This is one of the best entry-level vehicles I've driven.
Yes…Nissan is serving up quite a treat for less than 22 thousand.
It's an easy car to like…and to respect….and here's why:
Let's start with the looks. If you like the Altima, Nissan's new Versa comes
across like a ¾ scale model of the Altima. Sleek and stylish for a $15 to $20
thousand vehicle;
As for the basics, the re-styled Versa easily seats four. Five, perhaps, if they're
somewhere between car-seat and 'tween sized, but four will fit with no apologies
and they'll each have room for their own suitcase and maybe one or two carry-on
bags in the trunk.
Again…the look is new and the size is new. When they delivered our test car, I
actually had to go around to the rear and read the word "Versa" to confirm that it
wasn't the one-size bigger Sentra.
But size and looks are just the start of the story.
Content is king today, and this is where our $21,885 Versa SR overdelivered.
Get a Versa in "SR" trim and it'll give you 17" alloys, LED auto high-beams, auto
emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure and blind spot
warnings, remote start, 7" screen, phone connectivity with hands-free text
messaging assistant, Siri hands-free voice recognition, and sport seating.
All that's yours for less than 19 thousand. Our test Versa had a few extras
including our "Monarch Orange" paint, heated seats, and interior ambient lighting
and exterior door sill lighting. Yes…limo-like door sill lighting on a 21K vehicle.
That was a first for me. And with the exterior color, this made the Versa appear
to be several thousand dollars more expensive than its window sticker.
And as for how it drove, that was another pleasant surprise. While not what
you'd call "fast', the Versa's 1.6 four cylinders got it around town and up to speed
on freeways with no issues.
Handling was also a pleasure…with its compact size making the Versa an ideal
city car. But you'll be making a mistake if you think of Nissan's Versa as only a
city car. On a round-trip run down to the beach and back, I averaged a little over
39 MPG…and the flow of traffic was running at speeds that I really don't want to
put into print.
And one last surprise…it was quite quiet on that road trip for an economy car.
Very little "road rumble" made its way into the cabin.
In short, test drive one yourself and see if you don't agree that Nissan's new
Versa punches several thousand dollars above its window-sticker.
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AutoNSider Review | 2020 Nissan Versa SR CVT 1
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 Nissan Versa SR CVT 2
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AutoNSider Review | 2020 Nissan Versa SR CVT 3
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AutoNSider Review | 2020 Nissan Versa SR CVT 4
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
