Vehicles are too complicated. What the hell do I would like facial recognition or a 30-inch display for? I am not watching Avatar: The Method Of Water in 4K. That is why it was so refreshing to spend time within the Nissan Versa.
The Versa is at the moment the most cost effective automobile in America. You may get a base S mannequin with a guide transmission for $17,225 with vacation spot (in concept, if you’ll find one). With so many low-cost vehicles going the way in which of the dodo, the Versa is a final bastion of affordability… till it too is discontinued.
An argument towards low-cost vehicles is that People merely don’t desire them. But it surely’s not true. Within the first three months of 2024, Nissan almost doubled Versa gross sales over final yr. A facelift helps, however even in 2021—a traditionally dangerous yr for brand spanking new automobile gross sales—Nissan bought greater than 60,000 Versas. Individuals nonetheless need reasonably priced vehicles, simply have a look at the numbers.
It is simple to see why folks need the Versa. Despite the fact that it’s cheap, it would not really feel low-cost. The bottom S mannequin has an honest 7.0-inch touchscreen, Nissan’s Security Defend 360 suite normal (which incorporates automated emergency braking, a lane-departure warning, and high-beam help), and probably the most headroom and legroom of any automobile within the class. It is comfortable.
Even the totally loaded SR mannequin I drove prices lower than $23,000. That will get you a much bigger 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise management, fancy paint choices (like Scarlet Ember), and fabric seats with a fake leather-trimmed sprint.
Professionals: Ample Customary Gear, Snug Cabin, Surprisingly Flingable
The totally loaded Versa feels about as good a mid-range Buick, which says quite a bit. The black-on-black, cloth-and-pleather combo appears to be like bland, however orange stitching helps offset the visible monotony. And the general inside design appears to be like clear. The middle touchscreen is crisp and appears fashionable, too, and CarPlay is a breeze to make use of.
The Versa was designed to get you from level A to level B with out frills, so it is not a thrill to drive. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine delivers a no-nonsense 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque to the entrance wheels through a repeatedly variable transmission. The bottom mannequin comes with a five-speed guide. There’s simply sufficient energy to maneuver the Versa out of its personal means, however you’ll have to bury the go-fast pedal to achieve freeway speeds.
What’s stunning, although, is how refined the trip is. Aside from an excessive amount of highway noise, the Versa is compliant and cozy. Its suspension feels gentle, rapidly quashing bumps, and there is not an excessive amount of physique roll. The steering even has good suggestions. Dare I say the Versa is kinda enjoyable to fling round?
My greatest ding towards the Versa is the way in which it appears to be like. The egg-shaped, grille-heavy sedan would not precisely ooze enchantment—not that many small vehicles do. At the least the 17-inch directional wheels on this SR mannequin are fashionable.
One other small knock towards the Versa is that you simply nonetheless can’t get rear-folding seats on the bottom S mannequin with the guide. It’s accessible on each different trim, although, and the 15.0 cubic toes of trunk house is the very best determine within the class. There’s a genuinely spectacular quantity of room again there—you may match a number of carry-ons with ease.
Cons: Not A Looker, No Folding Rear Seat On Base Mannequin, A Contact Sluggish
The place the Versa will actually win you over (if it hasn’t already) is on the fuel pump. Despite the fact that its chief competitor, the Mitsubishi Mirage, is extra fuel-efficient (39 mixed), the Versa nonetheless returns 32 miles per gallon within the metropolis, 40 on the freeway, and 35 mixed. It is some of the environment friendly non-hybrid vehicles in America.
So why are small vehicles dying at an unprecedented fee? As we realized in my column, Low cost Vehicles Are Useless, automakers do not see a motive to maintain these small vehicles round, once they can push clients into barely larger sedans or SUVs for simply 50 further bucks a month. And that is not unreasonable.
However when vehicles just like the Nissan Versa nonetheless exist at this worth, it is exhausting to fathom why you’d want to leap in a Kicks or transfer as much as a Sentra in any respect. The Versa has almost every thing you want at a worth that is smart for everybody. It is a no-frills, no-bullshit, $20,000 automobile that, frankly, extra folks needs to be driving.
