By Darragh May.
Driving in Ireland is not a cheap endeavour in 2026. Costs of maintenance, motor tax and the NCT haunting many young commuters’ pockets.
This is before we even get to the issue of insurance and buying a car, as used car costs have skyrocketed following the effects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Costs continue to rise and DCU’s commuter students are having to bear the additional financial load.
To combat these rising costs we need a car that is cheap to maintain, that is fuel efficient, a fair price second-hand, and cheap to insure, while also being enjoyable to drive.
Thankfully we already have this car; the K13 Micra from Nissan.
The K13 Micra is the fourth generation of Micra, hitting Irish roads in 2010. From the word go, affordability was a priority.
The car’s base XE model cost €14,195 brand new, with the top of the range SVE model only €16,995 with plenty of modern features, including auto headlamps and wipers.
These days, a used K13 Micra can be picked up anywhere between €3,000-€8,000, depending on if you get an older model from the first launch in 2010 or the 2016 final run.
Currently on used car websites such as DoneDeal and Adverts, you can find a good quality 2013-15 Micra for between €3,500-€5,500, which I believe is the perfect sweet spot of age and affordability.
Insurance always stings young drivers, but rest assured the Micra comes out ahead of the competition in that regard.
In my research and ownership of one of these cars, insurance quotes often came back hundreds of euros cheaper than an equivalent VW Golf, VW Polo or Ford Fiesta.
However, in regards to insurance it is always important to shop around and see what car gets you the lowest quotes before committing to any purchase, as quotes differ from driver to driver.
Inside the Micra, Nissan gave it a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated engine, but don’t let the small engine fool you. The car still packs a surprising amount of speed, due to it only weighing approximately 1,000kg (model dependent).
The K13 Micra can cruise at 120kph meaning it can handle Ireland’s fastest roads with surprising comfort. This light weight combined with the aerodynamic and quite stylish body of the Micra leads to an incredible level of fuel efficiency.
The car comes in both manual and automatic, although some reports state the automatic version has slightly worse fuel efficiency when tested against a good manual driver.
In my testing of the car I drove from Dublin 15 to Cork starting with a full tank, while pushing the car quite hard. By the time I had reached Cork City I had over half a tank of petrol left.
The steering is nothing to write home about. It feels responsive but compared to some of its more expensive competitors, it lacks the road feel a true petrolhead might enjoy.
The suspension is quite soft, squishy even. Taking speedbumps and small bumps in the road with ease making it a comfortable ride.
However, this soft suspension can make the car feel uncomfortable making sharp corners or on windy days. You can really feel the car move and shift, which doesn’t inspire confidence in sharp and fast manoeuvres.
Another issue I found with this model is noise in the cabin. When driving on a motorway or other noisy environments, a lot of the noise can make it into the cabin due to a lack of sound insulation.
This can be mitigated very easily by listening to the radio or CD player. It’s important to note that the car does not come standard with bluetooth for music, just for phone calls.
The car comes in many different colours, which is a welcome feature as modern cars tend to lack options in this regard.
It only comes as a four door model making it ideal for driving you and a few friends to those 9am lectures.
The boot may not seem big when compared to a modern SUV or a bigger modern hatchback, but it can comfortably fit multiple bags, suitcases, or even a weekly shop.
In my experience I have found the K13 both tall driver and tall passenger friendly, with more room than other cars in a similar category, such as the VW Golf, Toyota Yaris, and standard Mini cooper.
Being a Nissan, you can expect good reliability from all its components.
This cannot be said for the interior unfortunately, as the car’s budget price did not allow for a premium interior trim. This can be seen most notably with the lack of electric rear windows, and abundant use of cheaper plastics and fabric.
With all this being said, the overall driving and ownership experience of the K13 generation of Nissan Micra has been an absolute pleasure.
The car gives an enjoyable driving experience paired with the reliability and cost efficiency needed for a new or younger driver looking to commute to and from lectures and have a pleasant experience doing so.