Buying – 20 Popular Buying Questions?

1 – What should I pay?
This of course will very much depend on your budget but it’s important to know what you wish to use the car for. If the Figaro is going to be your ‘main’ vehicle and used on a ‘daily basis’ we recommend spending over £4,000 and if you can afford it £5,000 plus. At this price, you will get a car which should be below 100,000 – 62,000 miles. If you spend between £6,000 – £8,000 you should expect a very tidy car with very good bodywork, roof and internal upholstery. If it’s a weekend car then you can spend less and maybe spend money on the car over a few years to add value. We always say try to spend as much as you can afford and never buy the 1st one you look at as there are many for sale. Check out our price guide Click here

2 – Should I buy from a Private Seller or Trade Garage?
There are lots of cars available for sale. To our knowledge most ‘private sellers’ tend to sell their cars directly as opposed to selling through the trade. These cars will be up to 25% cheaper than buying through a trade but the buyer is buying without any warranty or support. If you decide to go down this route we STRONGLY recommend reading our Nissan Figaro Buyers Guide and taking along another person with you who knows a little bit about cars to support you when viewing. If you are nervous about the purchase then we recommend buying through the trade which will provide the security of a warranty and ongoing support. You are also covered by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. The car must be of satisfactory quality, taking into account how it was described for sale which is always reassuring.

There are some excellent deals out there and a good place to start looking is our sister website www.figarotrader.co.uk Also look at eBay, Gum tree and Auto Trader.

There are three types of Trade Garages

1 – Garages that sell lots of brands of cars but maybe have one Figaro on their forecourt. In our experience, they have little knowledge of the car but you can get some bargains here because of that!

2 – Garages that specialise in the Figaro and have a number for sale to choose from. These garages typically have good knowledge of the car and offer a warranty. See our Garages page and click on Nissan Figaro Car Sale – Import and Sell.

3 – Garages that specialise in creating and restoring cars by the buyer’s brief. These garages source the car and then make extensive upgrades and improvements which in some cases can lead to the entire car being stripped, resprayed and rebuilt. See our Garages page and click on Restoration & Customisation – Experts in Restoring and Customising.

3 – How safe is the Figaro?
The Figaro was built in 1991 so does not enjoy modern safety measures such as airbags. However, the car was built by Nissan in accordance with stringent safety laws and regulations and as such meets all safety laws. If you wish to learn more about road safety Click here

4 – Is it ‘baby’ friendly?
We know of several owners who use baby seats to strap their baby into the Figaro. Read more about the laws on baby seats Click here

If you join our club you can access our forum where there are many posts about the subject and you can get more help/advice from other owners Click here

5 – What does it cost to tax?
Annual car tax is £210 (April 2024) – UK

6 – How much is insurance?
This depends on four things. 1 – Your age, 2 – Where you live, 3 – The *Agreed Value of your Figaro, 4 – Your annual Mileage. Insuring the Figaro is not like insuring a normal car as it is classed as a ‘classic car/grey import’ and as such will not appear on the usual online car insurance websites. You will need to contact a ‘classic car insurance company’ such as Classicline Insurance who work with us and provides over 90% of our member insurance. They understand the Figaro and will ask you your age, where you live, and the agreed value of your car certificate *Note: We can provide this for you and your annual mileage.

In our experience, the Figaro is a relatively low-cost car to insure (under £200) but if you do high mileage, are below the age of 25, park the car on a road and live in a city the costs can escalate! Members of our club will enjoy 15% discount off Classicline Insurance. To learn more about Insurance Click here

7 – What are the typical annual servicing costs?
This is dependent on mileage but shouldn’t cost more than £250/£300 a year.

8 – Do I need to garage the car?
Ideally yes due mainly to the roof. Like any soft-top car, we recommend the Figaro is not left for long periods in wet weather, especially without regular use. If you can, try to cover the car during prolonged wet weather. The top boot is also a ‘wet boot’ and designed to accept water which is then taken away through drainage pipes so this is another reason to try and cover the car. As a club, we work with some good companies that manufacture covers designed specifically to fit the Figaro. However having said all this we do know of many owners who have no garage or cover, but be prepared to keep a check on the roof and maybe at worst in renewing more frequently (£150). The bottom line is ideally the car likes to be garaged or put under a carport. Members of our club will enjoy a 10% discount on Car Covers. To learn more about Car Covers Click here

9 – I understand the car is a ‘grey import’ What does this mean?
This means the Figaro has been legally imported from another country through channels other than the maker’s ‘official distribution system’ i.e. Nissan UK. The synonymous term parallel import is sometimes substituted. So this means Nissan UK has never sold the car and technically does not support it.

10 – What type of aftercare/servicing/support is available for the engine?
In our experience, the Figaro is a very simple car to service and in most cases can be supported by your ‘local garage’ (who support multiple car makes). The car’s Engine is based on the Nissan Micra K10 of which there are millions out there and as such parts are easily available. The Figaro engine is bullet-proof and very reliable. This Website lists garages that have experience working with the car and some have member comments which are useful Click here

11 – Do I need to take it to a Nissan Dealer for servicing?
No Nissan (Nissan UK) does not support or even know of the Figaro (SEE ITEM 9) in our experience we recommend looking at our Garage Directory or a local garage that services several car makes. Click here

12 – Can you still buy parts?
Yes, most parts are still available from Nissan and after-market suppliers. New engines are not available but there are a few specialist dealers who rebuild used engines which once complete will be like new ones. There are also many broken cars where parts can be accessed. See our Parts Listing Directory Click here

13 – How many mpg can I expect?
This very much depends on the way you drive and your average speed. On average you should get around 35 mpg urban. On the motorway, you can get 50mpg as long as you stick to 50 mph but they seem a bit slow.

14 – How secure is the car?
In its original state when produced not very. However, the good news is most cars will now have Immobilizers fitted. If the car you are looking at doesn’t have an Immobiliser we highly recommend fitting one ASAP (allow £300).

15 – Can I use the car every day to commute?
Most of our members use their cars every day so yes. Like all cars the more you use them the fewer problems you will get. Cars that are left for long periods often tend to be more problematic. The Figaro is very reliable and it has excellent heaters for such a small car to keep you warm in cold weather. Having said that it is a small car so if you spend long parts of your journey you may feel intimidated by the big trucks who will seem very much bigger than you! Also if you’re going to use it every day and your commute is a long one you may try to buy a car with as little mileage as you can afford.

16 – What should be included with the car?
This is one of the biggest issues we get with the Figaro as many cars may have had items ‘removed’ by past owners and the prospective buyer is none the wiser as to what ‘should be’ included.

Figaro Key (Figaro Logo on it)
CD Clarion Radio
Emergency Flare – Passenger foot-well
Green Nissan Owners Manual – In Japanese
Tonneau Cover – Fits in the gap when the roof is down
A4 Roof Instruction Sheet – In Japanese
Spare Wheel
Tool Kit – Click here
Wheel jack

17 – Can I add Accessories?
You can ‘personalise’ your Figaro with lots of goodies to make it feel unique to you. Many of the items are practical additions too making the car more fun to own and drive.

Boot Rack
Car Cover
CD Clarion Upgrade – Plug in your Phone and or get DAB Click here
Chrome Mirror Covers
Heated Seats
Cup/ CD Holder
Headlight Eyelids
Immobiliser
JPNZ Owners Manual/JPNZ Workshop Manual
Kick Plate
Leather Covers (steering wheel)
Shift knob and hand brake cover
Mud Flaps
Net Shelf
Nouvelle Plaque
Parking Stick
Wind Defectors

18 – How much luggage will it hold?
The car has two boots. The lower rear boot is wide but only 20cm high and includes the boot tidy and spare wheel so in reality is only useful for small items. The upper boot is 25cm high x 500cm deep x 100cm wide but only when the roof is up! The rear seats are the best place to locate luggage if going away and also means you can have the roof down.

19 – Do I need a breakdown cover?
Due to the age of the car, we recommend taking out breakdown cover. If you take insurance out with our recommended insurer Classicline Insurance it includes breakdown cover.

20 – Where can I find further information?
If you’re seriously looking to buy the Figaro then we recommend buying a copy of our Nissan Figaro Buyers Guide. The guide is a comprehensive insight into viewing, test driving and buying the car and tells you everything you need to know – Click here

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Published on 12th April 2024

Buying – 20 Popular Buying Questions?

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