2019 Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra is, once again, Canada's least expensive car, its MSRP for this year coming in about $500 less than the next-cheapest Mitsubishi Mirage. "Least expensive" may not be much to strive for, but it also earns this little Nissan the Cheap and Cheerful award for another year.

We remember when Nissan introduced the 2015 Micra to Canada at the Toronto auto show. We were standing next to Mitsu's PR boss when Nissan announced Micra's lowest MSRP in Canada. "Well, that's a problem," he said, referencing the Mirage's next-best price.

The Micra's trump card is that it has loads of personality for its price. It's the kind of car that proves the saying, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slowly."

Nissan doesn't face much competition down here at the tiny end of the marketplace. There's the aforementioned Mitsubishi Mirage, and the Chevrolet Spark, and that's it.

For 2019, Nissan has trimmed the availability of the Micra's five-speed manual transmission. Now, it's only offered in the entry-level S and top-end SR trims, leaving the middle SV fitted exclusively with a four-speed automatic.

All Micra trims use a 1.6L four-cylinder engine with 109 hp and 107 lb-ft of torque. That modest output means you can drive the Micra flat out all the time and barely break the law.

Standard features in Micra S include 15-inch steel wheels with covers, Bluetooth, trip computer, tilt steering, variable intermittent wipers, four-way front seat adjustments and a two-speaker stereo with 7.0-inch touchscreen controls, Bluetooth streaming and USB input. Notably, Micra S is one of today's few new cars that does not have electric windows, door locks or mirrors.

SV trim adds power-adjustable and heated side mirrors, body-colour door handles, air conditioning, power windows, keyless entry, cruise control, six-way driver's seat, chrome inside door handles, a four-speaker sound system and steering wheel audio controls. An optional style package adds alloy wheels and a rear spoiler.

Finally, SR gets 16-inch wheels, fog lights, chrome exterior trim, sport cloth upholstery and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.

Nissan's fuel consumption estimates are 8.7/6.8 L/100 km (city/highway) with the manual transmission and 8.9/6.8 with the automatic.