They gave me a Nissan Versa

[Benzadmiral]

The good folks at Enterprise, that is. My Buick is off to the body shop to have its bumper repainted, and a nearby auto upholstery shop will recover the driver's seat. So for a week I'm driving a '13 black-on-black Nissan Versa SV.

It's a fun little car, sort of. There could hardly be a vehicle more different from my Buick (unless it's a Mazda Miata), so it's natural that I find things strange. The seat is manual adjustment, and there appears to be no way to lower the bottom cushion, so I feel like I'm sitting on the car instead of in it. The headlights are manual. I miss my HUD display on the windshield, and (though I thought I'd never say this) the outside temp readout on the A/C controls.

The ride is jittery over rough pavement, good over smooth, and the engine growls prettily on takeoff. It gets, what, 500 mpg

, so I shouldn't have to put much gas in it before I return it.

The manual is still wrapped in plastic in the trunk. So if anybody knows, how do I set the dome light switch to come on only when the door opens? One position is "off all the time," one seems to be "on all the time," so will the third act like the theatre-dimming dome lights I've had in all my cars since the '90s?

If you have one, how do you like it?

 

[The_Jeff]

So do you have/like the CVT?

 

[Benzadmiral]

I can't tell. I don't think I've ever driven a car with that transmission, and I'm still getting used to how this one accelerates. Sometimes it feels like the engine is hunting for the right speed, even though I think I have my foot placed correctly on the pedal. Is that the giveaway?

 

[racin4ds]

We had a '13 Versa S base model and traded it off just shy of 24k miles, it had the engine replaced at 7k miles and was due for another

It handled ok for what it was and got GREAT mpg's which is the only reason we bought it, and the fact that it was $12,000 out the door...

The bottom seat does have a manual "pump" that you use to raise or lower the seat height, its on the left side of the cushion and you either pump it up or down to adjust.

The third position on the dome light switch is marked "door" if you look closely, I think it times off automatically within a few seconds of closing the doors.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

What happened that the engine had to be replaced twice?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: racin4ds


The bottom seat does have a manual "pump" that you use to raise or lower the seat height, its on the left side of the cushion and you either pump it up or down to adjust.

There is a lever; I thought it was to change the angle of the seat back. (I haven't had a manual seat in, gosh, 15 years.) I'll try it this afternoon.

 

[racin4ds]

The engine developed a rather nasty "rattle" and it got worse the warmer the engine got so I knew it wasn't normal... I expect some noise especially when cold on these little DOHC/SOHC motors with VVT/CVT but this one began rattling just off idle to around 2500 rpm to the point it was able to be felt in the seat, with a corresponding engine miss. The tech performed a cylinder balance test and told me that cyl #2 was going bad. They replaced it and all was well until I started noticing it again around 24k miles. I went back to Nissan and talked to them about the lemon law and they worked out a pretty good deal with me on a new Sentra instead, I took a hit given the high mileage but oh well..

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Wow! I know the older Versas had engine problems. But mainly from having a 3 quart oil capacity.

 

[JHZR2]

I had one of these not too long ago. MUCH better than the last model.

Yes, CVT is odd, because it will often keep the RPMs at the exact same spot through the drive cycle. Primarily its just different. Dont think there was any of that stupid "fake gear" arrangement on this one.

It was a decent rental car. Far better than the Kia SUV I had the next week...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I really liked the Versa rental I drove ... except for the CVT. The interior was near perfect for me.

 

[Eddie]

I rented one from Enterprize and drove it across IL on I80 at ~ 70 MPH. Once I got used to the CVT, I thought is was a nice little vehicle and it got great gas mileage.

 

[racin4ds]

Yes, we loved the MPG's especially with me driving upwards of 100 miles per day, it averaged 38-40 mpg. Once I read up on them some, the '13 model has the new HR16 engine made in cahoots with Renault... no wonder it fell apart so soon! What the heck was nissan thinking going into business with them?!?!

 

[dparm]

Is it the Versa Note? (the new one)

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Best rental ive had recently ( visiting in SW Florida) was a Kia Forte 4 dr sedan. Pretty much perfect in all aspects for this price. This was the older non swoopy one. Very impressive. The new Versa NOTE 5 door is supposed to be pretty good. Looks like the Honda FIT.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Nissan has been working with Renault for some time now.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

What the heck was nissan thinking going into business with them?!?!


We want to be in business next year; I seem to think it was out of necessity at the time.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Is it the Versa Note? (the new one)

If the Note is a hatchback, then no. The one I have is an SV model, with four doors and a real if tiny trunk.

 

[SatinSilver]

Reminds me of when I was checking them out on a Sunday morning at the Nissan dealer. I wanted to see how I fit in the back seat of one that was left unlocked. I closed the door and of course I couldn't get back out since the child proof lock was engaged. So I had to climb to the front passenger side and get out. I was panicked for a second or two.

 

[shDK]

Originally Posted By: racin4ds
Yes, we loved the MPG's especially with me driving upwards of 100 miles per day, it averaged 38-40 mpg. Once I read up on them some, the '13 model has the new HR16 engine made in cahoots with Renault... no wonder it fell apart so soon! What the heck was nissan thinking going into business with them?!?!



Nissan and Renault has bin making drivetrains together for a long time. the HR16 engine is no new engine. and i honestly doubt any american enginemaker can learn Renault, or Nissan for that sake very much about making engines.

 

[Benzadmiral]

The upholstery lady says the seat is done; the paint shop tells me the car will be ready late this afternoon. I'll nip out there, inspect the seat, pay her, return the Versa, and walk back to pick up the Buick.

The Versa even has a TPMS, and the little light-plus-icon came on this morning with the arrival of cool-ish weather! It feels even smaller than it is. Driving at 60 seems like driving at 80 (the Buick, like my late Mercedes 420SEL, is the reverse).

It's not been bad. But I'll be glad to get back into the Great Gray Beast.