• Pros

• Pretty well-equipped for a cheap car. Our high-end SV version had a suggested retail price of $19,645. That included all kind of amenities, including heated seats, push-button start, aluminum alloy wheels, iPod controls, Bluetooth, fog lights, backup camera, and the “NissanConnect” navigation. But it added a whopping $5,000 to the cost of the base Versa S model, however. Very maneuverable and easy to park.
• Very easy to get in and out of for a small car. Large, well-shaped doors. Decent interior room. Good back seat for a compact car. Very livable.
• Nissans are generally reliable.
• Quiet at idle.
• Handling and comfort are both good on smooth roads, and at highway speed.
• Surprisingly stable when we drove it on a windy, rainy day. Some small cars can feel unsafe under those conditions. This one doesn’t.
• Good mileage. EPA rated at 31 city, 40 highway.

• Cons

• When you load it up, $19,645 is a pretty big chunk of a change for an economy car.
• The Versa has a cheap suspension. It’s fine on smooth roads, but if you live in the part of the country that suffers from potholes and frost heaves, you’ll feel every one of those transmitted right to your tuchus. And the car is unsettled by rough road patches.
• Loud. Surprisingly so.
• There are signs that this is a cheap car. The wipers juttered when moving across the windshield.
• Nissan is trying compete with the Honda Fit—right down to the “Electric Honda Fit Blue” color of the car we drove. However, the Fit has much better handling. But if a comfortable, relaxed ride is more important to you than sporty handling, though, you might prefer the Versa over the Fit.

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