As promised, here are my impressions so far of my '08 Nissan Versa S Hatchback, Magnetic Gray with Value Option Package, A/T, CoreRacing Evo7 alloy wheels, 8160 km's,
delivery date Sept.15, 2007, purchased from Barnes Nissan, Vernon BC.
After a little more than 7 months, my experience with the Versa has been excellent, the car has more than lived up to our expectations. No problems whatever so far.
Exterior Impressions:
I like the substantial look of the Versa; it certainly doesn't come across as a 'small' car in the traditional sense. The car's step-in height and large, wide-opening doors makes ingress and egress very easy, you sort of slide into the car rather than climbing in like you would an SUV or dropping in like my old '00 Neon. You quickly appreciate this feature when transporting elderly or disabled passengers like I do. The large body-coloured door handles feel solid and are very easy to use with gloved hands, but the jury's still out on the microswitch-controlled hatch release. It works well enough, but it's not obvious - you have to look for it and even when you find it, it takes a few seconds to figure out if you haven't read the manual. It can be quite difficult to find and use with gloved hands and for some reason Nissan doesn't include an interior hatch release. I would also prefer the bottom of the hatch opening to be a bit wider, but that's the price paid for styling I guess. The hatch opens high with gas struts which some might find a bit stiff but it does include an integrated pull-down handle. The only other exterior feature I'm not crazy about are the chrome-slathered headlights. A body-coloured treatment would be more attractive IMO. The headlights themselves are very effective, with excellent range and good cut-off.
Interior Impressions:
The first things most people comment on when they get into my Versa is how roomy the interior is and how good it looks. The quality of the materials and construction is excellent, much better than the price would suggest.There are some unexpected touches that surprised me, including the huge glove box with a big door that has a damped closing mechanism - the door glides open smoothly instead of suddenly dropping and smacking you on the knee. The interior grab-handles also close with an expensive-feeling damped motion - very nice! With a couple of exceptions, the overall design of the dashboard and interior is attractive and functional. The seats have inboard recliner handles that take some getting used to, but this is because the seats themselves are quite wide and the doors have large map pockets which leave no room to put your hand between them. The controls don't feel cheap or flimsy and are where you expect to find them, with one major exception. The electric mirror controls are on an unlit panel low on the dash next to the driver's left knee instead of on the door where they belong. I'm also puzzled why Nissan doesn't include a standard center armrest since they seem to have gone the extra mile in making the Versa such a comfortable car.
Rear seat room is exceptional, with at least as much leg room as I remember having in my '00 Dodge Caravan - amazing! The level of comfort back there is very high, at least as good as in front. The rear seatback has a 60/40 split but doesn't fold flat into the floor. The Versa would be truly versatile if Nissan included flip-and-fold seats similar to the Honda Fit.
The base stereo is Ok, but it doesn't have MP3 capability and only one CD. I expect most people will swap it out, but beware - Nissan charges a fortune for their optional head units, so the aftermarket is the way to go here.
HVAC controls are straight-forward and effective, more or less what you would expect. The rear window and mirror defrosters work very well, but stay on longer than necessary.
Driving Impressions:
Once you get into the driver's seat, you immediately notice the Versa's exceptional outward visibility due to the large windows and rear-view mirrors and the low beltline.The seats are comfortable, but not very adjustable - a height adjuster is standard only on the SL model. Once underway, the engine is quiet and smooth with very little vibration. Sometimes the only indication it's running is the tach - a couple of times I tried to re-start at a stoplight because I thought the engine had died, not a mistake I ever made in my old Neon. The car is very responsive and agile in city driving and very good on the highway, with adequate power for passing and steep grades even with the A/T. I expect the 6-speed manual would be even better in this regard. I can't comment on fuel economy definitively because the winter tires just came off, but it looks like I'm getting somewhere in the high 8L per 100 km's in city driving. Highway mileage on our trip to the Kootenays last Fall was 7.1.
Some other observations:
The Versa's dimensions and capacities are almost identical to the new '09 Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins. Most of these dimensions are notably larger than the Yaris-Fit class in which the Versa competes. Some examples:
Toyota Matrix XR (A/T, B Package) Nissan Versa S (A/T, Value Option Package, ABS)
Wheelbase 2600mm, 102.3" 2600mm, 102.3"
Length 4365mm, 171.8" 4295mm, 169.1"
Weight 1385 kg, 3053 lbs 1248 kg, 2751 lbs
Engine 1.8L, 132 hp 1.8L, 122 hp
The Versa's lighter weight gives it a slightly better power to weight ratio than the Matrix, 22.5 lbs per hp as opposed to 23.1 for the Matrix.
The Versa also is better in some key interior dimensions, although to be fair the Matrix is better in others. The differences are negligible except rear leg room where the Versa has a clear edge and cargo volume where the Matrix's greater length makes it the winner. Surprisingly, the Versa has .5 cu/ft more total passenger volume. Similarly equipped, the Matrix costs $19,190 and the Versa $17,498. Is it just me, or is Nissan competing in the wrong market segment with the Versa?
Matrix Versa
Front Head Room 1029mm, 40.5" 1031mm, 40.6"
Front Leg Room 1057mm, 41.5" 1052mm, 41.4"
Rear Head Room 999mm, 39.3" 972mm, 38.3"
Rear Leg Room 919mm, 36.2" 966mm, 38.0"
Total Passenger Volume 94.2 cu/ft. 94.7 cu/ft.
Cargo volume, seats up 19.8 cu/ft. 17.8 cu/ft.
edit - pic added
