Nissan Figaro's

[EssDeeWon]

My GF is hellbent on blowing 5 bags on one of these things. Anyone know much about them other than the obvious being 'overpriced' and ' generally ugly'?

[Felly Magic]

Watch for rust big time on em, and there is no way one is worth anywhere near that money, for what is all intents a Micra auto. I know of dealers having stock years, and being unable to shift em, because they will not budge on price. £5k buys a hell of a lot better

[dollywobbler]

Don't go there. They're bloody awful. Imagine a Micra but with 'cute' rot-happy bodywork and a slushmatic box. Entirely style over substance. Five bags sounds ridiculous for one as well. I thought they were still hanging around at three grand.

 

Try and recommend a Daihatsu Sirion instead. A far better car and much, much cheaper while still being a bit odd (and yes, rot happy).

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I like them, they're cute. 

 

They do rust though, and I wouldn't really want an auto (which they all are), and the radio needs modifying to work with UK FM (most will have been, but check recent imports I suppose). 

[Cavcraft]

Nissan Figaro's what?

[EssDeeWon]

She currently has a 1996 Micra K11 Auto, great little car only done 70k and if I didnt have the BM parked outside doing sod'al all week I would have it off her to run about in. Anyway as I thought over priced and potential rot boxes.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

£5000 LOL!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Oh and the rear seats are at a 90º angle with no legroom, so not practical if your passengers are anything other than a Chihuahua and a bag containing its outfits for the day.

[skattrd]

I know nowt about them, but as the resident Daihatsu fetishist I'd say go for a Copen instead ...

 

[dugong]

They're overpriced and look like someone described a Peugeot 204 convertible to Charlie Chan in a dense fog. 

Otherwise I'd avoid them. 

[vulgalour]

Hang on, Conrad just said you can put passengers in a Figaro.  Where do they go?

[Jim Bell]

Pao's look better. And are the same. But better.

[EssDeeWon]

I know!!!! I cannot believe people are paying this money for em? Never really taken much notice until tonight when she mentioned them!! £5995 is the going rate with dealers. That red N reg Cav just posted on tat is only £300 lol!

[dugong]

Also, rust. 

[EssDeeWon]

Thanks all, pretty much as I thought really, Hopefully the idea will be gone by the morning

[Aston Martin]

I hate when you go to some classic car type-show and a bloody Figaro is there. Same goes for Mitsuokas. They're horrible, save yourself a fortune and just buy a K11.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Same goes for Mitsuokas. They're horrible, save yourself a fortune and just buy a K11.

 

 

won't have that, sorry

[Inspector Morose]

Or just buy the real thing.

 

 

[inconsistant]

My Ex GF was hellbent on blowing 5 bags on one of these things. So I dumped her.

 

EFA

[Spiny Norman]

I hate when you go to some classic car type-show and a bloody Figaro is there. Same goes for Mitsuokas. They're horrible, save yourself a fortune and just buy a K11.

 

I like them for that very reason. Anything that winds up some of the windbags that permeate the classic car scene is OK in my book. I'd happily buy one of those stupid little Micra based Mk2 Jags and park it next to the real thing at a show and watch the ruddy faced JEC members heads explode.

 

To us they're a joke, but to the regular punter they offer a realistic way of getting into something that to the uninitiated looks like an old classic car without actually having to grease its nipples every 3000 miles or do any of that boring stuff that nobody can be arsed doing to cars anymore.

 

Quite often I'll get a message or an Email from a non-car savvy friend saying 'OMG I saw this really old car and I knew you'd know what it was." and 9 times out of 10 it's a Nissan Figaro. But you know what? When I tell them it's based on the oily bits of an old Nissan Micra they love it all the more.

 

There's nowt so queer as folk. I like them, but they're all 20-odd years old now so do take care if you buy one,

[Ratdat]

I am one of the biggest Nissan fans about these parts and even I wouldn't buy one. I don't dislike them at all but I do think they are staggeringly overpriced and represent rather poor value for money. Just buy a nice Mk1 MX5 for a grand and enjoy a much better driving experience.

[trigger]

WHS. Mrs Trigger wants one for it retro looks but she won't be getting one, you can buy a decent modern Fiat 500 which also has that 50's look about it for the same money which won't be rotten and will drive much nicer.

[Ghosty]

For posterity:

[dugong]

WHS. Mrs Trigger wants one for it retro looks but she won't be getting one, you can buy a decent modern Fiat 500 which also has that 50's look about it for the same money which won't be rotten and will drive much nicer.

Actually, having a Figaro over a 500 is one of the few instances where the former comes out on top. 

 

The 500 will lose money from day one - look after the Figaro and you'll probably be able to sell it for what you paid, such is their following. 

[dieselnutjob]

Suzuki Cappuccino ?

[Peter Patina]

Actually one of the better styled retro-repros in my book - plus a 1989 launch put it years ahead of the Bini-monster and that other dreadful German effort.

 

Yes, kitsch as you like and very girly is the Figaro but it can haz turboaz! K10 underpinnings though.

[Junkman]

[Junkman]

[Micrashed]

Is your GF a hairdresser or investigative journalist who has a rabble of kids following her round who seem to overthrow the invasion of Earth by hyper intelligent aliens every week ?

 

If the answer to both the above is no then there really is no justification for owning a Figaro. Buy a nice MX5 instead.

[garethj]

A few years ago there was a dealer who tried to corner the market by buying all the used ones, and marking the price up hugely.  A bit like an Autoshite version of the De Beers diamond cartel.

 

I'm not sure it worked as a long term business model but that's the only reason they're expensive, and if you wanted a retro styled reliable car it was just about your only choice.  These days, things are different.