Nissan Versa 1.6S
- Thread starter Andyge
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You will almost always get better fuel economy & performance from a manual transmission. Consider that the manual is typically lighter, less expensive up front, simpler, cheaper & easier to maintain than an automatic and I personally find them much more fun to drive.
FWIW, I had a Versa hatchback as a rental once and it was a very good car with loads of usable interior space, decent ride & good fuel economy - I averaged 30 mpg and I wasn't shy about using my right foot. I always recommend a hatchback over a sedan, but that's my own bias.
FWIW, I had a Versa hatchback as a rental once and it was a very good car with loads of usable interior space, decent ride & good fuel economy - I averaged 30 mpg and I wasn't shy about using my right foot. I always recommend a hatchback over a sedan, but that's my own bias.
If you do a lot of highway driving, do you think the 1.8 would better serve you for merging and passing on the highway?
Not sure on that Andy, but let me make another suggestion.
Before you make the plunge on a Versa, you might want to consider the Hyundai Accent. It has some advantages over the Versa:
-Lower purchase price
-Far Better Warranty
- From what I have learned here, Nissans seem to be terribly hard on oil, while Hyundais generally are not.
The downside:
- if rear seat room is important, the Accent GLS 4 door's rear seat room is pretty lame. In The 3 door hatchback (we have 2) it is not too bad.
Our Accents (both 2009 models purchased used as Hyundai Certified Vehicles) have been 100% perfectly reliable. Hers has 8K on it, mine has 12K.
That said, I work with a guy that has a 2007 Versa. His idea of auto care is, well, non existent. His has 80K it and seems OK (looks rough- I think he washed it once this year, and it is black.) He is running around with his windows down, apparently the fan switch is shot and it cannot be replaced seperately (that is what he told me.) According to him the entire A/C control pod needs to be replaced- expensive.
Edit: I forgot- we both have automatics, She runs nearly all city stop-go and gets around 26 mpg, I run 95% highway and get 32-34 mpg.
Before you make the plunge on a Versa, you might want to consider the Hyundai Accent. It has some advantages over the Versa:
-Lower purchase price
-Far Better Warranty
- From what I have learned here, Nissans seem to be terribly hard on oil, while Hyundais generally are not.
The downside:
- if rear seat room is important, the Accent GLS 4 door's rear seat room is pretty lame. In The 3 door hatchback (we have 2) it is not too bad.
Our Accents (both 2009 models purchased used as Hyundai Certified Vehicles) have been 100% perfectly reliable. Hers has 8K on it, mine has 12K.
That said, I work with a guy that has a 2007 Versa. His idea of auto care is, well, non existent. His has 80K it and seems OK (looks rough- I think he washed it once this year, and it is black.) He is running around with his windows down, apparently the fan switch is shot and it cannot be replaced seperately (that is what he told me.) According to him the entire A/C control pod needs to be replaced- expensive.
Edit: I forgot- we both have automatics, She runs nearly all city stop-go and gets around 26 mpg, I run 95% highway and get 32-34 mpg.
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Manual is probably the better option in the long run.
As Hyundaiguy is saying as well, you may want to consider other vehicles. I have an Altima myself, and although this is by no means scientific, I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling that my car (or other Nissans in general) will be a good car to own once out of warranty. Looking on Nissanclub and the murano forum, it seems like they have a lot of wear issues as they age and tend to be a real hit/miss in terms of reliability, just like the older GM vehicles.
As Hyundaiguy is saying as well, you may want to consider other vehicles. I have an Altima myself, and although this is by no means scientific, I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling that my car (or other Nissans in general) will be a good car to own once out of warranty. Looking on Nissanclub and the murano forum, it seems like they have a lot of wear issues as they age and tend to be a real hit/miss in terms of reliability, just like the older GM vehicles.
Sounds like you want a low end economy car for basic transportation. Nothing wrong with that. Assume you are buying new? Otherwise in the used market I wouldn't home-in on one or two cars, just look for value. My bias is against Versa because its a french design. In the engineering the world, there is a saying that "French engineers don't copy anyone ... and no one copies the French." While the reliability ratings on the Versa are not great, most all cars are so good these days, its not worth paying a premium to avoid a Versa.
Originally Posted By: Burt
Sounds like you want a low end economy car for basic transportation. Nothing wrong with that. Assume you are buying new? Otherwise in the used market I wouldn't home-in on one or two cars, just look for value. My bias is against Versa because its a french design. In the engineering the world, there is a saying that "French engineers don't copy anyone ... and no one copies the French." While the reliability ratings on the Versa are not great, most all cars are so good these days, its not worth paying a premium to avoid a Versa.
+1
To be honest, for a new Versa costs, I would seriously consider purchasing an used 06-07 Accord 4-cyl. Those are fantastic cars, exceptionally reliable and deliver great fuel economy on the highway. I think you'll be more satisfied with the Accord in the long-run.
Sounds like you want a low end economy car for basic transportation. Nothing wrong with that. Assume you are buying new? Otherwise in the used market I wouldn't home-in on one or two cars, just look for value. My bias is against Versa because its a french design. In the engineering the world, there is a saying that "French engineers don't copy anyone ... and no one copies the French." While the reliability ratings on the Versa are not great, most all cars are so good these days, its not worth paying a premium to avoid a Versa.
+1
To be honest, for a new Versa costs, I would seriously consider purchasing an used 06-07 Accord 4-cyl. Those are fantastic cars, exceptionally reliable and deliver great fuel economy on the highway. I think you'll be more satisfied with the Accord in the long-run.
A 1.6l Versa starts at under $10k new. I doubt an Accord from those years can come close in price.
Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
A 1.6l Versa starts at under $10k new. I doubt an Accord from those years can come close in price.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/1831998112.html
A 1.6l Versa starts at under $10k new. I doubt an Accord from those years can come close in price.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/1831998112.html
I recently had a versa rental in May when I was in Columbia, Md for a briefing. Very comfortable ride and drive with exceptionally comfy seating. Drives like a very good midsized car. Engine was noisey. The Accent is gutless - thats why I went with the Yaris - plus I could get the yaris 700$ cheaper than a Accent at the time. The KIA rio 5 (accent cousin) is a well sorted car and drives better than BMW 32x series but is gutless also.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
A 1.6l Versa starts at under $10k new. I doubt an Accord from those years can come close in price.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/1831998112.html
It's 4 years old, has 72k miles, and has no warranty. Sure it's a Honda, but it's not immune to wear and tear.
The OP sounds like he wants something that he wouldn't need to spend too much time or money fixing.
Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
A 1.6l Versa starts at under $10k new. I doubt an Accord from those years can come close in price.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/1831998112.html
It's 4 years old, has 72k miles, and has no warranty. Sure it's a Honda, but it's not immune to wear and tear.
The OP sounds like he wants something that he wouldn't need to spend too much time or money fixing.
Anything but a Versa is better. Accent, Rio, Fit, or rickshaw. My stepson has one. A rebadged Renault, you won't find the typical Nissan quality in this car.
Originally Posted By: beanoil
A rebadged Renault, you won't find the typical Nissan quality in this car.
Like Nissan quality exists to begin with...
A rebadged Renault, you won't find the typical Nissan quality in this car.
Like Nissan quality exists to begin with...
I didn't even know they had a 4 speed, or a 5 speed, or a 1.6L
I drove a 1.8 SL a while ago (6MT) and I thought it was an awesome small car. Tons of room, felt nice to drive... I liked it.
I do however prefer the Sentra overall.
I drove a 1.8 SL a while ago (6MT) and I thought it was an awesome small car. Tons of room, felt nice to drive... I liked it.
I do however prefer the Sentra overall.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I recently had a versa rental in May when I was in Columbia, Md for a briefing. Very comfortable ride and drive with exceptionally comfy seating. Drives like a very good midsized car. Engine was noisey. The Accent is gutless - thats why I went with the Yaris - plus I could get the yaris 700$ cheaper than a Accent at the time. The KIA rio 5 (accent cousin) is a well sorted car and drives better than BMW 32x series but is gutless also.
Here in FL, one cannot buy a Yaris for less than an Accent. The dealers here are PROUD of Toyotas when it comes to pricing.
Yes, the Accent (and Rio- same power train) are gutless. Our number one priority was reliability- which the Yaris may match, I am not sure. That said, Hyundai offers a better warranty. I also hated that the instrument cluster is in the center of the dash on the Yaris. Those two things dropped the yaris off the list for us.
I recently had a versa rental in May when I was in Columbia, Md for a briefing. Very comfortable ride and drive with exceptionally comfy seating. Drives like a very good midsized car. Engine was noisey. The Accent is gutless - thats why I went with the Yaris - plus I could get the yaris 700$ cheaper than a Accent at the time. The KIA rio 5 (accent cousin) is a well sorted car and drives better than BMW 32x series but is gutless also.
Here in FL, one cannot buy a Yaris for less than an Accent. The dealers here are PROUD of Toyotas when it comes to pricing.
Yes, the Accent (and Rio- same power train) are gutless. Our number one priority was reliability- which the Yaris may match, I am not sure. That said, Hyundai offers a better warranty. I also hated that the instrument cluster is in the center of the dash on the Yaris. Those two things dropped the yaris off the list for us.
Originally Posted By: Andyge
How is the MPG, my round trip to work and back home is 85 Miles.
me and my wife kicking around which transmission to get 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual transmission.
Andy
I guess that I would agree with those who would recommend you to consider carefully the purchase of the Versa. Having said that, I would advise you to go with the stick if you buy a Versa. Having spent 8 days behind the wheel with a Nissan CVT, I sure wouldn't want to own one. It wasn't a very inspiring experience.
How is the MPG, my round trip to work and back home is 85 Miles.
me and my wife kicking around which transmission to get 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual transmission.
Andy
I guess that I would agree with those who would recommend you to consider carefully the purchase of the Versa. Having said that, I would advise you to go with the stick if you buy a Versa. Having spent 8 days behind the wheel with a Nissan CVT, I sure wouldn't want to own one. It wasn't a very inspiring experience.
I can get 32-33 mpg on the highway with my 2008 Impala (200 hp V6 and far more comfort). 30 mpg with a 120 hp Versa is ridiculous.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Manual is probably the better option in the long run.
As Hyundaiguy is saying as well, you may want to consider other vehicles. I have an Altima myself, and although this is by no means scientific, I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling that my car (or other Nissans in general) will be a good car to own once out of warranty. Looking on Nissanclub and the murano forum, it seems like they have a lot of wear issues as they age and tend to be a real hit/miss in terms of reliability, just like the older GM vehicles.
critic, don't forget about their lousy dealer network. Nissan dealers have a reputation to avoid warranty work as much as possible. I've been spewing my anti Nissan bias for years, I'm glad you've come around.
Manual is probably the better option in the long run.
As Hyundaiguy is saying as well, you may want to consider other vehicles. I have an Altima myself, and although this is by no means scientific, I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling that my car (or other Nissans in general) will be a good car to own once out of warranty. Looking on Nissanclub and the murano forum, it seems like they have a lot of wear issues as they age and tend to be a real hit/miss in terms of reliability, just like the older GM vehicles.
critic, don't forget about their lousy dealer network. Nissan dealers have a reputation to avoid warranty work as much as possible. I've been spewing my anti Nissan bias for years, I'm glad you've come around.
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And Nissan dealers who also deal Hyundai have the same mentality towards their Hyundai customers. In this case, Glenn Auto Mall.
Anyway, I have only purchased two new vehicles in my life - one was a Nissan, the other a Hyundai.
The Nissan dealer did fix the warranty problem I had, even if it took them three attempts to find the cause. They replaced a part of two that didn't need to be replaced, but none of it cost me anything. There was only that one warranty problem I had with the 1996 Altima.
The Hyundai dealer will not even acknowledge the problems we have with the 2009 Sonata, let alone try to fix them.
Anyway, I have only purchased two new vehicles in my life - one was a Nissan, the other a Hyundai.
The Nissan dealer did fix the warranty problem I had, even if it took them three attempts to find the cause. They replaced a part of two that didn't need to be replaced, but none of it cost me anything. There was only that one warranty problem I had with the 1996 Altima.
The Hyundai dealer will not even acknowledge the problems we have with the 2009 Sonata, let alone try to fix them.
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