Short Take Road Test
WHAT IS IT?
Nissan’s least-expensive car and, in sedan form, one of the least-expensive cars you can buy, period. And it’s not totally awful. For 2010, the Nissan Versa includes a few barely noticeable enhancements (new grille, wheels, and wheel covers) on the outside, as well as a new gauge cluster and audio-system lineup on the inside. Like Mazda with its popular 3, Nissan is trying to position its hatchback as the premium model, so hatchback Versas in the nicer SL trim get “sport” interior and exterior packages. A slab of wood-grain trim is also available on the SL hatch. Hatchbacks come standard with a 122-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, whereas the sedan comes with a choice of that or, for value-conscious customers, a smaller, 1.6-liter four-pot with 107 hp powering a model that also ditches the radio and power accessories and makes A/C optional. (Interestingly, although the 1.6 model is the value choice, it sees no benefit in fuel economy, with the 1.6 manual sedan getting 26 city/34 highway mpg ratings from the EPA, the same scores that the 1.8 with the CVT achieves.)
HOW DOES IT DRIVE?
To familiarize ourselves with the updated Versa, we drove the top-shelf 1.8SL hatchback with the CVT. No surprise, it wasn’t terribly fun. Blame the miserable droning of the engine that comes courtesy of the pulley tranny. It was, however, surprisingly comfortable and reasonably well damped and sprung, at least for this class.
On the test track, the 1.8 powered the Versa hatch to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 17.1 at 81 mph, which are the same figures we recorded for a Versa sedan with 300 fewer pounds to carry, the 107-hp 1.6-liter four, and a five-speed manual transmission. The numbers are also quicker than those of a 2009 Honda Fit with the five-speed automatic—9.9 seconds to 60 and 17.6 at 79 mph in the quarter—but slower than the Fit Sport with the five-speed manual, which took only 8.5 seconds to 60 and covered the quarter in 16.6 at 83 mph. Ther Versa's braking from 70 mph was an unimpressive 194 feet, while skidpad grip maxed out at 0.81 g. Despite a fuel-economy rating of 28 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, the best we could manage was 26 overall.
HOW DOES IT STACK UP?
The Versa competes in the cheap-o-sphere along with the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Toyota Yaris. In a recent econo-car comparison test, we rated it second out of seven behind the sportier Honda Fit. Its fuel-economy ratings are midpack, as is its price once it’s fitted with the features lacking in the 1.6 model. Load it up, and it remains competitively priced. It’s a decent around-town driver and has cargo space at the top of its class. Sexy? No. A compelling value? Yes, especially with the new $400 in-dash navigation system that, when optioned with XM satellite radio, includes XM NavTraffic updates. Of course, as we’ve said in the past, the Versa hatch has laudable versatility when those rear seats fold down. One can’t fit quite as much into the sedan, but both meet our expectations.
WHAT’S THE COST?
Versa pricing for 2010 ranges from $10,620 for the 1.6 base sedan with the five-speed manual to $17,250 for a 1.8SL hatchback, which is only available with the CVT. There are a total of seven body style, engine, and transmission variations. These prices rise well into the Sentra range, and we would suggest looking into one of those before deciding on the Versa. Still, you can definitely do worse for the money.
