Car Reviws |
| 2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL, an AW Drivers Log: Posted: 21 Jan 2011 08:33 AM PST  The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine in the Nissan Versa is rated at 122 hp.
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The Nissan Versa is a respectable little car with a rather homely design. The silhouette is simply awkward. The engine, despite a paltry 122 hp, was actually adequate. I summoned 5,000 rpm for expressway merging and had no problems getting through traffic. Nothing extreme, but it worked. The steering is a touch rubbery but otherwise has a nice feel to it, and the lightweight character of this car is definitely a positive, underscored by a tight chassis. The interior is plain, and the wood looks a bit cheesy. But the hard parts are of decent quality. The seats have a strange pattern but are otherwise OK. The four-speed transmission does the job, too. It's actually reasonably quiet for this kind of car inside, without too much wind noise intruding. Some things in this segment sound like wind tunnels. The fuel economy is really just middling, considering what some rides are doing today. With cars such as the Hyundai Elantra, the Chevrolet Sonic and the Ford Fiesta all out there or soon to be, Nissan has its work cut out for it. COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: Greg is right: Nissan has some work to do on the Versa if it wants this small car to be competitive with the Chevy Sonic, the Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit, and others. This Versa is nothing if not basic. It reminds me of cars my friends drove back when I was in high school. I was rolling in a Buick Skyhawk, and I would take that car today over this Versa. When I first walked up to the Versa, I thought it looked like a box. The sheetmetal is nondescript. Inside is about the same, except for the wood-grain trim, which is a joke. Nissan is not fooling anyone by adding that to an interior that is full of basic hard plastics, old-school HVAC controls and manually operated, uncomfortable seats covered in ho-hum fabric. The drive in the Versa was fine, which isn't saying much. The power was decent and enough for passing and staying with expressway traffic. The back end did step out on me a couple of times in the snow during the morning commute, but it wasn't terrible. It took the car quite a while to warm up, though, and a lot of road noise enters the cabin, along with lots of engine buzz. I guess for someone just starting out, for new young drivers and the like, this might be an option. But, for the money, you can get the cool Chevy Cruze or the Ford Fiesta and not bust the bank, get good fuel economy and plenty of extras and still stay in the small-car segment. The Versa would not be on my shopping list. ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER TARA KLEIN: The Nissan Versa does one thing well: disappoint. I had this car for a weekend, and I found myself reaching far to find some positive features within this grab bag of mediocrity. The exterior is incredibly boring and sad, resulting in an invisible presence on the road. There is no character, no specific identity and definitely no fun. These sentiments also apply to the awkward interior. The mixture of materials is confusing; the wood accents and patterned fabric seats look like a failed attempt at being high-end and trendy, especially considering the dated styling of the rest of the car. On the road, the Versa continues to fall short, especially powerwise. I don't consider myself a leadfoot by any means, but traffic must have been a lot slower for Greg and Cindy, because I found myself tapping the dash while pleading, "C'mon, just a bit faster, little guy," on ramps when entering busy expressway traffic. Considering the amount of engine and road noise, I'm sure the Versa couldn't hear my mutterings. I agree with Cindy, the only people I see getting into this car are young drivers who simply need something to get them from A to B, no bells, whistles or comfort included. 2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL Sedan Base Price: $17,210 As-Tested Price: $18,685 Drivetrain: 1.8-liter I4; FWD, four-speed automatic Output: 122 hp @ 5,200 rpm, 127 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm Curb Weight: 2,734 lb Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 27/27.2 mpg Options: Convenience package, including Nissan Intelligent Key, keyless entry and ignition, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, leather-wrapped steering wheel ($650); navigation and satellite radio package, including navigation with 5-inch color touch-screen display, satellite traffic and radio ($610); splash guards ($110); four-piece floor mat set ($105) |
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