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The Nissan Versa 1.6 offers more space, refinement, and safety than you might
expect for its $9,990 base price, but you'll need to buy your own stereo.
“A lot for a little,” boasted the advertising for the Nissan Versa after the automaker introduced a base version of the compact sedan priced from under $10,000.
But while the basic idea of “a lot for a little” has been done many times – budget automakers have long compensated for shoddy engineering by offering lots of standard features for the money – the Versa’s take is special.
You don’t get a lot of features for your $10,000, that’s for sure. You get a manual transmission, naturally, plus a smaller engine even than most other economy cars. Crank windows, no power locks or mirrors. No air conditioning, and no stereo.
As tested, at $11,685, you do at least get air conditioning, but that’s still not where the Versa gets its “a lot for a little.” Rather, it's that even the cheapest Versa offers most of the same strengths that helped a pricier, better-equipped version with a bigger engine emerge the winner in a comparison of compact sedans.
For $9,900, the second-lowest base price of any car sold in the United States (a few dollars behind the smaller and less polished 3-door Hyundai Accent), you get a level of room, comfort, safety, and refinement that’s absent from some cars costing twice as much.
On the outside, you can distinguish the base Versa 1.6 models from the pricier 1.8S and 1.8SL – which have larger engines and more features – by its extra use of gray plastic instead of body-colored trim and smaller wheels.
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Inside, the 1.6 stands out for the large empty space in the center of its instrument panel, where the higher-end Versas get the factory-installed radio and CD player, which is not offered on the base car. An aftermarket unit should fit easily, at least, and the car is pre-wired to accept one.Higher-end Versas, like the 1.8S with the power package that won the economical sedan comparison, also have nicer interiors with some higher-quality materials and more soft-touch surfaces on the dash and door panels. (At $16,100 as tested, with such niceties as power windows and an automatic transmission, that car too is a bargain for its class.)
But even as a downgrade, the Versa 1.6’s interior remains pleasant by the standards of economy cars. The seats are well-shaped and generously padded, and the fabrics don’t feel cheap, and there’s lots of space. Even the cheapest Versas feel more upscale to sit in than a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris; it’s more comparable to those brands’ larger Civic and Corolla models.
The Versa is also unusually spacious for a small car, with lots of head room and a rear seat that’s roomier and more comfortable than in many midsize sedans, including Nissans’. The EPA rates it as a midsize car for its interior volume. The trunk is fairly roomy, but the rear seat does not fold down to expand its volume.
The Versa also is surprisingly pleasant to drive for a $10,000 car. The 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine packs only 107 horsepower, but the buzzy note you’d expect in a small car with a tiny engine is absent from the Versa. It also returns a decent 26 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway, the same as the Honda Civic and better than most other compact sedans. You give up one mile per gallon on the highway and presumably quite a bit of your pep if you opt for the automatic transmission.
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The engine is quiet under all but the hardest acceleration and isn’t harsh, and the car cruises quietly on the highway except for mild wind noise. The ride is also smooth and well-controlled.But while it’s pleasant and maneuverable, no one would mistake the Versa for a sports sedan. Some small cars like the Honda Fit can feel almost sporty, using their light weight, compact dimensions, and quick steering to dart around at low speeds. The Versa is hardly clumsy, but it doesn’t encourage fast cornering. The small 14-inch tires wouldn’t offer much grip if you did try to push it anyway.
The Versa’s tiny tires may also hurt its braking abilities. Consumer Reports magazine reported long stopping distances without the optional antilock brakes even with the 1.8S model’s slightly larger tires, and less rubber on the road won't improve that. An ABS system is theoretically available for just $250 extra, and certainly worth choosing if you can, but it wasn’t equipped on the car driven for this review or on the other Versa 1.6 on the dealer lot at the time.
The Versa does include other safety features as standard equipment: six airbags, which helped it earn the top rating of Good in the tough IIHS side crash test, impressive for a small car; and active head restraints, which move closer to occupants’ heads in a rear-end collision, a useful feature that’s rare even among much pricier vehicles.
Also, even at its low price, the Versa’s predicted reliability hasn’t fallen short. Though there’s no available data on the 1.6-liter engine, which was just introduced to the U.S. market, other Versas have so far done well in surveys by Consumer Reports and TrueDelta.com.
Overall, the Versa bucks the trend of the cheapest cars by offering more than the most basic transportation at the lowest possible price. You get the same budget but with a car that feels much more substantial and that offers much more safety and practicality. Previously, consumers shopping in this price range had to choose between a nice used car and a cruddy new one, but that decision isn’t forced with the base Versa.
As long as you’re willing to roll up your windows the old-fashioned way.
Vehicle tested: 2009 Nissan Versa 1.6
Vehicle base price: $9,990
Vehicle price as tested: $11,685
Test vehicle provided by: Passport Nissan of Marlow Heights, Md.
For more info: Nissan web site
Photos by Brady Holt.
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- Review: 2009 Honda Fit, just an expensive economy car or something special?
Comments
I'm surprised ABS has not become standard after all this time. I'm gonna go look up what the insurance industry has on ABS stats. Thanks for the review, Brady.
Hey Brady, I drove one of these things as a rental in Guam of all places and loved it. Even took it off road a bit. It fit me, a 6 footer, quite well and was fun. The manual shift mode was sluggish though but all in all, nice little package. Go for the hatchback though.
Marc,
The Versa hatchback is only available with the 1.8-liter engine, which costs $3,000 more than the base car and gets lower gas mileage. The extra practicality is certainly nice, though.
I just got a 1.6 and have zero complaints. It's roomy and has enough go for me. I am pleasanty surprised by the package nissan offers here. Much better alternative to a used car. The low cost and really cheap insurance on top of great safety features makes this car a real winner. Check out www.nissanversaforums.com if interested in the Versa!
I have been looking at this car for over a year now, and FINALLY got one yesterday - 1.6 5 speed sedan with air. I will be slipping my old CD playing in it tonight, since they come pre-wired with speakers and an antenna. I traded in my clunker under the cash for clunkers deal, and my final loan ammount was under 8k. The comfort is better and the power is much more than the 1.5L Yaris I test drove, both 5 speeds with air. I know I've only driven it for a day, but I can't find any complaints....You can't beat the quality and reliability for the price anywhere else.
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