Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Not What You Drive, But How You Drive It - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By DudeBaker - January 28 - 4:41 pm

  If you are considering purchasing a bottom of the barrel Versa S, then you probably care about precisely three things: Economy, practicality, and reliability. Thats great, because the Versa has those bases covered. But you should also know that this clumsy little gas-miser can also be an incredibly fun and engaging drive. I own and daily drive a 2015 Versa S with a five-speed manual, and it has quickly become one of the most fun cars I have ever owned - and Ive owned a lot of cars. I absolutely love tossing this car through the corners, driving directly over every bump in the road, and taking all five gears up to an raucous 5000 RPM. The claimed 109 horses take a very heavy foot to reel in. The interior panels rattle and creak in protest of every bump. The front suspension compresses far too much during hard cornering. Understeer is standard. The back-end seemingly drags on the ground behind you. Yes, I drive this car hard. Very hard. It roars, it rattles, it thumps and clunks, and I love every second of it. While Im having fun, Im also enjoying fantastic economy and mostly worry-free ownership. Mixed driving brings me 37 mpg average and just one visit to the pump per week. Oil and air filters are so cheap that I replace both every 3000 miles. There are no fancy electronic parts to fail, no expensive interior surfaces to worry over, no fancy paint job to polish and protect, no shiny alloys to dodge potholes for. My Versa is so cheap, in fact, that it came with rust pre-embedded in paint. Yes, my brand new car is already rusty. BUT - I just dont care. I bought this car to get from A to B, not to worry about. Even with the rust and cheap build quality, I like the way the Versa sedan looks. When its cleaned up, it looks kind of sophisticated, grown up, mature. Contrary to what the price may tell you, the Versa is not for everyone. If youre looking for a smooth, quiet ride, dont buy a Versa. If youre looking for state of the art electronics, dont buy a Versa. If you want high tech engine management, disc brakes at all four corners, fully independent suspension... Dont buy a Versa. If you own a track car, the Versa is a perfect daily beater for you. If the best car youve ever owned as and E30, the Versa is a perfect daily beater for you. If you dont want to worry about locking your doors ever again, the Versa is a perfect daily beater for you. If youre anything like me, then buying a Versa for you commute will make you very happy.

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  Excellent for the money - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Frank - March 1 - 12:15 am

  The good: Great price, I paid under $10,500 out the door (tax, license, etc not included). I paid more for a 1991 Civic LX in 1990. That Civic had electric door locks and power windows, but no ABS or airbags. I like the ride. I wouldnt call it plush, but certainly comfortable for a small car. I find the car fairly quiet ... I dont have problem with using the phone when driving at highway speed. The 5MT and engine provide acceptable power ... I dont notice the problem going up hills the professional reviews have commented on. The big mile-long hill near me I go up in 5th without losing speed although I do have to hit the gas. Gas mileage is excellent ... getting close to 40 in mixed driving. The manual transmission and clutch are really smooth and easy to use. Long throw, but the clutch engagement is really light. Easy to drive. I like the steering ... it is quite strongly assisted, but it is easy to turn the wheel. I can see how some prefer more feel, but this doesnt bother me. The trunk is huge. There is a donut spare, but it looks like there is room for a full size spare. There wasnt in my 1991 Civic ... I did buy the full sized spare for that car but it didnt fit in the well. For this Versa, a full size spare would definitely fit. Hands free phone works great; connection with my android was painless. With the aux in and a $5 lighter-USB adapter, I play music on my phone no problem. I havent used my CDs since ripping them, but now they have a use. The styling of this car is nice. Expert reviews bitching about a lack of soft touch plastic inside are a laugh. Who said soft touch plastic is the best? I can guarantee you the hard plastic used in the Versa S is more durable than "soft" thin skin plastic over polyurethane ... and what are the reviewers doing touching the plastic inside anyhow? Shouldnt they also note the taste of this plastic isnt as good as much more expensive cars too? There is a remote trunk release inside the cabin ... some reviews say there is not. Car comes standard with nice Continental tires. The FM radio reception is quite good; controls on the steering wheel are convenient. The bad: The display (mileage, miles left in the tank, trip, etc) could be better ... you have to choose displays so I cant see trip and total miles or miles per tank on the same display. There is a tachometer, but only idiot lights for everything else. Not much adjustment for the seat, but it does fit me quite well. The steering wheel does adjust up and down. The rear seat backs dont fold down on this model. Rear brakes are drum. Storage is limited. Although the glove compartment is huge (non locking), other than this, cup holders in middle and on doors, and a small slot between seats that is too small for my Nexus 6P, there is no storage. A space for quarters or storage of little things would have been nice. The ugly: No automatic door locks takes some getting used to. The locks are a bit more difficult to actuate than they should be. Only one door lock on the driver side ... lets hope it never goes bad. OTOH, I just leave the car doors open with nothing of value inside. Most thieves dont look at the cheapest new car sold in America thinking there must be a lot of valuables inside. Other than that, not much else I can bitch about. There is an amazing amount of space for the rear passengers. Comments on the car ratings from professional reviews. I look at several sites that provide professional reviews and see this car at or near the bottom. I wanted an inexpensive commuter car with good gas mileage, hands free phone, the ability to play music on my phone, and this car fits the bill nicely. It has hard plastic inside ... oh boo hoo. If this is what you have to complain about, things are looking pretty good. Remember, we bought this car for under $10,500. Yea, the cars costing $2K or more have more features ... duh. The only car coming anywhere close in cost rides like a Russian troop truck loaded up for the Ukrainian invasion.

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  Cons - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Christine - December 28 - 10:26 pm

  Ok.. I had this thing for a week. All the Cons everyone is saying I dont find it with the one I purchased. The Engine isnt sluggish it isnt noisy.. I cant hear the dang thing run.. Nissan is one of the better quality cars out there at a re seasonable price. This Car does have a lot of pick up an go!!. This one customer is extremely happy. Ive had Nissans before an Ive never been happier owning them in the past.

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  You chose a Good car at a Great price - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Richard Groh - December 17 - 4:49 am

  "You get what you pay for" is certainly true with the Nissan Versa. When you buy basically the lowest price car sold in the US, you are not expecting luxury or high quality in every component or system of the car. But you DO get what you pay for! You get a good, reliable car at a great price! One annoying negative for me: I knew the car did not have power locks or power windows, but only the drivers door has a lock for the key --- if you return to the car on the passenger side , you have to walk all the way around the car to unlock it, get in, then unlock the passenger door if you want or need to open it.

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  Great car - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Milton Kovar - November 30 - 3:22 pm

  Overall great car. CVT takes some getting used to and acceleration onto freeway unsatisfactory.

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  Good value, but needs improvement - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Courtney Kurtenbach - June 8 - 9:54 pm

  Good new car for a low price, but definitely nothing very fun. The car is quite slow, acceleration is terrible (but then again, Im used to driving a car with a turbo engine, so if youre not used to a faster car it might be fine). You can hear the car struggling when trying to speed up. I also found the steering to be pretty bad. Maybe its just different from what Im used to, but the steering seemed to be not very responsive and stiff. I could feel quite a bit of resistance when I tried to turn the wheel. It made it difficult to make small adjustments. Braking was very nice and responsive, though. Interior is very comfortable and roomy. A bit disappointed with the kind I had though, as it had no backup camera or touch screen display. The audio system was actually pretty nice, though. Overall a good car for the price, but personally I would need something a bit nicer in performance if I were going to get a 2016.

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  Cant beet the price for a new car. - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Roy - February 13 - 9:50 am

  Bought this car for my daughter and could not beet the price compared to other cars in its class and cheap on gas and fill-ups.

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  The good, the bad, and the indifferent - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Catherine Graham - January 19 - 4:25 pm

  The CVT tranny takes its time getting up to speed, so if you need to get on the freeway take a sedative to retain your composure. The dealership tacked on stuff from outer space that the sales guy has still not explained to me after the sale (Nissan of Vacaville). They were supposed to make some additions, but after almost a month, Ive had to contact them a few times and they tell me every time that they will get back to me. RIGHT!!! The versa gets great gas mileage and handles the turns really well. While there is plenty of cargo space in the trunk, the glove box is a giant black hole, and there is no console. There are cup holders crammed in the center and the doors, but if you get anything larger than a small beverage youll have trouble getting at them.

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  Totally Awesome Car - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Dave the Rave - November 20 - 11:19 pm

  I bought this for my daughter, whose used car was on its last legs. I am very happy with our Versa S 5 speed manual. Attention Tall drivers: I am 6 6" and I fit comfortably with plenty of head and leg room in the front seats. Rear seating has less headroom, but plenty of leg room. The seats are comfortable with lumbar support even on my base model. I do not feel like I am in a subcompact when in this car. It feels roomy. The AC is nice and cold and instrumentation is easy to see and use. What makes this car special, though, is how much fun it is to drive. We have the zippy 5 speed manual. I really had forgotten how much fun it is to drive a stick, and the versa puts a smile on my face. The gearing seems well spaced with just enough growl to enjoy. Braking is good and solid, and the handbrake is easily used to prevent rollback. The only drawback for me is that there is only one keyhole, on the drivers door, which I will hope stays functional. Having replaced power window mechanisms and keys with chips in other cars, I am happy with the crank windows and standard keys ( get a copy at Home Depot) that will keep my money in my pocket. Overall, for the price, an excellent value and a fun car to drive. Update: The above review was for my daughters car, but 3 months later my own car died. Because I continue to be impressed by this car, I went and got a Versa S 5-Speed Manual for myself. I love zipping around in this car. It is fun, roomy and comfortable. BTW the Bluetooth Phone system is excellent. Callers cant tell Im talking hands-free and I can devote my attention to shifting. I am very happy with my decision to buy two of these - for what I had previously paid for one car.

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  Leave my expensive cars at home drive the fun one - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By Daybud - April 2 - 1:54 am

  Last October my cousin and I were looking for a small car for him. We ended up at a Nissan dealership and he bought a 2015 versa with roll up windows and no power door locks. I warned him about those getting old and so I started doing my research. I found aftermarket door locks and power windows. The door locks are cable activated so make sure you have someone who can install them correctly. Fast forward to July 2016 and Im wishing I had a stick shift car because its been a long time since Ive had one. I liked the Versa we got for my cousin so I took a gander. Dealerships in my area are tacking $5,000 on to the window sticker as dealer mark up but an advertised special caught my eye. The sticker was $13,185 and they were advertising one only at $8,975. so I swooped in and bought it. Two months later I have only driven my infiniti once and the Pilot three times. Love this little car. Yes, I added the power windows and the door locks to this too. I was looking for a good navigation deck but everyone tells me to use my smart phone. I dont have a lot of money and am retired but I was able to get good financing and so for $200 per month $300 including my insurance bill I also opted for the prepaid maintenance on the car. The car lacks the acceleration of my other vehicles but also gets about 10 miles more per gallon so Im retired not in any hurry. Very comfortable roomy inside and