Reality: It's not too bad.
Greetings: When I first sat down in the Versa, I really felt kind of sorry for it. It had all the pizzazz of a Corolla or a Saturn, and what appeared to be an automatic shifter with just "Drive" and "Low" seemed outdated.
But a closer look reveals that's actually a continuously variable transmission driving this little car, which is pretty advanced for this price range. And, anyway, the flip side of "boring" is "simple."
Inside: This is a roomy little car. The backseat is especially noteworthy for not making occupants feel as if detachable limbs would be an excellent option.
And the standard cloth seats offered support and comfort, although the bottoms are a little short for thigh support. And the dashboard and doors didn't scream "Cheap car! Cheap car!"
Outside: The design is functional with some nice touches. The headlights and taillights are strictly love 'em or hate 'em. And it also comes in hatchback form, which is my preference in a car this small.
Controls: In my experience, Nissan buttons and knobs have felt cheap, so I figured the cheapest Nissan of all would be made mostly of tinfoil.
Not at all. The chrome-ring interior door handles are a nice touch. The heater and radio controls are simple but have a nice feel. And the steering-wheel controls offer actual tactile feedback, which can be hard to find in much more expensive cars. Nissan engineers do their homework.
Mileage: Before we talk about performance, let's think about why we're here: to save some fuel. The Versa boasted 35 m.p.g. in my usual mix of highway and city driving, so it's right up there with the best of them. (The Corolla is the Driver's Seat all-time winner among non-hybrids at 36.)
