2011 Nissan Versa Review and Prices

by Chuck Giametta

Table of Contents
2011 Nissan Versa Review and Prices
2010 Nissan Versa Review and Prices
2009 Nissan Versa Quote

2011 NISSAN VERSA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Nissan Versa is the best car for you if driving a good small car now is more important than waiting for a replacement you hope is as capable, efficient, and affordable

• The 2011 Nissan Versa likely closes the door on a compact-car design introduced for model-year 2007. An all-new Versa will almost certainly debut as a 2012 model to continue in the role of Nissan’s least-expensive car.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Nissan Versa or buy a 2010 Nissan Versa. Buy a 2010 Versa. It’ll wear Versa’s latest styling updates and allow you more time to enjoy this outstanding small-car design before it retires. True, dealers will be anxious to unload 2011 Versas as the redesigned model approaches. But shopping for a 2010 Versa gives you the advantage of a buyer’s market and the greatest choice in color and equipment.

2011 NISSAN VERSA CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Nissan Versa should be a visual duplicate of the 2010 Nissan Versa. The 2010 Versa was in line for revisions to its grille, front fascia, and wheels. This “midcycle” freshening did not include changes to Versa’s overall shape or size. The 2011 Versa will continue as a four-door hatchback and a four-door sedan, both with tall, arched roofs that help make them uncommonly roomy for compact cars. Evidence that Versa buyers have good taste is that 75 percent of them choose the hatchback. Its brave architectural angles create a far cooler-looking car than the dumpy sedan. And they pay off in an impressive 50.4-cubic-feet of cargo volume with the rear seats folded; the sedan’s trunk has 13.8 cubic feet. Versa rides a well-engineered front-wheel-drive platform with a 102.4-inch wheelbase. Nissan slices some 10 inches from this distance between the front and rear axles, slaps on a shoe-box-shaped body, and sells the result as the Nissan Cube. Nissan says Versa buyers, about 60 percent of whom are married, tend to be slightly older and earn a bit more than the Cube’s audience of trend-chasing, single 20-somethings.

• Mechanical: Versa isn’t fast, but it’s agile and composed on the road and soaks up bumps exceptionally well for a small car. Nissan has little reason to change mechanical course, so the 2011 Versa should return with two four-cylinder engines. A 107-horsepower 1.6-liter is used in the Nissan Versa Sedan 1.6, which is the basis of a stripper model Nissan pitches as one of America’s lowest-priced cars. All other Versas – and the Cube -- use a 122-horsepower 1.8-liter. Depending on model, Versa’s transmission choices are a five- or six-speed manual, a four-speed automatic, or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Essentially an automatic transmission that replaces gears with belts, the CVT has been available only on the top-of-the-line Versa SL hatchback.

• Features: Versa built a case as affordable transportation by making features such as power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, and cruise control extra-cost options on all but the top-line SL sedan and hatchback. Even on those models, Nissan charges extra for an antilock brake system (ABS), which helps maintain control in panic stops. Competitive pressures could force Nissan to rethink this standard- and optional-equipment mix by the time the 2011 Versa rolls around. It already fits the Cube with a wider array of safety items as standard equipment. These include traction control to quell wheel slip away from stops, and an antiskid system (also known as stability control) to minimize chances of sideways slides. Making these features standard is one reason Nissan charges more for the Cube, but an increasing number of Versa rivals offer them, too. As with the 2009 and 2010 Versa, you’ll be able to outfit a 2011 Versa with perks such as a power sunroof and a thumping subwoofer/satellite radio audio system. Nissan isn’t apt to make leather upholstery available, though. And putting a navigation system on the equipment list probably would have to wait for the reconfigured dashboard likely to part of the 2012 Versa redesign.

2011 NISSAN VERSA PRICES

• The 2011 Nissan Versa pricing won’t be announced until shortly before the car goes on sale. But it shouldn’t deviate much from the price structure Nissan has established for this car over the past few years.

• Versa presents an interesting price study. Nissan slots it against most rivals’ entry-level models, a point driven home with the 2010 Nissan Versa 1.6 Sedan, which starts under $11,000 and tops out with a base price under $13,000. You have to plumb the Hyundai Accent lineup for similar base prices. Versas with the 122-horsepower engine have been priced from around $13,700 to about $17,000, not including options. Those prices are in line with competitors that are physically smaller than the Versa.

• Indeed, Versa in many respects plays a class larger. It’s interior volume, ride quality, even overall solidity, are a reasonable match for compact-class leaders such as the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla, all of which start over $15,000 and stretch to more than $20,000.

• The best value in the Versa line is the 1.8 S hatchback. A Versa 1.8 S hatch with manual transmission and the Power Package option is a fine all-purpose small car. It features power windows, mirrors, and locks, remote keyless entry, a glovebox light, rear map pockets, and padded door armrests; add cruise control and your still around $14,000.

• Go all out, and a fully loaded SL hatchback with the CVT should go out the door for under $19,000. You’d get ABS, a height-adjustable driver seat, center console, cruise control, power windows, locks, and mirrors, alloy wheels, remote keyless entry and pushbutton starting. Also included at that price would be a six-disc in-dash CD audio system, Bluetooth wireless cell-phone link, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, power sunroof, and the subwoofer/satellite-radio sound system.

2011 NISSAN VERSA FUEL ECONOMY

• Versa fuel economy is a happy story that shouldn’t change with the 2011 model. Every Versa, regardless of engine or transmission, has been rated at more than 30 mpg on the highway.

• Expect EPA fuel-economy ratings for the 2011 Nissan Versa Sedan 1.6 to remain 26/34 mpg (city/highway) with the five-speed manual transmission, 26/33 with the four-speed automatic. With the 1.8-liter engine the 2011 Versa should again be rated at 26/31 with the six-speed manual transmission, 24/32 with the four-speed automatic, and 27/33 with the CVT.

2011 NISSAN VERSA RELEASE DATE

• Look for the 2011 Versa in showrooms by November 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE NISSAN VERSA

• Four-door sedan and four-door hatchback body styles ought to continue to make up the next-generation Versa lineup. Front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engines will return, as well. Nissan probably won’t make Versa’s body noticeably longer, but it could mount it on a slightly longer wheelbase to benefit passenger leg room. It would be wise to retain Versa’s generous ceiling height to preserve head room. The most pressing need is for slightly more width, to alleviate the hint of hip and shoulder squeeze in the current model.

• French automaker Renault is a Nissan corporate partner and industry speculation suggests Nissan may be considering adoption of a Renault chassis for the next-generation Versa. Renault’s recently revamped Megane hatchback has a body that’s as long overall as today’s Versa hatchback, and it rides a 2-inch-longer wheelbase. Tempering this plan is the high cost associated with the Megane’s advanced chassis design. That leaves a development of Versa’s current Japanese-derived platform a more-cost-efficient prospect come 2012

• As for alternative-power possibilities, Nissan has committed to full-electric vehicles as a way to leap-frog the gas-electric hybrid headway enjoyed by rivals Honda and Toyota. That opens the possibility the next-generation Versa could offer a full-electric model, though Nissan is just as likely to create a separate lineup of electrics for maximum marketing value. Nissan and Renault both offer strong, efficient four-cylinder diesel engines in overseas markets, and a diesel Versa would be an exciting prospect if Nissan can make an economic case for it.

2011 NISSAN VERSA COMPETITION

• Honda Fit: An alternative to the Versa hatchback, this small wagon has interior space similar to the Nissan’s  but boasts a sportier character and more advanced features, such as a navigation system with voice recognition. Fit isn’t a soft-riding or quiet as the Versa, however, and base prices are higher, too, roughly in the $15,500-$16,500 range. Horsepower is just 117, but fuel economy is 27/33 mpg with manual transmission, 28/35 with automatic. Fit won’t get any major changes until model-year 2014 or so.

• Kia Soul: This South Korean hatchback broke from the gate quickly upon its introduction as a 2010 model. Buyers attracted by the cute styling might over time find themselves disappointed by a level of refinement and handling that doesn’t measure up to the Versa’s. Soul’s base prices start around $14,000 for a special stripper model, but begin in earnest at just under $16,000 for mainstream versions. Horsepower choices are 122 and 142, fuel economy ranges from 24/30 to 26/31.

• Scion xB: This carton-shaped wagon from Toyota’s youth brand has a base price of around $16,500, which is matched by the better-equipped Versa hatchbacks. The xB, however, comes with a better array of safety features, has even more interior room, and its road manners are far more sophisticated than its pricing suggests. The xB has 124 horsepower and rates 22/28 with both manual and automatic transmission. It won’t change drastically before model-year 2013.