Test Drive: 2012 Nissan Versa SL

By Kevin Harrison

With a potential transit strike looming in Halifax, the idea of car ownership may now on some level seem like less of a burden. Since many in the city seem to think our transit service is non-existent in the first place, perhaps a strike will seem like any other day anyway. But for some people like my friend Erin, having absolutely no transit means absolutely no work or social life. She just can’t afford to lose it.

Likewise, she can’t afford a new car either. While she may be able to get a decent second hand car which would have someone else eat most of the depreciation, there’s still that unsettling feeling that something could go wrong with her ‘new-to-her ride’ at any moment. The question then remains, will she have the money to fix it?

With close to zero knowledge of cars in the first place makes car ownership for Erin more anxious than Charlie Sheen at a drug testing lab. Luckily for her, her friendship with yours truly has many advantages not least of which is someone to help her pick out a good reliable used car.

But why ‘settle’ for a used car when a new one is actually within Erin’s grasp? Nissan has just redesigned the Versa sedan and they’re boasting the lowest MSRP of any new car in Canada in the process.  It certainly makes for an interesting new versus used argument.

Has Nissan come up with just a cheap car or a good valued car? I tested one to find out.

The redesigned Versa sedan is much improved looks-wise from the previous generation no matter how you stack it, despite its ability to look awkward at certain angles. Those tiny 15 inch wheels make the Versa seem even further uncouth. And those are the biggest wheels you can get, and you can only get the alloys in the top of the line SL trim. Still, there is grace to be found in the Versa’s design as the front end is decidedly handsome. Likewise the rear quarter view exudes a classy curvacious look. You may need to try hard to find the Versa’s non-awkward sides, but they’re there. The SL trim helps out with chrome accents and the aforementioned alloy wheels.

Step inside the Versa and you’ll notice right away a bit of sparsity in the interior design. Try not to feel around too much either as the Versa’s hard, cheap plastics become apparent when you do. They especially become evident during cold days when the plastics on the centre stack seem to rub together to create one hell of an annoying creaking noise. Only cranking the adequate sounding radio helps to drown out the sound. The cold also seems to affect the Versa’s power windows, which are standard on the SL trim, as they were frozen shut more often than not. This is more the fault of mother nature than the Versa, but it’s clear the Versa is not a fan of the cold.

Nissan likes to market the new Versa as having essentially mid-size interior room for a sub-compact price and boy are they right with that one. To say the Versa is spacious for its size is quite an understatement and I have no doubt that Nissan’s claims of ‘the most head room in its class’ is true. Shaquille O’Neal would likely feel comfortable in the Versa. I might suggest to all the Halifax cabbies using Town Cars and Crown Vics that the Versa sedan would make an excellent, efficient replacement.

Speaking of efficiency, the Versa sedan is rated at 6.7 L/100 kms and 5.2 L/ kms on the highway. It achieves those impressive numbers thanks to the CVT transmission with is standard on the SL trim. While CVT transmissions are generally unfavourable with performance purists, there really is no denying the transmission’s ability to help sip fuel and frankly Nissan has one of the best, if not the best CVT in the business.

That transmission is mated to a 1.6 litre four cylinder which produces 109 horsepower and 107 pound feet of torque. With those numbers it’s therefore unsurprising that the Versa posts a rather slow 9.2 second 0-100 time. The optional six-speed manual in lower trims would likely help with some more get-up-and-go but no matter how you slice it, the Versa is not a fast car. The CVT is rather noisy and intrusive to the cabin as well when pushed. CVT’s tend to work a bit better when mated to larger engines, so the CVT connected to this small 1.6 litre just gives the impression of unrefinement and vulgarity at times. This translates into what seems like the Versa begging you to stop when trying to pass on the highway. However, once at cruising speed the Versa is stable and a tad more graceful.

You aren’t going to get any sort of thrills by flogging the Versa in the bends. Those tiny wheels matched with its tall stance means that any sort of aggressive driving is out of the picture. The Versa does actually have a bit of weight in the steering feel and while point and shoot steering isn’t BMW-like, the Versa very much surprises with its agility when you suddenly crank the wheel. The top heavy feel and screeching of the tires eventually consign you to give the Versa mercy, however.

But here’s the thing. While I may be able to ding the Versa on power, handling, looks, and overall performance, the Versa just plain isn’t made for a guy like me. Its purpose for being is for people like Erin who really want to trade in their bus pass for a fuel efficient, practical, no-nonsense car that will get them from A to B without a fuss. This is really where the Versa shines.

I can’t think of any other new car that can do the ‘regular’ travel routine for such a low price so well. Sure you can name off the Fiesta and Fit, arguably the top contenders in the segment, but then again there’s where the price advantage of the Versa comes into play.

When the Versa is looked at from a typical automotive journalist point of view, it comes up short. But for Joe Public the Versa really does make a strong case for itself for good value. Nissan has essentially closed the gap for people thinking they should buy used instead of new for their budget conscious car purchase. It’s arguably a perfect city car. Great on gas, decent ride for around town, easy to park thanks to its small size and room for all your friends with some to spare. What’s not to like?

As such, I don’t think I’ll hesitate in strongly suggesting to Erin that the Nissan Versa is well worth a look on her car shopping list and yours.

Base Price: $11,798

Pros:

  • Truely impressive head room and leg room
  • Good fuel efficiency
  • Comfortable ride
  • Handsome from certain angles
  • Great value with low MSRP

Cons:

  • Noisy CVT
  • A bit underpowered for the highway
  • Hard plastics in abundance
  • Can look quite goofy from other angles

Overall: 7/10

 

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