Introduced to the US market in 2007, the Versa is Nissan's super-sized alternative to the Honda Fit, Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Accent, and Toyota Yaris. While all cars in this class are inexpensive, offer decent gas mileage, and provide good utility in their hatchback forms, it's hard to find a car in this class that is more than a ho-hum vessel designed solely for moving a few bodies and perhaps a set of golf clubs. The Versa offers a larger engine than its competitors and loads of interior space, but is this small car with big intentions any better than the herd of micro sedans and sub-compact hatchbacks on the market?

The Versa is available in two body styles: a 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback. Two trim levels are offered: the base “S” and the top-of-the-line "SL.” Under the hood of all Versa’s, however, is the same DOHC 1.8-liter 4-cylinder motor making 122 horsepower and 127lb-ft of torque (about 15 more horsepower than most of the Versa's competitors). Three transmissions are available: a standard 6-speed manual gearbox for all trim levels, an optional 4-speed automatic for "S" models, and an optional CVT automatic for SL trim levels.

Performance: Hatchback: 6-speed

Acceleration: 7/10

The Versa may have the most power and torque in its class, however it’s also the heaviest vehicle in this class. Weighing nearly 2,700 lbs. all that extra power is quickly soaked up by physics, making the Versa about as quick to 60 MPH as most of its less powerful but lighter competitors. Those who prefer lower revving engines, however, will appreciate the Versa's more accessible power in the lower RPM range. Unlike the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, which need to be revved pretty hard to get any sort of power out of them, the Versa offers adequate grunt from idle. The downside, though, is that at above 6,000 RPM (where the Fit and Yaris get most of their power) is where the Versa's engine runs out of breath and blurts out a “kill me now” exhaust note. Before you get the impression that the Versa is a noisy bucket, most consumers will probably rarely push this car to 6,000 RPM. Thus, I suspect most consumers will find the Versa's power plant to be well tamed under normal driving conditions.

Engine Quality: 7/10

While the Versa's 4-cylinder isn't the paradigm of technological mastery, this engine operates on a smoother level than many engines in this class, i.e. the Chevy Aveo's and Hyundai Accent's 4-cylinders. The Versa's engine can be most appreciated at low cruising speeds where engine noise is no more than what one would expect to come from larger cars such as the Civic or Corolla. The only gripe I have with the Versa's engine in terms of quality is its behavior in the upper rev range. As mentioned, above 6,000 RPM the Versa's twin cam 4-cylinder gets harsh, making it known audibly that it's not one of those rev happy engines we typically find under the hoods of Japanese hatchbacks.


Transmission- 6-speed manual: 6/10

Once reserved exclusively for expensive sports cars, the Versa gets a standard 6-speed manual transmission instead of the more common 5-speed gearbox. Don't be fooled by the number of gears, however: this is no sport-tuned transmission. The Versa's seemingly sporty manual transmission feels rubbery and the shifter's throws are far too long for quick shifting. On a positive note, the Versa's gearbox provides good gearing with a nice top gear ratio that is short enough (at 65 MPH the tachometer hovers in the 3,000 range) as to keep the Versa's 4-banger from bogging down while climbing moderate grades or while making quick passing maneuvers in top gear.

Highway Cruising: 6/10

The Versa does well on the highway, but I would have liked to have seen Nissan's engineers use a little more care in keeping the cabin isolated from wind and road noise at high speeds. At 65 MPH the Versa is about as quiet as the Fit, but go another 5 or 10 MPH and wind, engine noise, and general road noises all become little annoyances that make this car feel every bit the sub 15K econo-hatch that it is. It’s also not the smoothest of vehicles. On smooth highway surfaces the Versa does just fine, but toss in a few bumps and grooves in the mix and the Versa feels harsh, even for this class.

Handling 7/10

Though I wouldn't consider the Versa a "fun" car to drive on twisty roads, it does better than expected. Despite my Versa S's roller skate type 185/65 all season tires, I didn't notice much body roll: no more so than I remember when driving the Honda Fit. On sharp bends in the road the Versa feels stable and despite its archaic torsion beam rear suspension it felt well controlled through sharp turns in the road: even when road imperfections were present it never veered off track. Also, despite having electric power steering, the Versa provides decent steering feedback without the complete disconnect that I experienced with the new Toyota Corolla's electric steering. Toyota could learn a thing or two from Nissan in this department.

Gas Mileage: 5/10

Though buying an economy car in 2008 yields less compromise than it did back in the '80s and '90s, consumers still expect one reward for the moderate trade-off of not having tons of room or engine power: and that is good fuel economy. Unfortunately the Nissan Versa doesn't offer much of a reward in this department. The EPA rates the CVT equipped Versa at a mediocre 27 MPG city/33 MPG highway, the 4-speed conventional auto at 24 MPG city /32 MPG highway, and the 6-speed manual at a V6-esque 26 MPG city and 31 MPG on the highway. If MPG in the mid- high 30s on the highway sounds more appealing, you may want to check out the Toyota Yaris or the Honda Fit.

Interior:

Though the Versa doesn't provide the best ride, the best engine, or the best fuel economy in this class, its interior is one to behold.

Styling: 10/10

Other than a select few cars in this class, i.e. the Honda Fit, most interiors in this segment are blandly styled or look downright cheap, as in the case of the Chevrolet Aveo and Hyundai Accent. The Versa S's interior doesn't look like it belongs to a car in this class. In sharp contrast to the Versa's economical exterior design, its interior is surprisingly rich looking. Inside the Versa you'll find a tasteful amount of chrome accents, an attractive and functional layout, and an overall appearance that looks aeons more sophisticated than its competitors.

Interior Quality: 9/10

While most car manufactures drown the interiors of their sub-compacts in a sea of cheap plastics to save on cost, Nissan has done just the opposite. Aside from the somewhat flimsy HVAC controls, everything in the Versa feels high quality and built to last. I especially appreciate Nissan's use of high quality soft plastics and high quality fabric: from the driver's seat you'd never guess that you were in a sub-compact with a sticker price less than 15k.

Nissan also did an excellent job with Versa's ergonomics. Everything in the Versa's cabin is logically placed for easy eyes-on-road use. The only slight rant that I have here is that it does take a bit of coaxing from the seats to find a good driving position. The Versa “S” only comes with 4-way manual seating and no telescoping steering wheel, so it does take some fidgeting with the seats to find a driving position. The top-level SL trim, however, gets 6-way adjustable seating: something that should be standard on all trim levels.

Seats: 6/10

The Versa's seats are a mixed bag. While the soft valuer fabric feels soft against the skin and there is plenty of seat cushioning (uncommon for this class), Nissan apparently forgot that people may need shoulder and thigh support while driving. Though super prominent seat bolsters aren't exactly needed for a vehicle in this class, Nissan has made the Versa's front bucket seats almost perfectly flat. I haven't sat in bucket seats this side of 1995 that were so flat an unwilling to hold an occupant in place. Added to my gripes, and as already mentioned, the Versa S's driver seat only offers 4-way adjustments. It would have been nice had Nissan added at standard height adjustments without having to upgrade to SL trim level.

Equipment: 7/10

All Versa's are adequately equipped, but if you want power windows and locks, you'll have to pay extra. Standard on my base Versa S came AC w/air filter, tilt steering wheel, front/side/ curtain air bags, 4-cup holders, and a no frills single disc CD sound system that makes due with just 4 speakers. With the two options equipped on my Versa S: the power package ($700) and Cruise control ($200), my Versa was well equipped, but no more so than, say, a base (comparably priced) Honda Fit. Those who want more equipment should opt for the SL trim. In addition to much more standard equipment, Nissan provides the SL trim with more luxury options that can't be had on the base models, i.e. a power sunroof.

Room & Storage: Hatchback 9/10

Although the Versa competes against small cars such as the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Chevrolet Aveo, interior room is more comparable to the 2008 Corolla or Honda Civic sedan than its small competitors. This being the case, the front of the Versa's cabin offers plenty of head, leg and shoulder room: I imagine even 6 footers will have enough space up front. The rear of the cabin is just as impressive, offering tons of legroom and more than enough headroom for most occupants. Stowage space doesn't rank so well, however. The Versa S's cabin offers just a couple of cubbies including a glove box, but no center console for the "S" trim level. The rear hatch area doesn't fare much better. With the rear seats up there is enough storage room for a few grocery bags and perhaps a small UPS box, but nothing more. I imagine most consumers looking for a vehicle in this class will be willing to forgive the Versa's small rear storage area for the massive amount of interior space. It should be noted, however, that if larger items need to be hauled, the Versa comes with 60/40 split folding rear seats, which substantially increases cargo capacity.

Price/Warranty:

The Versa S starts out at $13,000 (about $1,000 less than the base Honda Fit and about $1,000 more than a base Toyota Yaris.) Don't be fooled by the Versa's base price, though. With just a few options the price can easily reach the $17,000 mark. In fact, there were about ten Versa's on the lot and none of them carried the base sticker price and most were well above 15K. With just the power package and optional cruise control, my "S" tester came to just over $14,000: or about the same price as a comparably equipped Honda Fit. Like most Japanese vehicles, the Versa get s a stingy standard warranty. Nissan gives the Versa an unimpressive 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000 mile power train warranty.

Final Verdict: 7/10

While the Versa won't give you he best fuel economy in this class, the quickest acceleration in this class, or the most stylish exterior design in this class, it does have its excelling attributes. The Versa offers far more interior room than any of its competitors, provides superior interior materials for this segment, and an attractive base price. If you are on the market for a relatively fuel-efficient hatchback that doesn’t sacrifice interior space or quality, the Versa is definitely worth a look.


Thanks for reading!

Amount Paid (US$): 14,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: S 6-speed manual