Topic: Test Drive: 2010 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL hatchback

[Autos_Editor]

Still the "jumbo shrimp" of the subcompact class, the Nissan Versa hatchback is roomy, comfortable and practical, though not particularly exciting, says Editor-in-chief, Greg Wilson.  The safety of electronic stability control has been added for 2010.

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[Dale Martin]

Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article

[John MacDonald]

If I was to pick any sub compact it would be the Honda Fit (well unless you want to count the wonderful Mini cars) right now.  But in a few months I think the new Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2 will be the king of the castle sort of speak.  That does not make this Versa bad, because it is not a bad car, when comparing to others in it's segment.  Of course the Honda is more expensive and I realize that.  But at the below $13,000 mark there isn't much competition and all of them I would consider not much better than the other in it's class.  I can't fault this car on much besides the fact I don't find it overly attractive, but that's subjective so doesn't really count.  I will say that the sub $13,000 mark vehicles are not what I would consider a fun or exciting car.  They do what they are supposed to, save you money, by not costing much to maintain or run (and of course the initial purchasing cost is low).  Not the type of car I would ever consider owning but definitely a market for it.

[Jaeger]

This is a really solid effort from Nissan.  It is unbelievably huge inside for such a compact exterior footprint.  It's comfortable, decently equipped, practical, efficient and affordable.  The Honda Fit is all those things and fun to drive, which is why my wife bought one.  It is, and will remain the class-leader in this respect - at least until the much-hyped Fiesta finally arrives.  But not everyone wants / needs / cares about a sporty driving experience.  Toyota has proven the point by selling a gazillion Corollas.  The Versa kind of strikes me as the Corolla of the subcompact class.  That's certainly not a bad thing, even of it's not my particular thing.

Jaeger

[aknutson]

"optional CV transmission "

I think you mean optional CVT.

The Versa is a tempting little car but that damn centre console is so square, it digs into my kneecap. Good package, attractive, reasonably comfortable (except for my knee) but will it suffer against the Fiesta/Mazda2? I think so.

I think you're right on the Fiesta/Mazda2, because what the Versa has in functionality, the Fiesta/2 make up for in modern design and style. It seems the most recent trend is not focused around pure functionality, but style and features coming first. Look and all the new sedans coming out with low rooflines - new Malibu, Mazda6, Passat CC, even the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. This no doubt cuts down on usable headroom, but the 'look' is what sells. The new Fiesta and Mazda 2 have much more modern interiors, stylish exteriors, lively motors and fresh styling.

The Versa is completely functional, but it's dated style will be the kicker. I'm sure the psychotic looking Juke will do more than enough to liven up the Nissan compact lineup.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I do see a lot of these on the streets around Winnipeg.  So Nissan must have done something right with it!

[Spheric]

I wonder how much of the car is Renault ?

[Jason]

For me, this car is a rolling design flaw.  I mean, if you want a hatchback...I assume you want to put things into your car.  Look at the narrow opening of the bottom of the hatch.  My wife and I looked at several small hatchbacks several months ago...the Versa was the only one we discarded in the first ten seconds.

[jphoto]

I wonder how much of the car is Renault ?

Google up some images of a Renault Scénic.

[dutch]

we have had our 2010 sl h/b for about a week now. It was to be my wife's car, but I have been driving it - it is roomy, great visibility and fun to drive around town. We looked at the Honda Fit (I did not fit - being 6'3), Hyundai nice, but the sales guy was an idiot, Mazda - can't get over the bugs bunny look with a white front licence plate, Toyota Matrix - again did not fit comfortably. Overall very happy with the Versa - yes it is a cheap car, but for the $$ I think it's a great package

[Sival]

"optional CV transmission "

I think you mean optional CVT.

Actually, what she wrote was correct. CVT means "Continuously Variable Transmission" so if you say "an optional CVT transmission" then you are basically saying "an optional Continuously Variable Transmission transmission". Though generally it's better to be consistent and either abbreviate every word or none at all, so either saying "it has an optional CVT" (if you presume others know what you are talking about) or "it has an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT)".

[libraman]

"Fuel economy with the CVT is supposed to be better than with the standard six-speed manual transmission: 7.3 L/100 km (39 mpg) city and 5.8 L100 km (49 mpg) highway vs 7.9/6.3 (36/45) – I averaged 9.0 L/100 km in a week of mostly city driving in cool weather on winter tires."

The key word being "supposed".  I bet in real world tests that the manual tranny will provide much better economy.  Cheaper out the door too. Also, agree with the writer that the CVt is boring.   

Interior of this vehicle is second to none in its class. Really gives the impression of being in a more expensive car. According to Consume Reports, the reliabilty of the hatchback is much better than that of the sedan. Go figure.

[DBrown]

I test drove this car, along with a Sentra. It is indeed comfortable for the class. Big overstuffed seats, light steering, soft ride, and a relatively quiet interior. I could see its appeal.

People are praising the Versa's interior, but Nissan really did the absolute minimum when designing the rear seat. The seatback folds forward, and that's it. Very disappointing for a hatchback. The finishing behind the seat varies from car to car; the fabric is quickly stapled into place with little regard for how it would look to the customer. And the velcro flap to hide the gap between the seat and the cargo cover is just ridiculous.

(In the end I bought a Chevy Cobalt instead of either Nissan. It wasn't a better car, but it was over $3000 cheaper than the Versa after GM's crazy discounts...)

[Winterpeg]

I do see a lot of these on the streets around Winnipeg.  So Nissan must have done something right with it!

Yes....agree with GBA.......alot of Versa's around these parts.
However still my vote for best "bang for your $$$$" is the Honda Fit ....in GT form for moi. Sporty handling + HUGE cargo versitility = fun, fun, FUN......at least until Mazda 2/Ford Feista duo arrive.   

[Winterpeg]

I'm still out to lunch with the performance of the CVT. Glad to hear you have a choice between that and the 4sp auto......is there a message being sent out here? Perhaps....     

[PCB]

I refuse to buy a vehicle that requires premium fuel.  The turbo is nice to flatten out the power and torque curves, but the engine should be redesigned to accomodate 87 octane (or even 89 octane).
I'll take a pass on this one, and the BMW, and the Lexus, and the Mazda, and the....

You get the picture.

[Sival]

"Fuel economy with the CVT is supposed to be better than with the standard six-speed manual transmission: 7.3 L/100 km (39 mpg) city and 5.8 L100 km (49 mpg) highway vs 7.9/6.3 (36/45) – I averaged 9.0 L/100 km in a week of mostly city driving in cool weather on winter tires."

The key word being "supposed".  I bet in real world tests that the manual tranny will provide much better economy.  Cheaper out the door too. Also, agree with the writer that the CVt is boring.

Depends on how the manual is used. Someone who shifts at 4000 RPMs will get much worse fuel economy than one who shifts at 2500 RPMs. It depends also on how the CVT is driven, since it can keep high RPMs so readily, people who drive aggressively will get much worse, and people who drive conservatively will probably see close to the figures.

For instance, mpgomatic, a economy-minded car review site, got 38,9 MPG (US) on the highway (roughly 6,0 l/100 Km, rated 6,0 l/100 Km in Canada) with a CVT-equipped Versa and 34,3 MPG (around 6,9 l/100 Km). For comparison sake, they got 35,4 MPG highway (6,6 l/100 Km, rating: 6,4 l/100 Km) and 29,8 MPG combined with a manual Elantra Touring and they got 44 MPG highway (5,35 l/100 Km, rating: 5,5 l/100 Km) and 34,3 MPG combined with an automatic Fit.

All these results are in line with what the Canadian ratings say, the Elantra Touring is rated 6,4 l/100 Km on the highway versus 6,0 l/100 Km for the CVT Versa, so roughly 7% worse and it got roughly 10% worse in their testing. The Fit is rated at 5,5 l/100 Km, so around 8% better than the Versa, and it got 11% better, but its combined fuel economy was the same. Considering the test variations (weather and the like), all these results are close enough to indicate that the official ratings tend to hold true if one drives carefully.

People often make the mistake of comparing a given vehicle driven a certain way by someone on a certain route with what another vehicle driven by someone else in a different way and on a different route gets, then they declare that the ratings are bull. Whenever that happens, I must buy a new keyboard since I bang my head on the current one a bit too hard.

[sacrat]

I think an intriguing alternative to the Versa is the Kia Soul. For about $1000 more than a loaded Versa you can get sun roof satellite radio, bluetooth and heated seats. The Soul has a larger engine with 20 more horses and a traditional 4spd. auto., for those who don't like CVTs. It also has more cargo space, a square rear loading area, and is actually 8cm ( about 5 inches shorter for ease of manouverability and parking). Throw in Kia's 5 year warranty and you've got a winner. I like the Versa, but it's starting to suffer against newer entries, and the unfinished look of the cargo area with seats down just looks nasty...

[Sival]

I think an intriguing alternative to the Versa is the Kia Soul. For about $1000 more than a loaded Versa you can get sun roof satellite radio, bluetooth and heated seats. The Soul has a larger engine with 20 more horses and a traditional 4spd. auto., for those who don't like CVTs. It also has more cargo space, a square rear loading area, and is actually 8cm ( about 5 inches shorter for ease of manouverability and parking). Throw in Kia's 5 year warranty and you've got a winner. I like the Versa, but it's starting to suffer against newer entries, and the unfinished look of the cargo area with seats down just looks nasty...

8 cm is more like 3 inches.

Anyway, the Versa does have an advantage over the Soul in terms of fuel economy and price. The Soul also starts with a 1.6L engine, to have the 2.0L engine, you have to select a model that costs more than 18 000$, nearly 20 000 $ if you want an automatic. That's before any other option. It's also ugly as sin, but that's subjective.

The real competitor of the Soul in the Nissan lineup is the Cube, it's just as ugly and has a bit more cargo area with the back seat folded.

[sacrat]

I think an intriguing alternative to the Versa is the Kia Soul. For about $1000 more than a loaded Versa you can get sun roof satellite radio, bluetooth and heated seats. The Soul has a larger engine with 20 more horses and a traditional 4spd. auto., for those who don't like CVTs. It also has more cargo space, a square rear loading area, and is actually 8cm ( about 5 inches shorter for ease of manouverability and parking). Throw in Kia's 5 year warranty and you've got a winner. I like the Versa, but it's starting to suffer against newer entries, and the unfinished look of the cargo area with seats down just looks nasty...

8 cm is more like 3 inches.

Anyway, the Versa does have an advantage over the Soul in terms of fuel economy and price. The Soul also starts with a 1.6L engine, to have the 2.0L engine, you have to select a model that costs more than 18 000$, nearly 20 000 $ if you want an automatic. That's before any other option. It's also ugly as sin, but that's subjective.

The real competitor of the Soul in the Nissan lineup is the Cube, it's just as ugly and has a bit more cargo area with the back seat folded.

Judging by the number of Souls vs. Cubes on the road in Calgary, many people like the Soul's styling just fine. As I mentioned, I was comparing a loaded Soul with a loaded Versa. On the Versa you need to order both extra packages to get most (but not all) of what's on the top model Soul. Just a better value, and by analogy a better value than the cube which is mostly a re-bodied Versa.