Future Generations Cars

The Nissan Versa has consistently been marketed as one of the cheapest new cars in America -- a budget-conscious consumer's delight. The all-new 2012 Nissan Versa is no exception. Nissan's ads affirm it as accepting "the a lot of amplitude per dollar of any car in America," comparing its rear legroom to that of a Mercedes E-Class. In an added aggressive segment, is that absolutely enough?

The top-of-the-line 2012 Nissan Versa SL we activated starts at $16,320. For that blemish you get a appealing well-equipped car, with foreground foglights, admixture wheels, 60/40 rear seats, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, cruise control, ability windows and locks, and Nissan's CVT. Step down to the SV at $15,320 and you lose the alloys, foglights, Bluetooth, and breach rear seats. The S CVT loses the two rear speakers, and aggregate but the CVT. At the basal of the butt is the S trim, which comes with a five-speed chiral and not abundant abroad at $11,750. All 2012 Versas are powered by Nissan's new HR16DE 1.6-liter I-4, bearing 109 hp and 107 lb-ft of torque.
The Blue Onyx acrylic was conceivably the best allotment about our tester's exterior. That's not to say the Versa's animal -- it's endless better-looking than the abundant archetypal it replaces. It's just that the 2012 Versa auto isn't decidedly good-looking. Nissan beneath the foreground end by 2.7 inches and tacked it assimilate the rear of the car. The result? From a lot of angles the Versa looks continued and frumpy.

Inside, it's a hardly altered story. The Versa's redesigned birr and centermost animate don't attending like you shopped on a budget, and while the plastic's on the bargain side, it's adequate for the segment. The Versa's gauges attending abundant as able-bodied -- they're crisp, sharp, and simple to read. The foreground and rear seats are bendable and cushy, and yes, the new Versa has added autogenous legroom than Mercedes' E-Class, but so did the endure one. In fact, the old Versa had added leg and allowance than the 2012 model. Nevertheless, if this 6-foot-tall book slid the foreground seats aback as far as accessible and plopped down into the rear seats, he had affluence of allowance to advance out, slouch, and get comfortable. With its massive-for-the-segment block (14.8 cubic-feet) and ample bulk of autogenous space, the Versa wouldn't be a half-bad taxi.














There are some bargain spots in the cabin. The council caster is fabricated of adamantine plastic. For a allotment of the car that you accept to touch, it would accept been nice if Nissan spent a brace added bucks to accord it a softer feel.

Like our abiding Juke, the Versa lacks an armrest. Authoritative affairs worse, if you absence the armrest, your duke acreage on addition cheap-feeling section -- the accessory lever, which is basically a bit of artificial sandwiched by added artificial that Nissan would accept you accept is metal. Those "metal" $.25 feel hollower than a McDonald's blessed meal toy. Again, it would've been nice if Nissan spent a bit added money authoritative the locations the disciplinarian has the a lot of alternation with feel added substantial.
As for the Versa's performance, it's not traveling to win any stoplight drags, and that's fine. It's not meant to. The Versa saunters from 0 to 60 mph in a adequate 10.2 abnormal and assimilate the division mile in 17.6 abnormal at 79.2 mph, its engine groaning adjoin the 6500 rpm redline. Braking is analogously average, carriage the 2453-pound car to a asleep stop from 60 mph in 132 feet.

The 2012 Versa is congenital on Nissan's new "V" Platform, and the "V" stands for "versatile." Around boondocks the Versa is rather quiet and composed; on the artery it's addition story. Noise isn't absolutely the affair -- the Versa just never absolutely feels adequate on the highway. The electric ability council feels ever boosted, and doesn't close up abundant on the artery to let the disciplinarian apperceive what the tires are doing. The powertrain never seems to achieve down, either. It's a connected action amid the engine, which is aggravating to acknowledge to burke inputs, and the CVT, which is advised to optimize ammunition economy.

Naturally, top breadth is ascendant in the Versa's class, and Nissan put a lot of accomplishment into authoritative the engine as fuel-efficient as possible. It has a bifold ammunition injector bureaucracy that sprays 57-percent bigger than a individual ammunition injector, and a Continuously Variable Timing Control (CVTC) system. With Nissan's second-generation CVT, Nissan estimates the Versa will net 30/38 mpg city/highway on the EPA analysis cycle. The five-speed manual-equipped Versa S should get 27/36 mpg city/highway. In our time with the Versa we were able to get an adumbrated 33 mpg in alloyed city/highway active with acceptable use of the throttle. All these gizmos acquire the Versa a PureDrive brand on its trunk, an eco-labeling business play advised to accent its ammunition efficiency.

How does it assemblage up adjoin the competition? The Versa S is cheaper than the abject archetypal of the new Hyundai Accent. But what about our $16,320 SL tester? At that price, the blueprint changes. A analogously able Hyundai Accent GLS will set you aback $17,255. That's $935 added for a car with decidedly added application (138 of them), a acceptable six-speed automated transmission, and hardly bigger ammunition abridgement (30/40 mpg city/highway). Americans about consistently go for the bang-for-your-buck quotient, and the Hyundai a lot of absolutely has that.
At the Versa SL's amount point, the fashionable Fiat 500 Pop is aswell in play. While the Versa dwarfs the 500 in about every dimension, the tiny Fiat arguably drives better, gets the aforementioned ammunition economy, and a lot of importantly, puts a smile on your face. The 500 can aswell be had analogously able with a six-speed automated for just $780 more.

Perhaps added fair would be pitting Versa adjoin the Mazda2 Touring. A five-speed manual-equipped '2 can be had absolutely loaded for $16,430, and gets 29/35 mpg city/highway - the aforementioned ballpark as the Versa SL. And to top it off, the little Mazda is aswell abundant added advantageous to drive.
Don't wish to row your own gears? Don't like hatches? The Ford Fiesta SE auto can be had with Ford's six-speed dual-clutch automated manual and Sync for $16,390. While the Fiesta can't bout the Versa on space, and gets 1 mpg beneath in the city, it's better-looking. If you absorb an added $695 to get a Fiesta SE with the SFE package, artery breadth all-overs from 38 mpg to the anointed 40 mpg rating.
The Versa is safe, reliable, spacious, and inexpensive. However, if you've got abundant banknote to bounce for a high-end model, there are several added cars that action added for your money. But if you accept $13,520 in your wallet and all you charge is basal transportation, the S CVT is what you're searching for.