Happy Canada Day, everyone! By the time you read this, I’ll probably be past Hope and well into my third extra-large Tim Horton’s double-double. The quest: to drive Canada’s lowest-priced new car from sea-level all the way up to Canada’s highest paved road.
Why? Well, it seemed like a pretty good idea last week. Now, I’m not so sure. Along the way, we’ll be tracking the real-world fuel-economy of the Nissan Micra, reporting back on its ability to tackle the steep and winding roads of this great nation, and finding out just how many times it’s possible to listen to Tom Cochrane’s Life is a Highway before permanent and irreversible brain damage sets in.
The Nissan Micra will try to climb the highest road in the country this Canada Day, the Highwood Pass.
Handout, Nissan
From the shores of the Pacific to the altitude of Alberta’s Highwood pass, deep in the Misty mountain range, it’s a journey of over a thousand kilometres of serpentine road, and 2.2 km of overall elevation gain. At the very top, the little 109-hp Nissan will be down on power by about a quarter thanks to the thin air, but we’re confident it’ll still have plenty of spirit left.
Follow along on the trip on twitter, with the hashtag #MileHighMicra, for constant updates right up until the point I’m horribly eaten to death by bears. It’s time for an adventure because, well, life is a highway. This Canada Day, if you’re going my way, let’s ride it – all day long.
Read our full review of the Nissan Micra here
