Years ago, I found myself killing time in a London wine bar. An English gentleman and I were busy amusing ourselves with fine wine and, um, English food when a pair of extremely attractive unattached ladies strolled into the bar. Uninhibited by the best Bordeaux, we enticed these French beauties to join us at the bar. The women eventually escaped our charms to establish base camp at their own table. I continued to stare longingly at our lost companions– until one of them stretched her arms above her head to reveal unshaven underarms. The Nissan Versa was like that.
When I first saw the Versa, I was immediately smitten by its Gallic flair. Its obvious Renault roots (it's the Clio's sibling) bless the model with style and grace in a chi-chi shape. From the front, the Versa's broad grin offers welcome relief from the Honda Fit’s angry eyes and the Toyota Yaris’ fish-face. The little Nissan’s profile is sporty and elegant; the rear light’s angular slash adding the perfect touch of modern aggression. The rear makes the car look narrow and tall (in the grand French tradition) and the 15” wheels are straight out of Toon Town but hey, you can't expect a baguette to look like a loaf of Wonder bread.
With an overall length under 170 inches and a starting price below $15k, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Versa serves-up an econobox interior. Au contraire. The Versa’s large greenhouse gives the car’s cabin an incredibly spacious feeling, only slight marred by the large pillars at the rear quarters. The rear seating area is huge; I can think of few mid sized cars offering more spacious accommodation. My 1.8 SL tester came dressed in a light colored checked interior: the automotive equivalent of cut-price couture. The dash materials were sufficiently well formed and assembled to make the Versa’s chump change sticker seem like the deal of the century. That same low cost of entry buys some tres chic high-tech: Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio prep, keyless ignition and steering wheel controls.
Fire up the little nipper and you soon discover that the throttle response is programmed to delude you into thinking you that there’s more than a 1.8 liter mill up front. Hell, I even chirped the tires when I started out. Once underway, the Versa's erstwhile powerplant sounds as wheezy as 65-year-old pack-a-day man. Needless to say, the 122hp Versa is only quick for the first 25 feet. After that, the four-banger runs out of desire faster than a Viagra-deprived Hefner. I understand why we need to suffer the slings and rubber bands of CVT transmissions in hybrid cars, but I’m not sure why Nissan chose one for this application. The Xtronic slushbox gives slush a bad name, while the over-sized stalk controlling its activation is a particularly unattractive interior accoutrement.
The Versa’s uncomfortable seating makes a bad situation worse. The front chairs sit too high. With no compensatory telescoping steering wheel, I felt like a herniated bus driver. The deeply unsporting seating position is mirrored by the sub-compact's ride quality, which makes a down pillow seem like a block of concrete. In fact, the Versa’s feather-filled feel made me scared to corner. When I could no longer avoid the need for lateral progress, body roll was less than expected– considering the Versa’s tall, boxy architecture, tiny-tot tires and over-supple suspension. Unfortunately, despite the Figgie pudding ride, the Versa reacts to rough roads with sharp reports, translated without delay or filtration to the car’s occupants. Torsion bar? Torture bar is more like it.
In an attempt to distract myself from the mechanical miscues, I turned my attention to Versa’s sound system. While the head unit looked impressive enough, in a multi-button LCD sort of way, the tunes were as weak and unbalanced as an anorexic greyhound. My tester also lacked [optional] ABS braking The omission was hardly reassuring; the left pedal somehow managed to feel both soft and wooden. That said, the Versa’s combination of front discs and rear drums are class standard, and effective enough given the speeds involved…
I really wanted to like the Nissan Versa. The exterior has panache, the interior’s spacious and friendly, the price is outstanding and the fuel economy beyond reproach (30/36). Ultimately, I couldn’t get past the engine drone, soft suspension and awkward driving position. While I suppose there are American consumers who will accept these foibles as part of the car’s “charm,” I’m sure pistonheads would enjoy any number of better groomed machines. For those who ignore this advice, well, vive la difference!
An awfully re-styled and re-baged Megane…. This offering amply illustrates how completely meaningles and absurd the potential of merger is between GM and Nissan-Ranault.
Interesting and thoughtful review. You might want to look up “erstwhile” before using it in that context, though. Wheezy though it may be, the 1.8-liter engine is still the Versa’s powerplant.
(From Websters’) “erstwhile=former.”
Perhaps you were thinking of “ersatz”? Meaning (also Websters) “substitute: being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation”
I am sorry to critique the writing, but I have to say- don’t bother trying to channel Jeremy Clarkson… he isn’t dead yet.
If you want to compete you’ll need to ratchet up the hyperbole and overblown metaphors. Beware however… behind the smart-alec writing he is actually a piquant socio-political commentator. And of course should you become as much of a public figure you risk having cream pies smushed into your face.
With the exception of a little more interior room, is there a single reason to buy this over a Honda Fit? The “Jazz” is older too…seems like Nissan just didn’t try all that hard. I love my Maxima but this seems like a rush job.
Jay,
I get what you’re trying to say with the review on the Versa, but I think you’re trying too hard to be witty with the comparisons. It seemed a little forced at points – the feather laden paragraph. Still a good review, none-the-less.
Isn’t there an inherent problem with having admitted gearheads review a pure econobox? Not that I’m complaining, but I’m wondering if there’s a bit too much 93 octane in their blood for the econobox expereince.
But then again, if the reviews were to take that into account, they probably wouldn’t be as fun to read…
Best. Lede. Ever.
I can understand some of the other critiques, but the lede made it all worth it to me. I would never, ever, ever ever ever buy (or consider buying) a car of this nature, so it’s not like I *needed* to know if the Versa was a good car or not. But the lede made me care enough to find out.
Don’t let the naysayers get you down.
I say the following not as a flammatory remark but merely an observation:
To those critiquing Jay’s writing, let me say that each writer has their own style (even if it is emulating the style of someone they may – or may not- admire). We all come here because of the, ultimately, the messege, and not necesarily the manner in which the messege is delivered. Nearly every writer on TTAC tries a bit too hard (IMHO) in creating colorful similes, metaphors and hyperboles, but hey, it’s the writing that has kept us here for as long as it has. Stop trying to change the writing to suite your own personal tastes.
Saying that, I just have to ask if this editorial is in response to porker’s vitrolic comments regarding domestic versus import reviews? I just had to ask.
Good review overall. I do not know why on earth manufacturers are insisting on sticking with CVT transmissions. Just stick a 5-speed slushbox or 5-speed manual in there and be done with it.
i surprised they gave you a CVT to test. i hear these comes with a 6spd manual which is the only version i would consider buying.
The biggest problem I have with the Versa is that although the rear seats fold, they don’t fold flat, making the rear storage area seriously inefficient.
With all the other negatives, the Honda Fit (at about the same price) beats this thing by a mile.
I drove the Versa but with the manual 6 speed & I like it! Glad you warned me about the automatic. I would buy it if it had an optional diesel as it has elsewhere in the world. Fuel economy is VERY important to me as I see $5+ a gallon fuel on the horizon. Preformance of the Versa was adiquate for me. Ilike French cars, especially Citroen, so the French connection is a plus for me.
I constantly amaze my friends with the different cars I find interesting. I am not just interested in the latest, fastest AMG iteration (although these do get my blood pumping), I was also truly intrigued by the Nissan Versa and very much looked forward to driving it. In fact, the only cars I review are ones I either have purchased or I am thinking of purchasing. So, I feel that this gearheads loves cars of all shapes and (engine) sizes.
I hope to infuse my reviews with my own unique experiences and while I fully admit to having great admiration for Jeremy Clarkson, I try to always walk my own path.
I’m sure it would fare better with a manual tranny, but it sounds like Nissan is still behind the Honda Fit in terms of chassis polish.
Nice review, and I found the surprise of female armpit hair to be a fine reference. Gross, but fine. LOL :)
Ultimately, this thing may sell well enough for Nissan to declare it a hit; if so, it would be solely based on price and mileage. It’s too bad that there’s front disc/rear drums, admittedly, “a class standard.” I recently drove a Toyota Yaris “S” – which is a pretty nice ride indeed. However, it too came with front disc and rear drums, giving a pretty squirrely brake feel. It would benefit Nissan greatly to start offerring the Versa with four-wheel disc brakes, even if the darn things used just a single piston. They could even tout this as a plus in their ad campaigns: We don’t believe a cheap car means it has to be unsafe. (A little self-mocking like the old J. Walter Thompson ads for the old Beetle might work to make the pill go down more easily with Gen Y; and a safety plus for the parents who might be co-signers for this car.) Admittedly, with a four-cylinder as “wheezy” as this most of us wouldn’t get into a lot of trouble. But hey, never underestimate the ability of a college-aged driver (or high school senior) to try to stretch the envelope and fail.
I also bit on the armpit hair intro. But I thought maybe there was going to be high tech Astroturf lining in the wheel wells of the Versa!
For you guys thinking the TTAC writers tend to imitate successful authors, I have been accused of writing in the fashion of more than one author of whom I had never even heard–not being a well-read sort of person. Sometimes the subject itself affects the writer in strange ways–the Dodge Ram Mega Cab made me into a rural reporter of sorts. And remember all submissions are edited. By a real editor. In big red letters. You should experience it sometime. Character building, it is. Just don’t use passive construction…ever.
Like Jay, I’m another life-long auto enthusiast who tends to surprise friends with some of the cars that gain my interest. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the better cars hanging onto the bottom rung of the automotive world. There’s something about the honesty and usefulness of these vehicles that I find very appealing – especially when they’re fun and economical, if not very speedy. Remember, it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.
I’ve never driven a Versa, but somehow I want to like it. It even finished second in Car & Driver’s comparison of the new econoboxes. I’ll probably check out one with a six-speed manual, just for jollies.
But I still must pause and consider: For 15 or 16K (especially with rebates), one can probably buy a Ford Focus ZX3 with a 5-speed manual transmission, a 2.3-liter engine with 130 horsepower, low to mid 30’s fuel economy, optional four-wheel disc brakes and ABS, 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels – and maybe even leather and a sunroof.
For all the talk about the Fit, Yaris and Versa lately, there may be valid options right here at home. And, no, I don’t work for Ford. :)
It was my belief that the Versa is based on the Renault Clio rather than the Megane. Their body shapes certainly line up almost perfectly, but the Clio looks great and the Versa looks… basic.
Unfortunately the new Clio hasn’t gotten rave reviews. The feedback in the steering is gone, so the magazines aren’t in love with it. The Versa/Tiida has even less character.
Functionally a good car, I guess.
It’s based off the Clio. The Sentra and the Megane are on the same platform.
Jay, isn’t there a height adjuster for the drivers seat? I’ve read it’s in a very strange place. you didn’t mention it so maybe you didn’t use it?
I’ve read a lot of articles about the Versa. (I’m the versa mod over at freshalloy.com) It seems there’s really two types of reviews, one for the pistonhead, and one for the consumer. After having read a lot of these it seems that there’s still a good consensus about the interior with the suspension and engine being either a sticking point or one that the average driver looks past.
still I’m holding out for a sport tuned model, which will at least would address some of the suspension woes. A versa SE-R with 2.0 liter engine would be even better. That’d be a much better comparison to the fit sport.
I’m also surprised they didn’t let you drive several different models, especially the 6 speed. I’ve heard it’s quite decent. Personally, when I look at the versa, I’m looking at the base 6 speed. at the low end, the versa’s value over its competitors widens.
Love the writing style, by the way. keep up the good work.
Brian
Yes, I found the height adjustment for the seat located on the right side which was easy for me to use. Problem was, it did not make the driving position any more comfortable since the steering wheel was way too far away and had no adjustment.
Sorry carlisimo and brianmita but you are both wrong (and Jay is correct): this car is a LOT bigger than a Clio and is definitely based on the Megane platform. The Nissan sister car that is based on the Clio is in fact the Micra – something we get in Europe and Japan but you don’t get in the States. There is no comonality between the US Sentra and the Megane AFAIK.
Our good friends at Road & Track report that the Versa is based on the Renault Clio / Nissan Micra. The copy has been amended on their authority.
I stand corrected then: the Versa is indeed based on a stretched B platform:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Tiida
That is its name in Japan. Though when I saw them in Dubai on a recent trip they are MILES bigger than a Clio/Micra and they even have plenty of Megane styling cues! It is in fact just slightly shorter than a Megane hatch (based on the C platform) it is 4205mm long (in hatchback form) where the Megane hatchback is 4209mm.
The mind boggles as to why you’d stretch your smaller platform to form something exactly the same size as your bigger platform?!?
I bought a Versa 6-speed a week ago after test driving Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xA, and Kia Rio. I think the Versa is like those fine looking unnattached French ladies in the London Wine bar with the shaven arm pits, plus soft smooth skin. On top of all that, just imagine that you could even have an intelligent, enjoyable conversation with the French beauties.
The 6-speed transmission is smooth and responsive. I got 36 mpg with my first tank of gas. The engine noise is sweet. I did not get any of the above impressions with the other cars, Honda Fit, etc.
I cannot wait until I have 1200 miles on the Versa (suggested break-in period) so that I can rev-up the engine above 4000 rpm.
the headlamps look like g6 like exactly!! and at a profile, the tail reminds me of a person with a severe underbite.
But in any case, the Versa has got to be better than the Yaris. who first introduced that center-aligned gauges/dash anyway?
What was the first car with center mounted gages? I don’t know but the idea is not new. I am a car collector. My Model A Ford has center mounted gages & a lot of cars from the ’20s & ’30s had center mounted gages. 1936 thru 1939 Lincoln Zyphers had them & I think most Mopars (Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, & Chrysler) had them before 1937 as I recall. Also a number of British cars. I prefer gages in front of me. However, I think center mounted gages makes it easier to offer cars wit right hand as well as left hand drive with minimal changes.
Ok, I don't care what you guys think, but I love the new NISSAN VERSA, is just the best one. I mean, it cant't be even compared with the Toyota Yaris, the Toyota Yaris sucks. I just love VERSA.
THE BEST
So pretty, this Versa is. In traffic I despise ugly tail lights. The tail lights on the versa are stunning. So hynotic. So sleek. So pretty. I can't say pretty enough. I will never look at other tail lights the same way again – they just cannot compare. I guess I am just a girl and notice these little things – like how a little (or a lot of) mascara can make all the difference. To me, the Versa is like that…..
Just drove this one myself, but with the 6-speed. My impressions were almost exactly the opposite. Didn't like the styling, the clunky shifter, or the very unflat load floor. Liked the VERY comfortable seats, found noise levels low, and the ride quality acceptable. Though I did chalk tire patter up to the aftermarket 18s the dealer had thrown on the car. I did not find it remotely fun to drive. My full review is posted elsewhere.
About those metaphors–what's the common denominator?
We won WW2, deposed their leaders, & Germany, Italy & Japan are now our friends. How long should hold a grudge? One thousand plus years like some Muslims? The argument to buy American no longer holds much water. GM & Ford are world wide companies with stockholders around the world. Likewise for Asian & European companies. There is no such thing as a totally USA made auto. Fords & GM cars assembled in the USA have many foreign sourced parts. Many Asian manufacturers with cars assembled in the USA have more American sourced parts than some Ford & GM products. The Ford Focus was designed in Germany. In my opinion, you should buy should buy the car that best suits YOUR needs which you can afford & which represents the best value for the money. The country of of origin should be secondary. For the record, my last 3 new cars have been Fords & my last car, a Ford Focus. However, it won’t be my next new car unless Ford gives me a diesel option.It won’t be a Fit or Versa unless I can get a diesel option. My next new car will either be a VW TDI or Toyota Prius since fuel economy is my top priority provided it is a hatchback or station wagon. I hope in 2008 I will have more choices than a VW TDI or Prius to choose from. No more gasoline powered cars unless a hybrid, especially a plug in hybrid. Otherwise it must be a DIESEL!
While I think blasting the author for his use of words instead of facts is rather lame, I must admit his opinion is far off base from my experience. I just bought one with A4 trans and its great. 28mpg in the city driving with the pedal on floor( I mean driving like mad). I have not been on the Highway yet. The Versa has more HP, more load weight, Higher curb weight, longer wheel base and costs less for the same features and has more interior room than the Yaris or Fit. I think its great. If you don’t think it handles well, you should go back to driving school. Any experienced handler can make this puppy rock and roll. Buy the versa and throw the other ones in the trash.
As I previously stated on 7-24-06, I test drove a Nissan Versa 6 speed & was favorably impressed with it. It had two negatives: no diesel option but this is true for the Fit & Yarus too as well as all its competition. Hopefully this will change for the 2008 model year. The second objection is the rear seats do not fold flat as I understand the Fit does. I have not yet been able to look at a Fit let alone drive one. Every time I stop at the two local (Sacramento area) Honda dealers there are none to look at as all have been pre-sold & they don’t attempt to keep any around as demos. However, the fold flat issue with the Versa can be easily solved by building a platforn/storage area for tools & misc items I like to carry around so you would have a flat area when you want to haul something. I have made this modification with my 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 so I can carry a full sized spare. I hate those temperory spares that limit you to 50 MPH & a 100 mile range. If you lose a tire on a trip, replacements arn’t usually available for even a Ford Focus (205 50/R16 or 195/60 R15). If you can’t get a tire for a high volume Ford, how ealy will it be to replace a Yarus, Fit, or Versa tire out in the boondocks?
Shaved Pits or not, those French Ladies deserved a little extra time getting to know them, much like your critical impressions about the Versa.
They probably felt the need to get their own table to discuss the obvious lack of a good English Dental Plan.
It is always easy to allow our ‘first impressions’ to let us jump to odd conclusions.
A good case in point is my first look at an AMC Pacer. I thought, for some strange reason, this was a car that I would love forever.
As time wore on, so did the leaky gaskets, underpowered engine, goldfish-bowl windows and an air conditioner that blew a weak stream of lukewarm air – I started waking up and smelling the lemons.
On the other hand, the best choices I have ever made were based on researching every shred of actual OWNER comments on whatever I was interested in.
Case in point, my Kubota tractor.
That is not a total endorsement of Consumer Reports, but if the car looks like a peach but other owners are saying it tastes like Aunt Yaris’s goat meat garlic lasagna, it’s time to keep your hand on your wallet and keep looking. Right now the Versa is running Positive, about 98 out of 100 owner reviews.
The Versa is very much in the ‘looks like a brick of cheese, but tastes like blueberry pie’, category.
We are certainly nowhere in anyone’s sales demographics of potential owners of this new vehicle, but have put a large deposit on a loaded, Sapphire blue SL Versa with the CVT powertrain. Being bolted together in Mexico, it should be here by the first of the year, that is, if it’s not hijacked off the truck, by some other Nissan dealer, before it gets to us.
Dealers are scrounging the country for Versas to fill orders. Don’t expect any discounts or give away deals on this one for a long time.
Putting down your own cash to purchase, means that you have done your homework on the car and it’s time to put up, or shut up.
Even my wife can’t count all the different vehicles we have owned over the nearly 50 years we have been motoring along together, but she does know what we DON’T like: Small glove boxes, air poluting gas-guzzling engines, Automatic Transmission failures, parking spaces that are continuing to shrink, bad carlot coffee, yelling “can you hear me now”, over intrusive road rumble, num-bum from long 10-hour driving days, and bad radios to name a few.
After road testing the Versa with CVT, and the above checklist of “No-No”‘s, we both agree that this Nissan will be a winner.
For us to both agree on anything is the best praise I can offer on the 2007 Versa.
Enjoyed the article, but I can’t understand your panning of the seats. They’re WAY more comfortable than the competition’s. I read somewhere they are the Maxima (yes, that $30 thousand dollar Maxima) seats with different covering. The interior quality is so un-Nissanlike I did a doubletake. The Versa is a ton of car for the money… I almost spitt out my coffee when I read the comment comparing its value with the Focus.
I actually like the CVT and find it easy to drive fast. I still haven’t gotten used to the rear styling but I love the rest of the car!
I’ve test driven the Nissan Versa, the Honda FIT and the Toyota Yaris – all for long drives and more than once. I’ve been a Honda gal since 1985 and before the test drives I was sure that it was the FIT that I wanted. T
That changed quickly when I discovered that I could barely see over the steering wheel because the instrument panel was so exaggerated and the seat so low. For my 5′ frame this was not the car for me. Also, cruise was only available on the most expensive model so I’d have to shell out bigger bucks than for another make.
Next I tried the Toyota Yaris. I was surprised to learn that cruise wasn’t offered on any of the models! I drove it anyway. There was no seat adjustment but I could see okay. But, the engine noise was so loud at higher speeds that I couldn’t see myself driving day in and day out on the highway in the Yaris. Plus it only came with dual air bags.
Finally I tried the Nissan Versa. I’d never even considered buying a Nissan before this but I didn’t know what else to try. Bingo……it had an adjustable seat so I could see! The middle model, the SL, came with cruise and a ton of other options only found on more expensive cars. It was the least expensive of all the cars I’d tried. The car was incredibly quiet and the ride smooth. The CVT transmission shifted gears effortlessly. The fit and finish was unbelievably nice. The seats were comfortable. The mileage wasn’t as as great as the FIT and Yaris but I decided I could live with it. It was bigger and heavier than what I originally wanted but better for highway driving on ice and in snow. All in all, the pluses exceeded the negatives so the Versa is what I ended up buying. I’ve only just gotten it but if the mileage is 46 mpg (Canadian) as advertised and it’s a reliable car I’ll be a very happy camper.
Caramilk
I guess Ford doesn't want me to have a new "Ford in my Future" since they have dropped both hatchbacks & station wagon for the Focus line. Also no diesel. I have not yet test drove a Fit but I was able to sit in one at the Sacramento Auto Show last November. The Fit's steering wheel felt too far away for me. However, my next new car will have a diesel or else be a hybrid. It will also have to be a hatchback or station wagon. I like the Prius except it doesn't have that fun to drive feeling that my 2001 Focus ZX3 5 speed has or what the Versa 6 speed had. I also like the idea of a plug in hybrid like the Chevy Volt concept & some experimental modified Prius. See for details. If the 2008 VW Rabbit offers a diesel option & no one else does, it may become my next car. However, I would prefer a Versa diesel since Japanese cars seem to be much more reliable than American & European cars, especially VW according to Consumer Reports. Also, I must have cruise control since I still like to make cross country trips between Calif. & Minn.
In my eyes the Versa is a very impressive vehicle indeed. Nissan have redefined the lowly commuter car, and it becomes evident when you put the pieces together; A suspension that gives up too soon; huge cabin with air beyond it’s means; cushy thrones; strong isolation from the din of commoners outside; a stingy engine… Apart from being the embodiment of French history, this thing is also the perfect commuter car. Especially so when combined with the optional shiftless transmission, steering-mounted bluetooth phone connectivity and speed-sensitive volume control.
I can’t think of a better car to be stuck in traffic with at anywhere near this bargain-basement price, and any car that makes me wish I was stuck in traffic has got to be impressive, n’est-ce pas?
The Honeymoon is Over!
If you search the forums for MPG numbers on the Versa, you will run into a very vocal group of disgruntled Versa Owners hopping mad about the mileage.
I am one of them.
The EPA numbers on window stickers are of course the worst joke of the past 30 years, and are finally going to have the testing proceedures changed for 2008.
That is another story, but bottom line, no B.S, my Versa SL with the CVT powertrain is a GAS GUZZLER!
I just got back from a nice leisurely cruise to town (65mph) for a little shopping, 100 miles highway, 20 miles in town, and it took 5.5 gal of gas…..that’s an incrediby, ghastly 21.8 MPG
We still have our bill marked, paid in full, for $22,000, if only I could take it back for a refund!
Wow! For that price you could have bought a “striped” Toyota Prius. Here in northern Calif., Prius supply has finally caught up with demand. Toyota is selling new Prius at 0% interest & dealers are discounting them up to $3,000, acdcording to Sacramento Bee want adds. I won’t pay MSRP or more for any car. Shop around, do your home work, have patience, & don’t try to be the first one on the block with a new model.
The EPA MPG figures are being reduced to more realistic, real world figures & much depends on how you drive.
The EPA numbers on new car windows are more like..’Go Ahead, Make a Wish’.
Finally, after threats of congressional investigations, in 2008, the EPA are having to revise testing methods that have been the joke of the industry for 30 years or more. Unfortunatly the joke has been on us, the new car buyers!
The Car Companies have been getting away with posting the EPA results of a dynamometer test in a closed building, no vehicle air conditioning on, no hard acceleration, 75 degrees F, and a brief top test speed of barely 60 mph. and then, for legal reasons, adding the fine print…”your mileage will vary”
New car buyers gaze longingly at these unworldly numbers and nervously hope their mileage doesn’t vary. It wouldn’t, of course, if on a warm day, you just gently run the new car in the garage on a dynamometer.
In Canada, to make the numbers look even more impressive to the new car buyer, they print the ‘Buyers Hope List’ in “Imperial Units”. (20% more MPG’s than U.S. gallons)
EPA numbers on my VERSA SL still show 36 mpg in town, and 46 mpg highway on the window sticker!
When was the last time you were able to fill up with “Imperial Gallons”? We have had the Metric System for nearly 35 years, but boy, do those inflated U.K. gallons and miles numbers look great on the window sticker, compared to the Metric readings (for which we still don’t even have a word for (liters per hundred kilometers)… ‘Kilamidge?’… ‘LiphKers’? much less a practical application without converting back to MPG’s. Sorry, LiphKer Lovers, the rest of North America is still measured in miles, not Kilamidges.
In 2008 the EPA numbers are grudgingly backed off a little, due to new EPA testing regulations in effect for all cars.
In the U.S., for the new Versas, it’s now 26 in town and 33 hiway…still too high, in my opinion, more like a small concession to the angry mobs of Hybrid Owners carrying burning torches at the EPA doors.
Consumer Reports go out of their way to get honest MPG evaluations.
At the first stage of testing, CR secretly BUY all the cars and trucks they test, to avoid any Manufacturer’s “Hanky Panky” and to discount perception of any ‘under the table’ affiliations with the Manufacturers.
(It’s a jungle out there, Car Company Bloggers on open forums report fudged numbers too, high MPG’s for them, and low for their competition. Plus they post ‘right from the brouchure’, glowing reports on the car and have no knowledge of what the H’ they are talking about) I have read a few on this forum.
Consumer Reports owns and DRIVES the test cars like the rest of us do every day on the way to work, cold 20 degree starts, hard, Mad Max conditions in rush hour, survival-of-the-quickest driving, and, sometimes, the a/c blasting.
They even rotate through different test drivers so no one puttering along like Gramma on the way to Sunday School, can fudge the numbers.
Under those Real-World Conditions, THE VERSA with CVT powertrain GETS 20 MPG!
Of course “your mileage may vary”. The alternative is a mileage guarantee which is notgonnahappen.com. The idea is that cars are tested under identical circumstances in a controlled environment so the results are useful relative to other cars, not in any way that might allow you to predict your fuel consumption.
So in these relative terms, if you had bought another car with lower EPA figures your mileage would likely be even worse than it is. If you don’t believe that, take a look at the sampling of mileage results for Versa owners here… http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/230872
My concerns are the MPG discrepancy from new car window stickers, to the realities of the gas pump after you put your money down and drive away. The EPA window sticker numbers on many Hybrids are, percentage wise, even more inacurate. So, if I wanted a car with improved MPG's there are certainly better ways of shopping for one than off the EPA dynamometer, in a brief, easy computer exhaust test. Consumer Reports annonomusly buy thier own test vehicles to avoid Manufactures pre test tinkering, use multiple drivers on an outdoor test track, regular gas pump fuel, and real world conditions. Lets include their MPG numbers up in the window for buyers to see, that would be "The Truth About Cars".
You should be concerned because the MPG labels are not meant to represent any one person’s reality, just like the MSRP is not meant to indicate anyone’s monthly payments. The information is only useful for the purpose for which it was produced.
Since no one can be sure if a particular fuel consumption test cycle accurately reflects their real-world circumstances, the best we can do is use the results to compare car models. Though I’d bet that even for the same model, CR results are not as repeatable as the EPA’s, meaning their data should be relied upon less, not more.
My current daily driver is a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 5 speed manual transmission. I bought this car new & saved my Maroney sticker which I just checked. It shows an EPA MPG estimate of 25 city & 33 highway MPG. I now have over 94,000 miles on this car. I have kept a log of my gas consumption since new. The worst MPG has been 20 MPG & the highest, 37.5 MPG,on two occasions, same trip. Heading east from Grass Valley, CA to Winnamucca, Nev. between 60 to 80 MPH, air conditioner running, BUT with a strong tail wind. Returning from Ottawa, Ont to the Sault St Marie USA boarder, because I held my speed to 55 MPH (90 KPH)since Ontario didn’t allow use of radar detectors & I didn’t know how strictly they inforced their speed laws. Was cool enough to not have to run my A/C & could keep windows closed for less drag. My average for this over 6,000 mile trip was a little over 30 MPG. The lowest MPG for the trip was 25 to 26 MPG around Minneapolis, Minn. where they spike their gas with over 10% ethanol. Moral: if you drive conservativly, you can meet or beat the federal EPA estimates, if you can get real gas, not gasohal. Driving accross Wyoming, at legal speeds, I frequently meet or beat the EPA highway estimates. With normal mixed city highway driving, I have frequently got 26 to 29 MPG. However, I have been running Amsoil synthetic oil in my engine & driveline. With my 1972 Citroen stationwagon, I usually got around 20 to 21 MPG which I think was close to EPA estimates. With my 1996 Ford Escort 5 speed, I would usually get around 36 MPG & on several highway trips, if I didn’t have to use my A/C, got over 40 MPG. Your MPG will vary according to your driving style but I don’t think, from my driving experience, that the EPA MPG estimates are that far off, if you don’t hotrod your car, drive way over the speed limit, etc.
Hey…I own a Megane (living in French oversea territory) the Megane is 1.5x bigger than a Micra..so stop arguing, the Clio got bigger this year after a total rebuild. Versas ARE these new Clios..Come on, I see them several time a day and I drive a Megane.
Another thing: I suspect some guys in this forum to have prejudice on the Versa because it is French engineering. It is like the Liberty Fries of the congress restaurant… But you know what ? I use to own american and japanese cars for decades. The only French car I saw int the past was the R5 and the Renault Alliance made by AMC(RIP)-Jeep-Renault, so I had myself some prejudice against french cars. I recently realised that Renault, Peugeot and Citroen are building amazing, low consumption, decent priced high performance cars.. I tried most of them and..geez..it compares damn well with Honda, Mazda..etc.
Try a Citroen C4 Sport or a Megane 2.0 Turbo…you will trip
I enjoyed four days in a rented Versa. Spacious interior, lots of stowage, tall seating, jazzy styling. Peppy, but lost punch on the highway. Wished I could have rented a 5- or 6-speed. The conventional auto on my base model was a buzz-kill. Would an iPod jack really have been that expensive?
I would like to respond to padraig’s 5/11/07 comment. Those of us who live in that “so called free country”, the USA, can’t buy French cars because our government won’t let us. You are very fortunate you live where you can still buy French cars. Citroen is my favorite, & I own 3, a 1970 ID-19,’72 DJX-21 station wagon, & a “gray market” 1979 CX Pallas diesel. A couple months ago, I finally drove a Honda Fit. The Fit has a 5 speed & the Versa has a 6 speed. The only things I don’t like about the Versa is lack of a diesel option & the lack of a flat floor when the rear seat is folded. However, that could be remided by building a platform out of wood that you could Versa when you need a flat floor. To me, the French connection of the Versa would be a PLUS! For the record, I DO NOT support Bush’s STUPID Iraq War! In my opinion, he is our WORST President EVER!
Quick note on the fuel economy of this car: I bought a 2008 6-speed SL, and at first was underwhelmed (I was getting around 24-25, strictly city driving.) I had read that the mileage would improve after the break-in period, but it didn’t seem to.
Well, after the first oil change, things have perked up significantly; suddenly I’m getting 27-29 on the same city commute, and on a nearly full-tank two-way commute on the 5 in CA (including long stretches of 80+mph and total-standstill traffic), I got 31 (which is the EPA highway estimate.)
So yes the interior is awesome and the exterior endearing (with the headlights, taillights and pinched hood, it looks kind of like a French take on a stretched VW Beetle) and the handling is mediocre, but now that I’m getting good economy and I’ve learned how to have fun driving it (wasn’t used to the low torque at first), I’m calling it a win.
Just for snicks and grins, though, I checked to see how much it was worth at CarMax, and it’s worth a tad more than I owe on it (with very little put down) — so no complaints from me whether I keep it or not.
I always subscribe to the notion that its fun to drive a slow car fast.
I had a chance to test drive the 6 speed sedan version of this car and I was pleasantly suprised with the room, power and amenities it offered for only 15k. I stepped into the cabin not expecting VW tactile pleasures, Lexus refinement, nor BMW driving dynamics. I was however suprised by the fact that I could put a rear facing child seat behind me, still have room to row the shifter and break traction in first gear. It has everything a person needs to get back and forth to work, and has a fun 6 speed manual to at least make you feel your driving fast.