-over. The guy even threw in some spare parts and a jerry can.

The engine is quite revvy and is pretty nippy up to 50 mph. On the way back home it even managed to cope with a 70+ blast down the motorway.- I'm now deaf, though.

I know it's perhaps not the most PH of cars, but it's actually quite liberating having a car you don't give a st about and it's quite a laugh extracting all 54 bhp from that 998cc engine.
I'm genuinely surprised at how capable it is.

Edited by jogger1976 on Friday 27th November 21:00
2 cars I miss the most and, since it's the season, they also happened to be the best winter cars I ever owned.
K11 Micra - blue limited edition called Ally, so very manly. Mine was proper posh, had power steering and a sunroof but that was about it.
It replaced my Ford KA. The KA handled a lot better but the Micra had a far better engine and was much more refined. Reliability of the Micra was on a different level completely, you just couldn't kill it. Went everywhere in that Micra and actually went hunting for the worst snow I could find and it went through all of it with ease, long before I was even aware of winter tyres.
K11 Micra - blue limited edition called Ally, so very manly. Mine was proper posh, had power steering and a sunroof but that was about it.
It replaced my Ford KA. The KA handled a lot better but the Micra had a far better engine and was much more refined. Reliability of the Micra was on a different level completely, you just couldn't kill it. Went everywhere in that Micra and actually went hunting for the worst snow I could find and it went through all of it with ease, long before I was even aware of winter tyres.
I know someone with an M reg K11 with close on 450K miles on the clock. He also has a 52 plate he bought as they were about to be discontinued and he wanted a new one for when the old one packed up. But as the old one never packed up, the new one is just given a bit of a run every couple of weeks.
Brilliant cars.
Brilliant cars.
I had one as a courtesy car once.
It was quite fun to throw around, although it under steered at the hint of a sharp turn.
I achieved an indicated 100mph on a private road and drove it as hard as possible for a couple of 100mile journeys across the country -I was knackered afterwards.
It was quite fun to throw around, although it under steered at the hint of a sharp turn.
I achieved an indicated 100mph on a private road and drove it as hard as possible for a couple of 100mile journeys across the country -I was knackered afterwards.
Sheepshanks said:
£350 seems really expensive - we just threw away a 52 reg one!
Yep - the OP was 'done', this is obvious - but he's happy so who cares.I'm currently 'driving like I stole it' a 2001 1.25L Ford Fiesta Ghia (lots of goodies usually found on bigger cars such as heated front screen, A/C, leccy windows, R/C locking, alloys etc) all for £100 with 13 months MOT. I absolutely love driving it - great little car.
Edited by DrDoofenshmirtz on Friday 27th November 22:40
Mephistofleas said:
Damnit this thread makes me want my 1.7 Puma back 
What is it about these revvy, nippy little cars?!?!?
Are we even real petrolheads
Mine was tidy as well - no arch rust!
What is it about these revvy, nippy little cars?!?!?
Are we even real petrolheads

http://i.imgur.com/pzNcOXI.jpg
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
Sheepshanks said:
£350 seems really expensive - we just threw away a 52 reg one!
Yep - the OP was 'done', this is obvious - but he's happy so who cares.I'm currently 'driving like I stole it' a 2001 1.25L Ford Fiesta Ghia (lots of goodies usually found on bigger cars such as heated front screen, A/C, leccy windows, R/C locking, alloys etc) all for £100 with 13 months MOT. I absolutely love driving it - great little car.
Edited by DrDoofenshmirtz on Friday 27th November 22:40
But time was short and needs must, and as you say, I'm happy with my little cockroach.

I had a couple of K11s when younger, a 1.0 poverty spec model and a 1.4 "Sport+". The latter was a silly title for it, but it was a fair bit quicker than the 1.0 but it didn't feel quite as indestructable as the 1.0. I drove that to the limiter every day and it just kept saying "is that all you have". The handling was pretty s
te though, as were the brakes, but it was ridiculously reliable and tough.
I also had the 1.7 Puma. The handling was great. I remember following my mate in his 328Ci that I would subsequently own and he would do me on the straights but I'd be right up his chuff again in the corners. Great little karts, glad I owned one. Mind I never felt the engine was quite as brilliant as some make out, I preferred the 1.8 in the Corsa SRI, it just had a nicer sound and felt a bit punchier. Though the throttle response was better on the Puma.

I also had the 1.7 Puma. The handling was great. I remember following my mate in his 328Ci that I would subsequently own and he would do me on the straights but I'd be right up his chuff again in the corners. Great little karts, glad I owned one. Mind I never felt the engine was quite as brilliant as some make out, I preferred the 1.8 in the Corsa SRI, it just had a nicer sound and felt a bit punchier. Though the throttle response was better on the Puma.
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