Edmunds: Nissan Versa

[ifcar]

A commuter's delight









In the past, to drive a small and inexpensive car was like eating a bowl of Top Ramen: Every taste was a reminder of what we weren't getting in a package of the most basic ingredients.

Now, however, fueled by burgeoning demand and increased competition, carmakers are offering much more savory automotive fare, full of appealing ingredients, for surprisingly low prices. It's like getting a can of Wolfgang Puck's minestrone for the cost of packaged noodles.

This trend is, of course, being led by the Asian manufacturers, who have lots of experience building and selling econocars around the world and have been quicker to adapt those platforms to the fickle demands of the American market. Among the contenders are the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio5, Scion xA, Suzuki Reno, Toyota Yaris and this little morsel, the 2007 Nissan Versa.

Before now, testing this sort of small and inexpensive car ? all of these have base prices of less than $15,000 ? used to be like wrapping our bare thighs with barbed wire, but today's crop of cheap cars affects us less like penance and more like a prayer answered.

In fact, this Versa SL, which wears a small smattering of options, tasted pretty good.

Definition of a world car
The first offspring of Nissan's marriage with Renault to arrive on U.S. shores, the Versa is an amalgam of Japanese technology, French design and Mexican manufacturing (the same factory where the Sentra is built), trimmed and tuned for an American audience. Sold elsewhere under the Nissan Tiida badge, the hatchback Versa arrives this July with a base price of $13,255. A sedan version will follow after the first of next year.

The Versa's got the same goofy-looking profile of most small and tall hatchbacks, but it's moderated somewhat by the long, 102.4-inch wheelbase. Powering the beast is an all-aluminum, 1.8-liter DOHC four that was especially designed for the car. Its 122 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque are above average for the class and a six-speed manual transmission is standard. A four-speed automatic (optional only on S models) and a continuously variable transmission (only for SL models) are also available.

The front brakes are disc, the rears are drum and ABS is a $250 option, but six airbags are standard. We like the standard fitment of active headrests and the tire-pressure monitor system as well. Standard running gear is 15-inch steel wheels with 185/65R15 all-season tires. SL models, like our tester, ride on alloy wheels.

Loads of content
Nissan's Versa strategy is rooted in the car's high levels of standard equipment and a spacious, well-tailored interior. Base S models arrive with plenty of amenities, from a CD player and air conditioning to a tilt steering column, variable intermittent wipers and 60/40-folding rear seatbacks.

The higher-content SL packs a 180-watt stereo with an in-dash six-disc CD changer; cruise control; a soft pad across the top of the instrument panel; driver-seat height adjustment; woven cloth seat trim; a rear-seat center armrest with cupholders; rear door pockets; remote keyless entry; power door locks, windows and mirrors; an overhead console; and a map lamp. Our tester wore the optional $700 Convenience Package, which includes an Intelligent Key entry system, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, steering wheel audio switches and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It also had the $300 Audio Package that adds a Rockford Fosgate-powered subwoofer and better speakers.

That's a very generous list of equipment for less than $17,000. So, what's the catch? Where did Nissan cut back so it could offer such a deal?

A nicely finished and roomy cabin
Well, it sure wasn't in the car's interior, which is spacious and well-tailored. With its tall roof, headroom isn't an issue except for NBA players, and the combined front and rear legroom lets 6-foot-plus passengers sit comfortably at all four positions. Yes, a fifth person can be wedged into the rear center seat, but only if they're especially friendly with their outboard companions. The Scion xA comes close to providing the same measure of legroom, but Honda's Fit offers almost 5 inches less rear legroom.

However, that also gives the Fit more luggage capacity (21.3 cubic feet) with the seats up than the Versa's 17.8 cubic feet. With the seats folded, though, the Versa's capacity stretches to an impressive 50.4 cubic feet compared to the Fit's 41.9 cubic feet.

Even in base trim, the upholstery is an upscale-texture suede tricot, the plastics appear to be pulled down from an upper-class car and even the faux carbon-fiber trim doesn't look too faux. The front seats, however, lack adequate side bolstering, and the cushions are too short for optimum thigh support. More comfortable are the rear seats, which are nicely sculpted and raked, and the seat cushions are slightly elevated for good forward visibility.

We found nothing wrong with our relationship to the thick-grip steering wheel, manual shifter and pedals, and the dash panel's switches and gauges were well placed for easy access and clarity. Unlike some recent cars aimed at a younger market, there are no "trick" lighting schemes or weird gauge placements to confuse the most important issue, the simple act of driving.

No chills, no thrills
And this is where the Versa shows its major compromises. It isn't being touted as a sport hatch, and it surely isn't. It's fairly quick off the line, but once the engine reaches 4,000 rpm, it begins to grumble loudly about the increased revs. Nor is the 1.8-liter four as smooth or refined as the Honda's smaller 1.5-liter engine, and though the Nissan engine is rated higher in both horsepower and torque, our testing showed it was no faster than the Fit due to the Nissan's extra 255 pounds of weight.

Pound through the gears of the quick-shifting six-speed and the Versa hits 60 mph in a leisurely 9.5 seconds. It takes 9.3 seconds in the Fit. The quarter-mile run is also a snore ? 17.1 seconds at 81 mph. So it's no pocket rocket, but it's easy to drive, with a light clutch and short-throw shifter, and it averaged 26.8 mpg during our week of mixed driving.

Over smooth pavement, the ride quality is good, but the Versa's suspension compliance over rough road surfaces didn't impress us, its wheels tending to hop over obstructions rather than settling quietly back into place. The car feels tall in the corners, which is accentuated by plenty of body roll.

Through our slalom course the Versa was almost 5 mph slower than the Honda, and it pulled only 0.73g on the skid pad compared to the Fit's 0.79g. To be fair, the Fit we tested was a Sport edition and had the advantage of wider, lower-profile tires. A good set of performance tires would do similar wonders for the Versa's handling.

The electric power steering, however, is too slow to be called sporty, and it's hampered by on-center vagueness. Braking, too, was not exemplary. Even with the optional ABS, the Versa needs 136 feet to stop from 60 mph; the Honda needed only 123 feet. Credit again the Fit's grippier tires and lower mass.

It all depends on what you need
The Versa is an acceptably comfortable cruiser. As a commuter car, you couldn't find a nicer cockpit to stow passengers, but forget about running the canyons quickly. For its price, the list of equipment is hard to beat, and it's put together with higher-quality materials than recent bottom-end Nissans. Except for its rather pedestrian dynamics, it's a substantial banquet of goodness in a category that used to be as rewarding as a crust of bread.

Vehicle Tested:
2007 Nissan Versa 4dr Hatchback
MSRP of Test Vehicle: $16,805

What Works:
Class-leading interior and cargo space, very high quality of interior materials, lots of bells and whistles for the money, simple but attractive control layout, comfortable rear seat.

What Needs Work:
Noisy powertrain at high revs, vague steering, less than athletic handling.

Bottom Line:
Commuting in comfort for four full-size adults, as long as the road to work is straight.