Advise on 2014 Micra Automatic purchase

[Baggyjim]

Hi,
I am currently looking at purchasing an Aug 2014 Micra Acenta 1.2 CVT Automatic. This is for my daughter who has just passed her driving test (auto only).
I wondered if anyone could give me any advice on what to look for or be aware of.
It has done 24k miles and 2 owners with fsh. Mixed services between dealership and independant garage. MOT has passed with front suspension bushes wear as an advisory, the garage which is selling the vehicle is going to change both front arms.
They are asking £7500 and comes with nightshade black paint and rear parking sensors.
Can you connect your iphone via Bluetooth to the media system and play music through car speakers ?
It comes with 12 months AA top level warranty but this has a maximum claim value of £1000, which is not a high amount if the car gets gearbox problems (god forbid).
The car is in a clean condition , alloys are going to be worked on as they have some deep scratches. Front bumper has some scratches too but they will only touch up , not respray.
Due to take it for a test drive in next few days.
Thankyou in advance for any info.

 

[vexorg]

This one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108146238306 ??

 

[Baggyjim]

Yes, thats the one but they will not increase the max claim per item from £1000 to the current value of the vehicle, so I have left it.

 

[SplanK]

I have a 2012 DIG-S manual - and overall its been a reliable car - now on 75k miles. They are what they are really! Other than general maintenance items an a few little things here and there (not stopping you getting from A to B) they are fairly reliable cars - just make sure the history is good (sounds like it is) and that you keep on top of the service yourself.

I am very surprised at the price though! I paid £8500 in 2013 for ours which was ~9 months old / 10,000 miles at the time! Although when looking they do seem to have hold their 'later year' values well.

Only common thing to really go wrong on them is suspension bushes. They are a frequent item to need swapping - every 2-3 years for us but as our car has otherwise been low maintenance I have put up with it! A few people crop up reporting cam actuator problems, but fairly straight forward fix and keeping it well serviced is a good preventative measure!

Check when the battery was last replaced. They tend to last around 5 years or so, but with such low mileage it may have been sat around or only done short trips. Budget around £120 for an EFB battery but its a DIY job if you know your way around a 10mm (I think!) spanner.

Check the sills and jack points for jacking damage - not the end of the world, but can cause the ye old tin worm to set in sooner, but thats the same on any car.

Have a look in the spare wheel well for any water - simple enough check but may indicate a leak somewhere. Make sure the aircon works. With it being such low mileage, air con does not like being sat idle for long periods of time.

Nissan do get a bad rap for their CVT boxes but I dont see many threads on here other than 1 recently. I dont think the CVT in the Micra is trying to be anything special, and with it being a light car with little grunt I dare say it should be ok. The cars that seem to get complaints are Qashqai's and Juke's where they are a heavier or may have more powerful engines which just add stress to the CVT.

On your test drive - try and make it as long as possible and get it up to full temp. Try every button, give the car a good drive *through* the entire rev range with various throttle inputs from mild to full throttle (where appropriate!). Make sure the gearbox is smooth, no odd noises or rattles. IF you have never driven a CVT before, then its an odd experience and give the impression of 'clutch slip'!

There was a thread on here not so long back with somebody having a box that had failed and they were struggling to get a repair done. Not sure on the outcome of that so you may want to do some research on that before just in case.

As for the warranty, you have your statutory rights regardless of any 'bolt on' extras they offer. With any purchase, new or used there is always an element of risk, but this may help you with your decision https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/used-car-warranty-consumer-rights/

 

[vexorg]

It does seem a lot of money for a 7 year old micra.

We paid £1400 for a 9 year old 1.2 K12 3 years ago. it had 70k miles on it, other than usual service items and wear and tear, it's been a cheap little car to run.