While poor old Bags is in the shop having his suspension rebuilt (he went in on Wednesday morning and I should get him back tomorrow night) I have one of these* friendly little motors to bumble about in. It's not really my sort of thing, the styling's a bit on the cutesy side for me for one thing but I've been pretty impressed with it all the same.
Driving a little one litre again is inevitably quite a culture shock: 64bhp is a good deal less oomph than I've grown used to (in all fairness, Bags is no super car, just a more-than-usually-powerful three-door hatch.) but that said the Micra's pretty peppy, especially round town, and it's certainly a good deal perkier than my old Panda which had the same size engine in a much lighter body. I suppose engine design has come a long way in 20-odd years.
One thing it has made me very aware of is just how far out of town I really live - this car is perfectly capable and (traffic and hills notwithstanding) bombs along the A70 at a respectable pace... but it isn't fun to drive. It's not that it's unpleasant, far from it, it's very inoffensive... and inoffensive is no fun. I miss my car's growl and the way it leaps gleefully 'round other cars whenever I ask it to... it seems that a big part of my not minding the commute has to do with my car, I don't think I'd appreciated just how much until now: driving home tonight was the first time in three years that it actually felt like a long way.
All in all though you'd have to be a pretty hard hearted not to like the Micra, it does everything you might reasonably ask of a car and is cute and reassuringly simple to drive to boot. While I can't wait to get Bags back, this friendly little four wheeled helper is at least making his extended convalescence less of a pain.
*My almost brother-in-law calls them "the ugliest car ever built" but personally Steve, I think you're wrong. The Micra isn't the ugliest car ever - this is. [shudder]
No comments:
Post a Comment