Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Versa Note is the hatchback version of the subcompact Versa sedan. Previously known simply as the Versa hatchback, it got a new name when the redesigned model bowed for 2014. The Versa Note boasts a roomy interior, good fuel economy and an unusually low base price.

Given its tepid driving dynamics and underwhelming cabin quality, though, the Versa Note isn't a top pick among small, affordable hatchbacks. Rivals like the Honda Fit and Kia Soul have a wider range of talents. But money talks, and there's a good chance that Nissan's little runabout will be the most affordable car on your list. If you're looking for a spacious hatchback on the cheap, take note.

Current Nissan Versa Note
The Nissan Versa Note is a four-door hatchback offered in S, S Plus and SV trim levels. The S sticks to the bare necessities, providing steel wheels, air-conditioning, a height-adjustable driver seat, manual windows and locks and a four-speaker sound system. The S Plus gets a standard CVT (continuously variable transmission), cruise control and active grille shutters to aid fuel economy. The SV adds full power accessories, upgraded interior trim and gauges, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Optional extras on the SV are largely bundled into packages and include keyless ignition/entry, a rearview camera, two different touchscreen interfaces (measuring 4.3 inches or 5.8 inches), a navigation system, a 360-degree parking camera system, a USB/iPod input and Bluetooth streaming audio.

All Versa Notes are powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 109 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is mandatory on the base S trim, while the other trims are equipped with the CVT. The best fuel economy comes from selecting the CVT.

In reviews and ratings, we've commented favorably on the Versa Note's astoundingly roomy backseat. Based on the car's pint-sized dimensions, you'd expect two adults to feel crammed in there like proverbial sardines, but a couple of 6-footers can actually share the rear bench with head- and legroom to spare. Luggage space is also a strength, though maximum capacity with the seatbacks flipped forward is unremarkable.

In other respects, the Versa Note falls short of segment leaders. Interior materials are about what you'd expect from one of the cheapest hatchbacks on the market, notwithstanding the SV's extended cloth inserts. The engine drones intrusively when it's working hard, which is often. Even in a featherweight subcompact, 109 hp isn't much oomph. Although the ride is generally comfortable, rough roads can give the car's structure a bad case of the shakes. If you keep your expectations low, you might be pleasantly surprised, but most of the Versa Note's competitors will be more pleasant on a daily basis.

Used Nissan Versa Note Models
The current Nissan Versa Note is a new model. But its predecessor, the first-generation Versa hatchback, was produced from 2007-'12 and is covered in the Nissan Versa model review.

User Reviews:

• 

  Awesome - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By nissan_rocks - July 26 - 2:05 am

  Great fuel economy, surprisingly quiet for a car in this category, road noise to a minimum, very smooth due to the CVT. Huge rear passenger space and good cargo space, usually hard to get both but the Versa has it.

• 

  Zoom Zoom - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By Erik Faulkner - December 28 - 2:58 am

  This car is a great commuter car. I drive about 1,000 miles a week to an from work. I love this car it has great fuel economy, it is comfortable on long distance travels and is zippy. It is easy to park, and the Bluetooth hands free phone connectivity is a plus since a lot of my employees call at all times of the day. The only down side is there is not much storage with the back seats in their upright normal position.

• 

  2014 27,000 Miles no issues simple and functional - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By Kerry - August 2 - 3:49 am

  This is a 2014 bought Jul 14. Did not want a CVT so the base model was only available. Basic operation no issues. Braking, accel, paint, tires, oil consumption (none), Radio, Dash indicators, visibility, fuel consumption 33-40, manual trans 5 spd, long trips great, steering, traction great in rain, cross wind in Tx good, internal room for 5, internal room for stuff surprising for a little car. Purpose of this car was for long trips (3500mi) thus 27K mi in 1 year. Only expense is oil and oil filters every 5K miles. Tires like new. I use synthetic oil and now Wix/Carquest filters. Car power is good enough and can get to 80+ ramping on freeway in Tx. Would like a 6 speed but 5 works. Need to rev to 5k rpm to get full power. Has coolant Temp indicator that I require. Few cars I checked still had a temp gauge. I have can have pain with my lower back on long trips. This car has seats that beat any other cars I have driven. Dont know why but I have driven 1500+ miles (2 Days) and arrive with no back or knee issues. I didnt notice at first but after a few gas stops on first trip I realized I had no pains while pumping gas. My wife had the same experience. I have also noticed my lower back can be hurting and after a few hundred miles it feels great. Secret is the lumbar support, there is no adjustment. Just the best seats for long trips. Can pack a lot in the back. Great leg room in back and can seat 3 adults in back. Baby seat attachment points for 3 seats in rear. Storage with back seat up is good for trip. I wish It had auto door locks, cruise, 6 gears, see through rear head rests, 13 gal gas tank, and arm rests both front seats. Windshield wipers with a faster setting. Rain-X fixed this. Average Mileage indicator over states and sometimes under states actual average mileage. The gas pedal is not positioned well for long distance but I can position my foot so it is fine. Cruise would take care of this. Driving experience has been great in town or on highway. In Tx, speed limits up to 85 no issue. Rpm is about 4200 at 85 and mileage drops to 30 or so but power is not an issue and tracks as well as any car I drive. One of my first trips was to Chicago and hit extreme rain storm on highway. We were 1 of the few cars driving with high winds, dumping rain, and hail. No problems. I was extremely surprised at the traction and stability, dont think the traction control activated, just rock solid steering and traction. Continental tires may be the reason. Around town is great with small turning radius, visibility, fuel 36+, and great AC. Mileage ranges 30 -40+. Speed and hills make a difference. Flat: 80 = 30-32, 75 = 33, 70 = 34, 65 = 35-36, 45 = 40 At times on flat road at 45 I got 40+ When I take it easy at 65 flat roads I get 36-38 mpg. I did not want CVT nor too much technology so decided on this car. It has hand crank windows but does have power outside mirrors. I have to remember to lock the rear hatch and would be nice if it was power lock. Glove box is good. Drink holders are functional but could be better especially holder in door. Would like a better spot for 2 cell phones. I use an inverter for 120V computer or cell phone power and works fine using 12V power port. At night, cannot see key ignition location with door closed. 27k+ miles This is a simple car with AC that covers Tx. 105+ days, gets good gas mileage, long distance driving comfort, plenty rear leg and head room (6 2), plenty of space for luggage or groceries, no maintenance costs, uses no oil, paint looks good, good traction, and tracks well in cross winds. Does not have a CVT and car computer is not impacted by outside hackers. Good little car.

• 

  Easy, cute and reliable! - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By Northern California Mom - February 10 - 9:17 pm

  Our 2014 Versa Note has about 40k miles on it. We bought it used four months ago from a dealer; previously a rental. We were looking for an economical, comfortable, newer, fuel-sipping, around-town vehicle that I (a mother of kids in various after school activities) could safely do all of my driving around town in. The Versa Note has delivered. Sound system is very good, use of interior space is excellent, gas mileage is very good, and it its own way it is really fun to drive. Pickup is slow, but that is to be expected with the CVT. Once youre rolling, there is plenty of power. For a sub-compact car, the inside feels great and modern. Back seat is huge for the size of the car, and both front and back seats accommodate surprisingly tall people without a problem. Plenty of leg room. And somehow, the rear hatch area accommodates gigantic loads of groceries. The split rear seat is handy if you need extra room for carrying a small bicycle, etc. Our German Shepherd even fits in the way back. An added unexpected bonus of driving such a small car is that when our whole family is in it, it is incredibly easy and nice to have a conversation among us all because we are all relatively close together. Also easy to clean, being so small! All in all we love it, but it is definitely not a luxury car, so dont expect the super smooth ride. And go for the SV model at least if you can, because who wants a newer car with manual roll-down windows? But coming from our 2000 Subaru which finally bit the dust, it feels great, modern, and a big improvement in many ways. It is a little bumpy and jerky on the road since it is so little, but you get used to that. Not uncomfortable at all, but it drives more like a small motorcycle or scooter than a gigantic luxury liner. For long trips it may not be the absolute most comfortable car out there, but for cruising mostly around town it has rocked (we have a minivan as our other car to use for camping and trips). Love to squeeze the Versa Note into those tight parking spaces that the big trucks pass right by :)

• 

  A Note-Worthy Surprise - 2015 Nissan Versa Note
  By notelampasas - June 4 - 9:17 pm

  Having had numerous vehicles over the years, and preferring manual shift for a more engaged driving experience, I decided to drive the CVT Note to see how uninspiring it was, and was wrong. This well designed, quiet vehicle keeps up with traffic, is very economical, and is a pretty decent hauler. After 7,700 miles, my city/country average is 35.5, and average highway is 38.8, with best long highway trip being 43.3 at 70mph with A/C. The seats are comfortable, and the back seat was able to accommodate a 68" male who was stunned at the backseat room. I had no problem climbing long inclines in Colorado. Certainly one of the surprising cars that has gotten little attention.

• 

  Fun to drive, great mileage - 2016 Nissan Versa Note
  By David Allin - January 15 - 1:36 pm

  First, the Versa Note is almost totally unrelated to the other Versa models. Its a different platform that is more solid and much better looking. When you close the doors, you hear a nice muffled thunk, not the tinny clank of most economy cars. The whole car feels very tight, and is extremely quiet inside, with no squeaks or rattles and little tire and wind noise. The interior is simple, but the materials all feel sturdy and look attractive, which is standard for Nissans. I traded in a 2005 Sentra with 108K miles, and the cloth interior of that car still looked just like new. The Notes interior is very spacious, especially for such a small car, with plenty of leg room in the back seats for two adults. The cargo area is adequate, with a floor that can be positioned at two heights, and the rear seatbacks fold down almost flat. Unlike most cars these days, the rear side windows roll all the way down and out of sight in the doors. The car handles extremely well, and stops on a dime. In order to make it good great mileage, however, Nissan put a very small engine in it, combined with a CVT transmission that is programmed to save gas. As a result the car is not a pocket rocket, although the acceleration is adequate. Going up Nine-Mile hill at 75mph with the AC on is a strain, but otherwise the car can keep up with traffic pretty well. Ive found that a gentle pressure on the gas pedal will actually result in better acceleration than pushing it to the floor. Still, we use our Murano for long trips, and the Note in town, where it scoots around happily. Theres an old sports car saying that its more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and it applies here. I bought the SL, with all the bells and whistles, and for the most part they are worth the extra cost. The satellite radio is great, and the cars sound system is better than the one in my Murano. One of the main features we were looking for was visibility, and in addition to the great arrangement of windows, the SL has the around-view monitor, with cameras on all sides that produce a picture on the center screen of a birds-eye view of the car when backing up. The cameras can also be turned on when pulling into a parking space. The navigation systems is okay, but not as good as my Garmin, and clearly has not been updated for at least four years. The Sirius Travel Link is a nice feature, giving you the prices of gas at nearby stations, movie listings in the area, stock prices, and weather info. It also provides you real-time traffic alerts. All of these can be accessed using voice commands that work fairly well. Instrumentation is limited to tach, speedo, and gas gauge; all other systems are just warning lights. The HVAC is the same one that was in my 2005 Sentra, but it works well. Judging by our experience with previous Nissans over the last 20 years, we expect this car to be trouble-free for as long as we own it. Yes, I wish it had a little more power, but we love the car anyway.

• 

  I love my Versa Note - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By Stacey - March 23 - 7:02 am

  I have owned my Note for a little over two years and have about 60,000 miles on it. I have a long work commute and was sick of giving half my money to the oil industry. I get about 37mpg. Compared to similar cars, the Note has a lot of space and cargo room. Five of us to Florida on a camping trip cargo room. Mine did come with an unlimited power train warranty from the dealership. I have kept up with every single required maintenance. I love my car, but if youre looking for a sports tuner, this isnt it. This is a good run around with the kids car. Its like my mini SUV. BTW, my husband is 62" and has plenty of head and leg room, which was one of his big concerns when I decided to go to a small car.

• 

  Great little car - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By icecream3 - February 16 - 7:53 am

  We got our blue Versa Note on 7-12-13. I have to say we did a lot of research on this vehicle and others, Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra, etc., what drove us to the new note was its claim on fuel economy. Well after driving it for almost 2 weeks now I can say that there fuel economy rating is pretty spot on, we are getting 34 in the city, and the few times that it has been on the highway we are getting 42 on the highway. I am quite impressed with that. It has a nice quite ride for a car of its size also. The exterior is stylish, but the interior is the same as the versa sedan which bland. But the controls are all easy to get to and work well, the back up camera is quite handy. Updates coming.

• 

  Easy, Reliable, and Fuel Efficient - 2016 Nissan Versa Note
  By Aaron King - July 29 - 10:41 pm

  ... which is basically all I wanted. Not many bells and whistles, but its a really great car.

• 

  The Note sings - 2015 Nissan Versa Note
  By jbullerjahn - September 12 - 8:43 pm

  The Note is an interesting piece in a sea of sameness. Even with only 600 miles on the clock, Ive been averaging about 35 miles combined highway and city. I have the SV with the CVT and am very happy with it. It seems to gave enough scoot, but with only 600 miles on the clock, Im not doing any hard driving yet. The Note is a car where reading the owners manual is a definite plus, though I found a few features on my own. Ill list them in the next section. Its a roomy, reasonably quiet, though the bluetooth and media volume buttons are not intuitive. The up and down button is the phone, while the button going across is the volume control.