A DOZEN years ago, light-car buyers ignored the first Micra to come to Australia despite its obviously progressive design, engineering and packaging because Korean-made cars cost significantly less. Today, unless they want a manual gearbox, really need to carry three people in the back, demand stability control availability, want class-leading performance or Mini Cooper-rivalling steering and handling, then the same sort of buyers must consider what the latest Micra offers. Yes, it has limitations and flaws, but the fact that Nissan has priced the car at thousands of dollars below most rivals’ equivalent model suggests that the company has certainly learnt from the mistakes of the past.