This vehicle entered my life last week in a very timely fashion, the nation (and world) is currently undergoing a period of extreme anxiety coupled with forced if perfectly understandable belt-tightening in many respects. Wants are taking a back seat to needs, and a lot of current expenditures in many if not most households are being scrutinized and debated as to their absolute necessity. Let’s take a look at one way of fulfilling a necessity for most that might be considered a very reasonable and rational way of doing so, if not now then maybe at a later date when things improve and perhaps some experience their perspectives changing a bit as to what truly is important.
Nissan’s Versa has been with us for going on fifteen years now, originally available as a sedan and hatchback, and now for this latest generation as a sedan only since sales began last August. On the face of it this seems curious as the hatch always sold fairly well but then you might recall than Nissan introduced a new mini-CUV, the Kicks, for 2019 and it pretty much fills in for the hatchback version of this car. Sure, the Kicks starts at a higher price than the hatchback did but who can blame Nissan for wanting to make a little more money, and if people are buying them, then more power to everyone.
In 2019 Nissan moved about 66,000 Versas (current and last generation combined) in the U.S., which as far as I can tell puts it in first place for sales among its direct competitors and is more than I had thought before looking it up. As recently as 2015 Nissan moved 144,000 of them but that included the hatchbacks as well. (The Kicks sold almost 60k units last year as well so overall that seems in line with recent years if one combines them)
The sedan though, while perhaps not as practical as a hatchback, could be seen as a return to basics, or a continuation of what the Japanese carmakers have excelled at for decades now, that being a fairly basic car that is roomy enough, powerful enough, economical enough, and provides enough value for the price while doing it all better than expected that one starts to question the need for “more”.
Let’s work through this then. The roominess part – The Versa is Nissan’s smallest car in the United States, but still provides plenty of room for four adults in it (and officially seats and belts five). My 6’1″ frame fit inside very well and I didn’t have to contort myself in any strange way to get in. Headroom was abundant (no sunroof), and the only concession spacewise was that perhaps your passenger sits a little closer than in larger vehicles. However, it’s not like body parts were touching as in an airliner and there were no complaints heard on that score.
The seats themselves, especially in the front, were excellent and worthy of a car with a far greater price tag. The bolstering on the back rest was perfect; like being held in a warm embrace, with perfect pressure around the upper waist and lower torso. The lumbar support, while not adjustable, had no need to be (and I always adjust the lumbar in any car I’m in), and the bottom cushion was long enough to be comfortable for hours. While manually adjustable instead of powered, adjusting everything was easy and once done I didn’t feel the need to make minute adjustments as I often do in other vehicles with powered arrangements.
Trunk space is plentiful, both back seats fold down in a 60/40 split arrangement, albeit doing so doesn’t create a completely flat floor. I was however able to fit lengths of metal tile edging measuring just over eight feet in length into the trunk, through the back seat, over the center armrest and stopping comfortable shy of puncturing the dashboard. All with the trunk lid easily closed.
But wait, there’s more! At the same time I was also transporting a full-width rear bench seat (folded) from a domestic full-size pickup truck as well as two large Rubbermaid storage bins and several soft bags in the trunk and back seat area. I still had room for a front seat passenger. I’ll posit that if this was in fact a hatchback it is entirely possible that the eight foot long item may not have fit fully inside as the trunk does add length. So Versa-tile (groan…)
Power is always a relative term. In an entry-level vehicle, it generally just needs to have “enough”. In this case, that’s pretty much what’s on hand. While the 1.6 liter DOHC 16V 4-cylinder puts out 122hp@6000rpm and 114lb-ft of torque at 4400rpm, at our 5000 feet of altitude and paired with 2600 pounds of base curb weight (likely over 3000 at this trim level and with myself and a full load of fuel), well, two decades ago I would have been thrilled with it, these days I have to remind myself that it’s still getting me there, it’s having no trouble keeping up with traffic, but when on the 75mph-limit freeway with traffic zooming along faster than that, if one wants to pull out to pass someone, one had better keep an eye on the mirrors.
That’s not to say it’s painfully or unacceptably slow. And realistically a Versa is not meant to be a “fast” car. Viewed objectively, it’s perfectly adequate in that respect and someone buying it and checking out the competition will find similar elsewhere as well.
As you may have suspected, the car I drove came equipped with a CVT – Surprise though, the most basic spec version of the Versa comes with a manual gearbox! For the ultimate in penny pinching while having some fun, that may be the way to go, however it also comes with a 5mpg fuel economy penalty so maybe the pinching of the pennies should be thought through completely first… In any case, the CVT was interesting. When I first got the car it was thoroughly warmed up due to its journey to me. I drove it and liked the fact that it has “gears” built in, i.e. it sounded mostly like a traditional automatic.
The next day when I drove it from cold I realized that as I pulled out of my driveway and down the road it was droning at a constant, steady rpm under acceleration. However, as the car warmed up this subsided and the “gears” came back. Clearly the “droning” was programmed that way to likely help the car warm up faster and get the emissions equipment working properly as quickly as possibly. Most people likely won’t notice or care, it’s barely an issue, and only so for the first few minutes when utterly cold. Of course when jumping on the accelerator the CVT will immediately cause the engine to leap to its torque peak and it will rev higher than that but within an apparent range in an effort to reduce the “drone”. I suppose it’s programmed to make the most of what it has while also trying to be less objectionable.
Economy was superb, both in usage as well as value. As far as fuel mileage goes, in my employ the car returned a stated average of 36.4mpg over a week and about 300 miles of which just over half was logged in a single 160 mile freeway roundtrip with multiple waypoint stops. The balance was all city mileage spread over six other days. Note that this car does not employ a stop/start system and is not hybridized in any way, that 36.4 average mpg figure is outstanding and a big part of what I liked about it. The EPA numbers are 32city/40hwy with a 35average so that all seemed accurate and achievable in the real world.
As far as value goes, the least expensive way to get into a new Versa is to opt for the base “S” model which lists at $14,730. This does include the manual transmission but also includes air conditioning and power locks and windows as well as a large suite of safety assistance features, keyless entry, a 7″ touchscreen with voice commands for audio, Bluetooth and oodles more.
However, as is the case with most test cars, they are rolling feature laboratories for the likes of me to check out most everything that is available. As such, mine was the top of the line SR trim (there’s a mid-pack SV trim also). Surprisingly the base price for this is still perfectly reasonable at $18,240, at least compared to some other vehicles I’ve driven this year. As far as standard features are concerned, mine added (to the base model) the CVT, 17″ alloys with Continental tires, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Automatic Climate Control, Leather Wheel and Shift Knob (these actually featured texture and felt quite good), a fancier seat fabric that didn’t feel horribly cheap, LED headlights, remote start and many more items.
I don’t generally get into discussing styling all too much, the newer Nissan sedans all seem to be going for a very similar look these days to the point where a Versa and a Sentra are starting to look alike to me until I see the label on the rear and the Altima and Maxima are clearly from the same studio as the smaller ones as well, however they all have significantly more presence and “style” than their predecessor versions did.
As far as options go, here’s the list on this particular car: the Monarch Orange “Premium Paint” at $395 – I really fell for this color on this car, I found it gorgeous and even though this is a very low priced car, the additional cost for the color may well be worth it, if you like the shade, it makes the whole thing just seem like so much more…
Then the convenience package consisting of heated front seats (that remain in the last setting during a re-start, yay!) and intelligent (i.e. adaptive) cruise control for $300 total (yes, sign me up for that package), floor mats and trunk mat for $210 seemed a hair pricey but okay, and the fixed center armrest with small storage cubby inside for $300 I wasn’t sure about at first but found myself resting my elbow on it continuously as it was at the perfect height for me.
The options I personally would not take included the Electronics Package (Map pocket light, illuminated kick plates, and frameless auto-dimming mirror with universal remote) which at $855 seemed like too much a percentage of the total price for that and the Lighting Package (External Ground Lighting and Interior Ambient Lighting) at $690.
The exterior ground lights were basically a full length very bright LED strip under the chassis that bathed the whole road in light when the door was opened and the interior lighting could toggle through about half a dozen hues but seemed too dim to tell a difference really. Oh, and the destination charge is $895 to lug this car up here from the plant in Aguascaliente, Mexico where it is built.
You know what was standard though? That same little feature that I’ve liked and used on most older Japanese cars, that being the manually operated trunk opener lever on the floor next to the driver’s seat. Don’t ever change that, Nissan, it’s perfect right where it is and how it works, although there is also a button on the keyfob and a soft-touch button above the license plate under the lip of the trunk edge.
The overall impression driving it was not penalty box or bottom of the line-up, but rather well-screwed-together smaller car that plays much bigger than it is. What I appreciated (well, beyond the paint that I already mentioned how much I liked) was the anonymity it offered. I kind of like being Mr. Regular Jim and sometimes driving some of these test cars (and even some of the cars I’ve owned myself) I’ve felt somewhat self-conscious at times. That’s obviously a personal feeling, but it’s real, not everyone wants to be “out there”, plenty of people are perfectly happy in their own little bubble and couldn’t care a whit about everyone else.
But back to the car’s attributes, while it wasn’t tomb-silent it wasn’t difficult at all to have a Bluetooth telephone conversation at freeway speeds, sharp bumps were dealt with as a solid thump but smooth movement over them, and the handling, while lacking in steering feedback as in so many cars these days, did its job and did it well, i.e. it’s light enough that it feels tossable and enjoyable going around corners.
Again, it’s no GTI but that’s not its competition, for someone who just wants a smaller sedan for running around the city and the occasional trip or someone who’d be excited just to have a modern car (such as a college student away at school) this completely fits the bill. The ride is great, or certainly good enough that it did not stand out as objectionable in any way. I like my cars to drive a little on the firm side and this did that very well, not crashy at all but not pillowy soft.
It’s not pretentious, it has some excellent standard and available features for its class, it’s likely to be economical to keep and service, and if you don’t go nuts on the options there is a lot of value there. While Nissan has some well publicized current issues (in our car-freak corner of the world anyway, I doubt the average person or buyer has much of a clue), they also seem to be finally remaking their lineup and adjusting their sales processes and goals. It likely won’t be easy but I certainly wouldn’t count them out at all in the long run.
Great review. As mentioned, these are perfectly adequate reliable daily transportation for not much money. Stylish even. Can’t believe you didn’t go for the surround lights.
Thanks for this, Mr. Regular Jim. This is interesting because I live in this segment every day. Also interesting is how the base price of this car is no higher than the base price of the Honda Fit I was shopping almost 14 years ago (gaaaaa!!!!). It has gone up on the high end, but then there is a lot of content that was not available on my Fit Sport.
If I did the math right, it looks like this one was up to around $21k? That is where I start asking some basic value questions, such as whether something larger and more powerful might not be available for similar money. But then there are also likely to be some rebates on this, especially in current circumstances (and as gasoline edges down closer to $1.50/gal as it is doing in my area.
All in all, an interesting car I would never have paid any attention to but for Regular Jim’s intervention, so thanks for this.
The bottom line on the sticker (including destination) for this one was $21,885 so yes your math is pretty correct. ($20,990 without).
There very likely could be something larger and more powerful available for less but if you are truly comparing list (sticker) prices on new cars and not counting incentives and rebates on one and not on the other then offhand I can’t think of anything out there that does so for less with the same or similar content.
Right off the bat though avoiding the two options that I’d choose not to get and do nothing functionally or useful for the car would save over $1500, so about 7% of the total and brings the price down to a hair over $20k. Be happy with one of the “free” colors (metallic blue, gray, silver or black) and that gets it under $20k incl. destination.
$1.5 /gal? yes please. £1.20 a litre here…
“If I did the math right, it looks like this one was up to around $21k? That is where I start asking some basic value questions, such as whether something larger and more powerful might not be available for similar money.”
Why does small have to equal cheap? Yes, you could probably get a base Altima S with no options for about the same money, but would that necessarily make the owner happier or better off? Is a base mid-size car “better” than a loaded compact if both are similarly engineered (I can’t bring myself to say, “well engineered” when describing Nissan)?
I have no problem with people who prefer the bigger car, but I do have a problem with the blanket belief that that the bigger car is always the better choice, and that you should only get the smaller car if you can’t afford the bigger one.
“I have no problem with people who prefer the bigger car, but I do have a problem with the blanket belief that that the bigger car is always the better choice, and that you should only get the smaller car if you can’t afford the bigger one.”
Very well stated. Too often when a non-premium car is reviewed on this site, someone pipes up, “For the same money, I could get a stripped-down Luxobarge…” This kind of thinking seems to be driven by a notion that what others see you in should be given more weight than what actually meets your own needs and preferences.
I get what your saying. I have two thoughts that come to mind.
First, I have traditionally been a “buy it by the pound” guy in my car purchases. This loaded Versa is getting into the territory of a new Kia Sedona with a V6, seating for 7, gobs of cargo space and all the normal equipment. So for me, more is more.
That said, I can see the allure of some small cars, and would be willing to pay for a premium small car when there is a reason to. The Miata could be such a reason, or the better example would have been the dearly departed S-2000. Even a small sport sedan in the vein of the VW GTI could be worth a premium. As I think about it, the two small cars I have bought new (VW GTI and Honda Fit) have been as loaded as it was possible to choose, so they were certainly out of econobox territory on the window stickers. But I don’t see a Nissan Versa as that kind of car.
I’ll point out that even at the $21,885 sticker price of this loaded up example it’s nowhere near the $28,720 sticker of base spec Sedona (that price includes the destination charge as well). Don’t fall into the trap of figuring you can get 30% off the Sedona without considering that perhaps you can negotiate money off the Versa as well. And if you are comparing base spec Sedona then perhaps we should compare base spec Versa at around $15 or so thousand so a little more than half at which point the argument I think kind of falls apart. A better way to look at that argument is why would someone buy a discounted minivan for $22k or so when they could have a Kia Rio hatchback for $15k. There’s usually a good reason why one would choose one over the other.
That said, it’s also ignoring the ongoing costs, the Sedona will use vastly more fuel, the upkeep on a 6 is slightly more than a 4, and 99% of the time the Sedona will have less than 4 or 5 people in it.
“the Sedona will use vastly more fuel”
And even worse is the extra stuff you will buy at Costco because it will fit in your car. 🙂
On incentives, I would imagine a car like the Versa will have some fairly big ones (even in normal times) as smaller cars have never done particularly well in the US in times of low fuel prices. But then again, there is a fat demographic of young potential buyers who could swing a car like this.
Yup. Whenever someone says “you’re getting near the cost of the Luxobarge,” they just don’t go apples to apples. Luv ya nonetheless, JPC.
A terrifically informative review.
Other than the color (which is great), the one thing I noticed about your test Versa is the dashboard. That is one of the better incorporations of the iPad-esque screens I’ve seen lately. It keeps all the busyness contained quite nicely.
Overall, I knew these were a good value but are even better than I thought.
Jim, your photography keeps getting better and better. Paying that elk to stand on a street corner was a very deft touch.
I’ll make an appearance-based observation (as I often do): I think that Nissan, perhaps moreso than many other makes, domestic or foreign, has nailed the “family resemblance” aesthetic across its model line for years now. My first thought when I saw the title picture was that it was a distorted picture of a Maxima.
I think only Audi does this as well across its product range.
Great write-up, very informative! Wow, the Versa has come a long way! My brother still has the first generation Versa sedan and whew, it is a bit different from your test subject!
My wife and I have happily owned a ’14 Altima since early 2015 and that CVT drone can be a bit tiresome. We always drive in sport mode to try to negate it and I always give it just a little more mustard to lift the RPMs out of the droning range. Otherwise, it’s been a really great car.
Interesting write up on a car Europe doesn’t see, except as the Micra hatchback derivative and the Renault Clio first cousin. Related to the Joke, sorry Juke, and Renault Captur also.
As well as striking looks (in that colour) and a nice dash, the overall package looks competitive with others, but the fact it is saloon not a hatch rules it out for Western Europe, as does the base spec 1.6 litre engine. We see a 0.9 litre 3 cylinder as the entry with manual transmissions as a default choice for just about all
Color me impressed, starting with the orange paint and those wheels. It is a sharp looking package, inside and out. As Jason noted, the touch screen integration is very reasonable. As a hater of the taped on i-pad look, this dash is great!
Being north of 6’1″ and 200, the sub-compact class is usually easily ignored by me, so your report is quite favorable. When I looked at Nissans, maybe in 2016 at our auto show, the Sentra was impressively roomy and had an attractive interior, I felt no need to walk over to the then stubby little Versa.
With three kids in high school or college, we were about to embark on a sedan purchasing frenzy, and the Dart, Fusion, Accord Sport and Sentra all caught our attention. Concurrently, my wife reported one of her least favorite rentals, a Versa that she called “dangerously slow” in Chicago traffic, where entering small bits of interstate frequently calls for excellent acceleration and equally excellent brakes.
That car had a 109 hp 1.6 and in rental spec, possibly a 4 speed auto, if not the CVT. The current car with a 12% increase in the ponies out front sounds a bit friendlier in urban traffic.
For the record, we ended up with two Fusions, a Dart, and a Mustang. All share good to outstanding low end acceleration, so I guess that must be important on our list of features.
As someone who has had wedding venue after wedding venue in Oregon close I agree these are interesting times we live in. Finally found an officiant and am practicing social distancing by getting married on the beach with plenty of space between our small group of guests.
Thanks for the write up on this quite colorful car and I like different perspectives since Consumer Reports gave a scathing review of this new Versa. Say, how does this Versa do in snow?
Hey congratulations! And the beach sounds like a great place, that’s wonderful.
Last week was the first week in a long time that we had no snow. I gave it back on Tuesday during a light rain but yesterday and today it’s been snowing heavily again. So I can’t report on that aspect unfortunately but can’t say I’m unhappy there wasn’t any.
I can understand that there may be (very) different perspectives sometimes, my main goals are to describe the car the way I see it (as I’ve always done). I certainly hope that nobody who reads my review or that of anyone else actually goes and orders a car sight unseen and undriven, that would be asinine in my opinion. Just like CR hated on the Jeep Wrangler and we found it to be excellent (while keeping in mind the reason it has certain limitations) for our fleet, I’m sure everyone out there has their own parameters and standards that they could (and should) apply. If nothing else we are all different shapes and sizes and what I find comfortable or not will be very different from some others in both ways. There is no substitute for actually going and looking at one yourself. After all, test drives are free and why not be as informed as possible, everyone is different.
Well written response Jim!
Great review, but one minor question: if the fuel release “flap” is on the floor next to the driver’s seat, what is the pull release marked with a fuel pump to the left of (what looks like) the trunk release on the lower dash?
You know what, I totally misspoke, the lever on the floor is the TRUNK release which is what I’m used to seeing there from back in the day. The handles under the dash are the fuel flap and the hood release. Thank you, I will modify the text to be accurate.
Thanks for the quick response, Jim!
It’s kind of weird to group the fuel door and hood releases together, but leave the trunk lever separate. I miss the days when you could rely on nearly any Japanese or Korean car to have the fuel and trunk releases on the floor (and the hood release under the dash or against the kick panel.)
Our Altima had the trunk release as a push-down slider on the dashboard just down and left of the steering wheel. I thought it was brilliant–an ergonomic location without having to reach down onto the grime of floor. Unfortunately, the floor is where the fuel release was.
The Camry replacing it has the fuel and trunk levers down on the floor, and unless you’re vacuuming the carpet every week it feels gross to stick my hand down there.
That’s standard Japanese set up, have the same on my 2015 Mazda 3.
I’ve been on a ‘needs vs. wants’ kick lately as well. Last week I picked up a 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (base model) with the surprisingly pleasant CVT. With minimal haggle I got it for $14,950 + fees and TTL. it’s not as stylish or ‘techy’ as the Versa, but I love the simplicity. The insurance is actually less than the quote I got for the Versa S; when I asked why it was surmised that the front radar / safety systems would require a hefty sum to replace. Avg. mpg per the trip computer this morning was 42.3 (I have an 80 mile round-trip commute, mostly 50 mph secondary roads). Highly recommended for those looking for a well screwed-together appliance.
That’s a great (main?) competitor to the Versa as you noted, I also experienced the insurance conundrum for the same issue when I purchased my last car. What’s ridiculous is that sure it will cost more to replace if needed, but the whole point of the tech is that it is likely to help AVOID some of these accidents in the first place and an accident avoided is an expense that didn’t occur. Asinine. These cars are ideally suited for the types of highways/commutes that you see/use, we have lots like that here as well.
Joe Dennis is probably better on this, but I would suspect that some of these features are not widely enough out there (or well enough tracked) to show a significantly reduced accident rate. Until that happens, the insurance companies only get to look at one number – the cost of the stuff that must be replaced when the car is hit.
It does tend to take a couple years for insurance rating to catch up with new features, since just as you surmised, actuarial data can’t be compiled without a bit of experience. In my experience in the years since the “Nannies” have been fitted to most new cars the rates do reflect them when comparing “Apples to Apples” type scenarios. For instance when the leases on 2016 models ran out in 2019 and customers re-upped with the newer models of vehicles like Accords and Camrys with the updated tech I was seeing rates go down a bit despite the higher value of the newer car. The only individual feature that most insurance companies are specifically crediting rates for (with a check box on the application, that is) is automatic braking. In theory all of a vehicle’s safety and accident avoidance equipment is coded into the VIN, and thus should be accounted for in the rating (or at least that’s all I’ve got available to me to tell my customers when they ask), but I haven’t been able to really see a marked difference in rates between a lower end lower tech vehicle and the nanny-laden upper tier models. And yes, even though that stuff helps to avoid accidents, on the occasions that they happen anyway it’s pricey to repair or replace.
It’s difficult to make a review of a boring car interesting, but you did so here. In fact, you made me think this car isn’t boring at all. How far we have come in car design and packaging. When I compare this to an entry-level car of my youth, such as my much-loved Plymouth Champ, well there’s no comparison for probably similar money. And it will last way longer. And that paint!
Perhaps most interesting to me is that this review comes at a time when we will all be forced to make economic and personal adjustments. Looking forward, my Audi feels a little silly.
Thanks a lot for the read.
Thank you, and yes the timing is quite interesting, I’m somewhat glad that I sold the Porsche last year when I did, I don’t think I’d enjoy myself in it nearly as much as I used to no matter how this all shakes out. If I feel the real need for one I can always go to Turo etc…
Good to see that your recent experiences in the automotive .01% hasn’t spoiled you for little regular cars. 🙂
First off, I’m really loving your photography, especially with this stunning orange Versa. It’s making me pine for Eastern Oregon, which is where we’ll be hopefully heading in a week or two, after I finish a bit of remodeling.
Nissan seems to have done a very nice job with this Versa. It’s impressive how non-cheap it comes across. Things have come a long way int he past 10-12 years, when there was something of a low point in interior feel and look, at least in some cars (Corolla comes to mind).
Thanks for keeping me informed on the full spectrum of new cars. I’m so out of touch otherwise.
Thank you, I got the car on a glorious day in the middle of the afternoon and just had to take advantage of the light and the color until the sun went down. If it was painted black it wouldn’t have been nearly as urgent…
I think the makers have figured out that spending just a few dollars makes a big bigger difference in value and perception and return on those dollars. Even the dashboard and surrounding plastics which in this case were fairly hard weren’t absolutely rock hard and brittle feeling like an F150, it seemed to have just a hint of give to it or at least better surface “feel”, something to do with the actual composition of the plastic from what I understand.
” It’s impressive how non-cheap it comes across.”
An excellent point. I still recall looking at a Versa right after they came out and before we bought our Fit. One was unlocked on a dealer lot after hours. We never felt the need to come back for a test drive on that one. This car has come miles and miles from that one, and has remained at a pretty reasonable price.
Nice to see someone still making attractive and well-built little sedans. This looks a lot nicer than the Yaris (IA) sedan. I say that being a Toyota fan-boy, too, so high praise! I know the Yaris is actually a Mazda 2, but Toyota slapped that fugly “large-mouth bass” face on the front. Welcome to the 99%!
Great color, hopefully Nissan will make more than a handful of them. Someday I hope to get my hands on a gently used atomic orange Vette.
Nice review and photography, Jim.
Despite my negative experience with a Jatco CVT in my Nissan, I come here to praise Versa and not bury it. It’s back to being an appealing car.
The first one, that French looking thing back in 2007 or so, was a cool little car. It had a plush ride. It was rather quiet. The backseat was enormous. The velour was luxurious. The armrests were thickly padded. It had a “meaty” 1.8L when the others had 1.5s. Cadillac of the B-segment econoboxes.
The second one went full penalty box on us. Very cheap feeling interior, none of the niceties of the first gen. Utterly forgettable and cynical, but it was still huge inside for a low price and thus served an admirable purpose.
This one has clawed back a lot of dignity. I like the sharper exterior styling and the interior is a real improvement even if the orange dash stitching and flat-bottomed steering wheel are like Steve Buschemi donning a football helmet and shoulder pads. Nice try, but you’re not fooling anyone. That orange paint is excellent, it reminds me of when Dodge offered it on the Grand Caravan for a few years.
Jim’s right, 122hp in a car of this weight is perfectly adequate. We’ve been spoiled by vehicles with 16lbs/hp that’ll climb to the Eisenhower Tunnel at 15mph above the limit and still only turn at half the max engine speed. I went over that pass in February and noticed an outgoing Versa keeping up with traffic just fine, on steep grades at 11,000ft. CVT was probably pegged at the raucous power peak, but that’s what they do well and it’s still not bad for one of the cheapest cars you can buy.
Interesting review. I haven’t paid much attention to these new Versas, partially because I haven’t seen too many of them (I too am surprised at 66,000 2019 sales) and partially because recent Nissans haven’t impressed me much.
In looking at the pictures and reading your impressions, I haven’t found anything significant that I don’t like about this car — though that kick-up in the rear windowline has me wondering if sitting in the back seat would give a sarcophagus-like effect. The rest of the interior is very pleasant-looking.
And if I were in the market now, I’d likely be among the 0.05% of buyers who’d check out the manual transmission version.
On a different Note: Are those real elk in the second-to-last photo?
Yes they are! There were four of them just chomping in the grass and bushes. I spent about half an hour trying to get decent pix with them in frame without either freaking them out or getting one trapped between me and the car. I used two of the pictures I got. The location is very near the foothills on the way from Loveland to Estes Park but in a completely residential subdivision.
Your half-hour was well spent… it’s a great photo. Since the elk are standing there right next to the sidewalk, I figured they were either a sub-species of street-smart Cityelk, or they were (realistic-looking) statues.
Quite an attractive little car in a photogenic color, which you took full advantage of – great photos.
As usual, an enjoyable review. Jim, I wish you’d rent a car every week.
I’d consider this for my next car, but I’ve found a hatchback meets my needs best.
I used to enjoy Tom Voelk’s car reviews in the NYT. He now has his own YouTube channel, and also gave the new Versa high praise.
http://drivencarreviews.libsyn.com/2020-nissan-versa-sr-20000-for-a-fully-loaded-car
Lovely colour!
It does seem a bit strange to see the Nissan badge on a new sedan as they’re a SUV, CUV, pickup and GTR company only here. I guess there’ll be a lot more of that feeling in the years ahead, as more companies get out of the ‘car’ side of the business…
It’s a shame there’s no hatchback, I think Nissan’s house look works best on the Leaf as the only non-raised hatch in the lineup. The face looks best on a “car” car and the floating roof best on a two-box.
Another great review – I’m with you on the color, makes an adequate car a lot more appealing.
And my ’74 Crown also had the pull up trunk lever – I think Japan has been doing that for ages…Jim.
As folk queue up and punch grannies aside just so they can (apparently) meet the need to wipe their lardy arses every ten minutes, it becomes pretty overt that we’re in the zone of over-consumption. We’ve been there a while.
This little car is already loaded, basic. Airbags, protective structures, you name it. That it looks perfectly decent and drives same is a bonus. It can’t tow the house to higher ground come the flood and the rapture, it’s true, but sometimes enough is enough. Learning to live with less, sure (provided my house is fully stocked at the cost of yours, and my real car is big enough at the cost of everything, of course).
Ah, apologies Jim. Feeling a bit blue about the how a massively privileged world whether Aus or elsewhere that’s called “the West” has devolved in the face of something that’ll only (in the end) affect the hip pockets of 90% of us, rather than our existence.
Anyway, excellent review, as expected. It is a slight pity they don’t hand out the real basic version for testing, as it’s likely to be a chunk of what goes out the door. A leather wheel, for eg, makes a fair bit of difference to overall perceptions.
And while on my miserabilist theme, I also reckon that colour resembles a urinal tablet after immediate use, but I’m clearly in a minority, and probably rightly so given my mood right at this minute!
Cheers, then.
I wasn’t aware there was a new Versa on the market (Latio in JDM spec, which is how we get most of them now as foreign used cars). It looks a lot less ungainly than the car it replaced even though you can clearly see it is an evolution of that model. I always liked the roominess of the earlier model and this one seems to follow through on that. The colour is a striking one and is available on X-Trails (Rogues), Marches and Qashqais as well. In the new car market, the X-Trail has dominated Nissan’s sales for a good few years now and I don’t even think the authorized Nissan dealer imports Versas anymore, especially since the updated Sentra (2015 ff) did not sell very well.