Confession time: I’ve struggled to get enormously excited about Nissan’s output in recent years. Don’t get me wrong – Nissan’s current line-up isn’t objectively bad, but it’s just that there’s nothing there that’s really floated my boat.
That may be about to change, however. Nissan has announced new versions of three of its best-known cars: the Micra, Juke and Leaf. The new Micra (pictured below, and based on the Renault 5) has a cool retro vibe, while concepts have shown that the Leaf is set to become a pert, bubble-shaped SUV for the masses. Details of the new Juke are scarcer, but expect a sleeker, more streamlined look than the current car. All three will be electric.
Plenty to get excited about, then. But with new models on the way, there are some really good deals to be had on the second-hand market. So have my misgivings been misplaced?
Let’s take the Leaf first off. The second-generation Leaf was a fairly uninspiring thing; Nissan had sat on its laurels a bit with this car, and consequently, the rest of the market had overtaken it.
If that sounds like it means the first-generation Leaf was a more interesting proposition, well, that’s about right. Here was a truly ground-breaking car: not a particularly pretty one, I’ll grant you, but it was the car that brought electric motoring to the family car market – and made it far more affordable than the much larger Tesla Model S.
Buying a first-generation Leaf these days isn’t going to be for everyone. The earliest 24kWh examples had a fairly underwhelming range even when they were new, and what with battery degradation, will be limited these days to short trips. What’s more, the first-generation Leaf used a different connector to most modern EVs (and therefore many newer charging points) – so charging up when you’re out and about can be tricky.
You’re probably thinking: “why on earth would you recommend one, then?” Well, good question. Here’s the thing: it isn’t a huge step up in price from those 24kWh cars to a 30kWh model – which should be capable of 100 miles between charges even on colder days.
That makes these Leafs pretty useful as second cars, ideal for driving in town or even for shorter hops further afield. And if that’s all you ever use them for, and you can charge your Leaf up at home, the two downsides are eliminated – leaving you to take advantage of the super low prices and, if you’re on an EV-friendly electricity tariff, super low running costs too.
£3,495 is enough to get you into a 30kWh Leaf with 80,000 miles, a service history and a long MOT, for sale at a dealer that’s rated five stars on CarGurus. That’s £1,757 below its market value, according to our IMV calculations – making this a stonking deal. And a far more cost-effective bet than the petrol alternatives if an urban runaround is what you need.
But if an electric Leaf won’t work for you, you might prefer your urban runaround to be petrol-powered. A Nissan Micra, for example. The previous-generation Micra was a bit of an also-ran when it was new, lacking the Gallic charm of its sister car, the Renault Clio – the two cars shared a platform and running gear.
These days, though, the Micra flies under the radar somewhat, with buyers tending instead to look to rivals like the Seat Ibiza and Ford Fiesta, and that means you can pick up a Micra for a bargain price.
For example, the 2019 1.0 IG-T Acenta I found with just 20,000 miles on the clock, backed up by a full service history – yours for a whisker under £9,500. For that price, any equivalent Ibiza you’re getting will be a year or two older with at least double the mileage.
The Micra has its own flaws, true – it’s a little cramped in the back, and the ride quality can sometimes be sharp at low speeds – but these issues aren’t so bad as to be deal breakers, especially not at these prices. What’s more, the Micra features a timing chain, rather than the dreaded ‘wet’ timing belt that can cause costly reliability issues in so many of its rivals if not properly maintained.
And what about the Juke? Well, the first-generation model was immensely popular, finding a niche that ticked a lot of British buyers’ boxes. By the time the second-generation car came along, that niche had been exploited by many rivals, making it a far less common sight on our roads.
But it’s the second-generation Juke that’s by far the better car of the two. As with the Micra, there are more practical choices – but choose a Juke for its extrovert styling, bright paint colours and smartly finished interior, and you won’t be disappointed.
With the Juke, you want to go for as high a specification as your budget can stretch to, obviously remembering to make sure the car has a decent mileage and is well maintained. That’s because higher-spec models had plusher interior finishes that really lent the Juke a rather classy feel.
You’ll also want to aim for the manual, non-hybrid model, keeping the mechanicals as simple as possible and reducing the risk of expensive problems further down the line. Do this, and the Juke is slick to drive, comfortable on a longer run, and surprisingly practical for a car which puts style front and centre.
Which is why £14,000 for a top-of-the-range 1.0 DIG-T Tekna+ dating from 2021, with just 29,000 miles on it, feels like a bargain. This model comes dripping with toys – heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a heated windscreen, a Bose sound system, climate control, cruise control and two-tone paintwork all come as standard, making it very tempting indeed. At these prices, I might have to reassess my feelings on modern Nissans.