The Nissan Versa as follows:

Gas Mileage  24 mpg City / 32 mpg Hwy 
Engine  4-Cyl, 1.8 Liter 
Transmission  Automatic, CVT
Drivetrain  FWD 
Max Seating Capacity  5 
Doors  5 ( hatchback)

Looking at the Versa it certainly has its own styling. A bit boxy and a bit streamlined. You really have to look at it a few times to take it all in.

I realize this is an entry level car in many respects, and in it's price bracket has a decent appeal for what you get as far as options and performance. I can see why people like it from some angles, and wonder again from other angles.

The seating is not for large people, my head constantly whisked the roof no matter what position I had the seat in. Though the ergonomics for such a small car were a little better than other small cars I have driven.

The rear seat I would never fit in, leave that for the kids and groceries. The hatchback cargo area is sufficient for most light loads and groceries, but with the overall size of the car, it is average.

Controls are easy enough to get to, because I could almost reach across the entire car with my right arm. The temp controls and stereo are basic enough and easy to set. And the air conditioning and heat worked well enough.

The steering wheel has cruise buttons, and as far as toys that is about it. But really, for a $15,000 car you cannot expect much from it. Electric windows, and 1 electric seat for the driver are both basic and functional. Leg room is adequate for people up to 5’10” in my opinion at the top end.

The 4 cylinder engine has plenty of pep for its class, actually surprised me when I needed to goose it a bit to jump lanes, but under 35 MPH. As with many cars in its class it is built for city driving and economy than for comfort. Once you hit passing gear at higher speeds the engine will whine as many in this class will.

The transmission is a CVT, and tends to 'hop' more than most I have driven. It gets a bit irritating to me after awhile, but is a smooth feeling transmission while moving steadily. I have mixed feelings on this application for a car in this class.

The suspension could really use some help here. You feel every bump, rock, and pothole and it does not inspire confidence of sturdiness at all. I feel less on my motorcycle than in this car. It is something I would never drive for any distance or on bad city roads daily.

Sound system is average for en entry level car, nothing to boast about, but nothing to whine about either.

Visibility is decent with no real bad blind spots, which can be a trouble area in similarly styled cars.

Steering is tight enough with decent lane changing capability and should be adequate for anyone. Though the VW and Toyota cars in this class seem better suited, it is fine for the most part.

The one thing that got me was the mileage. With the Corolla getting over 40 MPG and the VW Golf getting high 30's and better, this is a hard sell for me. A new Corolla can be found for $15,000 out the door and the styling and comfort excels when compared to this Versa. It seems in this day and age a car of this class should easily get 38+ per gallon, but this one averaged about 29 Highway and less city.

My BMW 5 series gets 24 city, 31 Highway, as does my Audi A6 with 2 tons of beef and all time 4x4. It just doesn’t seem right to me unless all of your time is done in heavy city traffic; the comparison is not that good.

As far as fit, feel and comfort this car to me would compare to most smaller American cars. Reliability in the long run I assume will be as any Nissan. And that is low maintenance and long life.

But if anyone were to ask me about entry level cars, I would certainly pass this over to a comparable Toyota or VW, with the exceptiuon the VW will cost more to maintain over the life of the car and may not be as reliable. However the Corolla will be.

Side by side, dollar for dollar I would run with the Toyota hands down for fit, finish, feel, and gas mileage.

For city driving, I can see where it has some strong points, but not for much else. It seems like good transportation for the money at the lower end of the options list, but when it begins running over 15k I have doubts as to it being the better value that other comparable Japanese or European cars in it's class.

So would I recommend this to others? Yes if it the only option in the area where you cannot get another foreign car and have only certain American cars as competition.

But if a Toyota dealer is nearby, I would assuredly say the Corolla is a much better deal in many ways than the Versa is.

Dollar for dollar I like the Toyota much better for comfort, performance and looks when compared to the Nissan.
Amount Paid (US$): 15000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: Versa