When we went shopping for a new car this time around, we researched and test drove more vehicles than for any previous transportation I've owned. The vehicle I had coming off lease was a turbocharged 2003 Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser (a VERY rare model and a blast to drive).

Every vehicle was test driven a night in the country to evaluate headlight effectiveness and interior visibility. Some vehicles have appauling headlights which is a mystery in this day and age (the Ford Fusion was the worst I've ever experienced on low beam). Two additional cars were eliminated because of Red instrument backlighting. Any study of human vision reveals that the eye cannot focus on fine writing in red when the pupil is dilated. Similar anomolies occur with a shift toward the violet end of spectrum which some manufacturer's are now embracing. It's not that automakers don't KNOW this problem (they've been using Green backlighting for years because it's the clearest to read). It's just that everybody is striving to be different and to find an edge. Well perhaps they should look at the aging demographic whose eyesight certainly doesn't improve as the years advance. Fortunately, Nissan at least choose an amber/yellow combination which also resides towards the center of the visual spectrum.

Predominantly, my search this time around focused on mid-sized sedans (Camry, Accord, Sonata, New Chrysler Sebring, Buick Allure, Mazda 6, Saturn Aura, Ford Fusion, Lexus ES350, Lincoln MKZ, etc.) Additionally, I tested the compact Honda Civic, Volkswagen Rabbit, Mazda 3, New Hyundai Elantra, and the Nissan Versa hatchback (both 6 speed manual and CVT). The Toyota Corolla was out from the outset (been there - done that - VERY fatiguing car to drive). The Honda Fit was out after one sit in the front seat. No left foot dead pedal so good-bye. The Yaris was eliminated without a test drive due to Toyota's stupid insistence on putting the gauges in the middle of the dash. At the larger scale, my wife and I also tested a Chrysler 300C and came within a heartbeat of buying a used 2006 Executive Driven example. In an odd sort of way, the exercise became an elimination process focusing on what we hated least about each model. And they ALLl have their faults including the Versa.

In the end, although money was NOT an object, value does come into consideration. We settled on a Nissan Versa SL with CVT and Technology Package. NOTHING else matched its combination of smooth ride, quietness, nimbleness, utility, ease of entry/exit, high quality stereo, fuel economy, and straight forward ergonomics WITH, lo and behold, real PADDED armrests. What a novel concept in this day of HARD plastics! IMHO, Nissan has successfully hit the difficult target of moving the SMALL car out of the "I bought it because that's all I could afford" category and made a desireable transportation alternative. After the first 1,000 kilometers, we're quite satisfied with the decision.

Congratulations Nissan!

P.S. Some of our personal observations along our testing journey.

BEST STEREO: Lincoln MKZ with their THX Certified system. (Take a Listen Some Time)

GREATEST ACCELERATION THRILL: Chrysler 300C (yeah baby, yeah!)

MOST POSITIVELY SURPRISING FUEL ECONOMY: Chrysler 300C (MDS actually works if you can avoid the temptation and keep your foot out of it)

MOST SURPRISING DISSAPPOINTMENT: Toyota Camry followed by Honda Accord. (They've forgotten these are CARS first and foremost, not X-Boxes or Playstations).

MOST SOPHISTICATED/Elegant: Lexus ES350 (It didn't even get dirty throughout test drive on wet/salty roads) How can it be so right when the Camry is so flawed?

MOST SURPRISING UPSIDE: Buick Allure (Didn't expect much but This Is A NICE car! Just fix the antiquated windshield washer activation control)

OUR FAVORITE All Around MID-SIZE: Hyundai Sonata V6 Limited

WORST HEATER DESIGN: Volkswagen Rabbit (Amazing heated seats but our lower legs froze due to terrible location of heat vents) If you're listening Volkswagen, Heat RISES so mount your vents at foot level, not up at your knees!

WORST TIRE NOISE INTRUSION: Volkswagen Rabbit (It wears the exact same tires as the Versa but Nissan's ripple tuned suspension really works to quell the continuous slapping noise of EVERY little seam in the road)

ABSOLUTE WORST HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM: Hands down the Ford Fusion followed by the new Toyota Camry (This was a Toyota surprise because the headlights on our 2003 Corolla were outstanding, even though we couldn't stand the driving dynamics of that car on the highway).

MOST NECK JARRING RIDE: Hyundai Elantra (Otherwise a Really Nice Car)

BEST OVERALL VALUE COMPROMISE: Nissan VERSA

I like this guy!

Indeed. this was very well written.

And I gotta give props to anyone who actually tells the truth about a Hyundai, and doesn't just say "Oh, it's a Hyundai".

achr,

Excellent summary and observations. I share many of your experiences. As soon as I saw that the Yaris had that ridiculous gauge cluster in the middle a la Saturn Ion, it was a dealbreaker. No further consideration warranted.

The Honda Fit wasn't available in any showrooms near me so that was easy. Can't buy a car I see or drive.

The absolute worst headlights I' have experienced were on a 2003 Taurus. Horrible. And dangerous in my opinion.

After 5 months and 5000 miles, the Versa has turned out to be everything I expected and more. A nimble, roomy, fuel efficient (33 mpg consistently) inexpensive car with an extraordinary amount of quality components.

Ever Victorious,

I agree about the Hyundai. I've had a Hyundai Sonata for a year and a half that's LOADED and it is the nicest vehicle I've ever owned. Smooth, quiet ride, v-6 power out the wazoo, plush appointments and it reeks of high quality. Highly recommended.

Let me add this as well. I had my mind made up that I was buying a Versa S. That is until I got into the SL and realized how much the fabric, headliner, padded items and quality of materials was so different than the S model. I couldn't even look at an S after that point.

This is just a well made, FUN car to drive.

I test drove the Yaris then the next day test drove the Versa Sedan wasnt really warming up to the Hatchback but loved the room and ride much better than the Yaris.that same day i went to the local honda dealer and they had a test drive car for the Fit Freekin Loved It!BUTYou could not get one one without ordering it.

So i was driving home and decided to check out the Versa again at another dealer and test drove a hatchback beige sl still liked it wasnt really looking for power since i do have a 98 stang in the driveway also was just wanting a good gas miliage car. so decided to step into the showroom with the salesman and to my delight they had a sapphire blue HB in the showroom the rest was history!

i liked everything about the Versa as far as fit and finish and drivability skid pad not real shabby not a sports car but compitent. i do wished i would have seen the reviews about the gas mileage first but besides the not as advertised gas mileage i love the car. just hit 3000 miles on mine and still waiting for the gas mileage to kick in.

you would think with so many complaints about the mileage that nissan could figure out a mod to the computer to make mileage better!
Modified by Demonspawn at 6:36 AM 5/4/2007

Great review!

Ever Victorious wrote:Indeed. this was very well written.

And I gotta give props to anyone who actually tells the truth about a Hyundai, and doesn't just say "Oh, it's a Hyundai".

I'd rather have a Sonata than a Camry or Accord ANY day. Although I'd rather have a root canal than a Camry any day, too, so I guess that's not really saying much. I like the Sonata a lot, and was pleasantly surprised by the Azera (though it looks too much like the Accord and RL, both of which are bad-looking, for my tastes). Hyundai just needs someone to slap them in the face and inform them that their SUVs are the ugliest cars ever to roll on American pavement and they'll be set.

achr wrote:MOST SURPRISING DISSAPPOINTMENT: Toyota Camry followed by Honda Accord. (They've forgotten these are CARS first and foremost, not X-Boxes or Playstations).

Hit the nail on the Head. I used to love Honda, and Toyota built some of my favorite cars of all time (Supra, early Celicas, Cressida...). Both brands have lost their touch and now are only capable of building cars that you'd expect to find next to the dishwashers at Home Depot rather than on a new car lot. There's not an ounce of fun to be had in any of them, nor is there an ounce of "let's cater to the DRIVER" which is something Honda used to excel at.

achr wrote:MOST SOPHISTICATED/Elegant: Lexus ES350 (It didn't even get dirty throughout test drive on wet/salty roads) How can it be so right when the Camry is so flawed?

For the insane price they want for this uglied-up (and BOY is that saying a lot) Camry, it had DANG well offer something of an upgrade. I don't care what badge it has or how many amenities--it's a mid-size sedan! It's not worth more than $30k.

achr wrote:ABSOLUTE WORST HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM: Hands down the Ford Fusion followed by the new Toyota Camry (This was a Toyota surprise because the headlights on our 2003 Corolla were outstanding, even though we couldn't stand the driving dynamics of that car on the highway).

That's a bit surprising to me. The headlights were one of the very few things that I was not hugely disappointed with in the new Mustang. The 'Stang's headlights were better than my Maxima with Silverstar Ultras.

I actually went to the Nissan dealer to buy new Sentra, until I sat in one... the car just wasn't right, and the taillights are hideous. I drove the Versa, and within one minute, I knew I found the right vehicle. I like the style, handling, and quality look and feel.

I can really appreciate somebody who shares my passion for finding the perfect car, especially when it would seem so easy to just go with the consumer reports or dedicated car magazine reviews. As somebody who has driven everything from a 1994 Ford Taurus to a BMW 330Ci (the supercharged one), I can honestly say that a true car lover must look for three things:

1. Overall Value: you pay a great deal for transportation, get the most for your money and really take the time to look at what matters down the road. A great deal of my cohorts bought a vehicle based on looks or basic performance, not so much on the future needs.

2. Enjoyment and Ease of Drive: Too often people look for a car that drives like a boat, but there is a delicate balance between comfort and complete separation from what's important when driving - feeling the connection with your car. It's about complete immersion in the driving experience.

3. Fit and Finish: A car must feel like somebody spent time trying to make it as full of life as possible, nothing feels more disjointed than a Ford, Chevy or Dodge... that is unless it's a Toyota...

I think what I am trying to get at is as such:

I love my Versa for most of the same reasons why you love yours, but I live in the city when I'm not at the University, so a car has to have some real personality to really stand out at all in my eyes. Most people overlook the benefits of having such an easy driving car that still lets you know that you're driving, but the Versa offers what most people riding in my car notice:

It's a nice, well put together, fun car to drive that doesn't skimp on comfort.

I even had a couple people stop me off at UGA to ask me all about the Hatch. It's a new experience for me..

Anyways, Advertising campaigns call, so good work and enjoy your car as much as I do!

I have been driving a Hyundai Accent for the past 7 years. What a sigh of relief my Versa is in comparison. My wife drives a Lexus ES330 which is a great car, but the fuel mileage is not what i want in a car that i drive almost a hundred miles a day to/from work.

I drove the Toyota's and was not at all impressed. Value for the dollar and ride did not come close to matching the Versa.

My friend which works at the Nissan Dealer (in the finance department) kept telling me to drive the Versa, so I gave in and did it. I was very impressed an had to have one.

I have absolutely no regrets in purchasing the Versa. Yes every car has its areas of opportunity, but Nissan really made a great car with the Versa.

Thanks for you reviews which really make me feel good about my purchase. And i too Choose to drive a versa!!!

ACHR what did you find lacking in the versa?

I am comparing the Versa, Impreza wagon and the upcoming Jetta wagon for a new daily driver. I will have a commute of 50miles a day and would like to get the best bang for my buck while having some comfort.

I agree with you on the corolla vs the versa. I sat in the corolla and couldn't set it up where my knees weren't hitting the steering wheel and I am only 6foot tall.

StanBo wrote:ACHR what did you find lacking in the versa?

I am comparing the Versa, Impreza wagon and the upcoming Jetta wagon for a new daily driver. I will have a commute of 50miles a day and would like to get the best bang for my buck while having some comfort.

I can't speak to the Subura at all as I've not driven one. The Alfa Romeo inspired front end of the Impreza and B9 Tribeca didn't turn my crank but I see they've now come to their senses and abandoned that concept.

As far as the Versa goes, the list of negatives is pretty short really and like most, I am amazed at what the Versa actually offers for a vehicle of this size and this price point.

For me, the biggest LACK in the Versa is ironically what it's name suggests, VERSATILITY! The design of the luggage area, in the Hatchback at least, is a bad joke, IMHO, considering the numerous other examples Nissan had an opportunity to study such as the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Chevy HHR, and the reigning king of versatility in a small car, the Chrysler PT Cruiser. The Honda FIT luggage area was being developed about the same time as the Versa so I can't blame them for not looking at that innovative design. Shortcomings of the Versa cargo area include the cheap/baggy Velcro equipped cloth security strips which attach to the back of the rear seats (if you can stand wasting that much time), a flimsy parcel/shelf (where are you supposed to put this thing when you fold the seats down) and the significant step in the loadfloor layout when the rear seats are folded forward. Since I've tinted the all the windows of our Versa, I'll probably just throw the security shelf in the gargage and forget about it. For comparison, the PT Cruiser seats fold the same way BUT it's sturdy parcel shelf (capable of holding 100 pounds) can be quickly set to a mid position and then the Front Passenger seat folded forward flat as well to yield a complete flat load surface capable of holding an 8 foot stepladder inside the car with the rear hatch closed. That same parcel shelf has additional positional guides at floor level for quick easy storage if not required for security reasons. It also reverses to reveal a hard plastic side if you're carrying messy items and don't want to get the carpeting dirty. Clever! The PT's rear seats also can quickly flip forward up against the front seats for more cargo area AND they can be taken right out of the vehicle for even bigger moving jobs. Many a leary locking dock employee has stated "there's no way this stuff is going to fit in that PT". My response, "Oh yeah, well watch this" as I flip a few controls, load up and close the hatch! Most other new hatchbacks these days have seats which create a completely flat load floor from the hatch opening when folded. Although the Versa's cargo VOLUME is reasonably good, it would take a lot of smaller objects or a fluid to take advantage of it because of the odd shape. The Versa's liftover height at the back is also getting up there and the hatch opening tapers to a pretty narrow width at the bottom. In summary, the cargo area is fine for getting groceries, etc. but short on versatility for bigger tasks.

Another shortcoming of the Versa is the seat height lift mechanism on the SL models. A power driver's seat would have been VERY nice but hey, this IS an entry level vehicle. I don't care that the lever is on the inside rather than by the door and I am grateful that it AT LEAST has a seat height adjustment. However, 25 strokes from bottom to top. Come On! Saves going to the gym for a workout I guess! To be fair, most new vehicles with manual seat height adjustment require a ridiculous number of strokes to accomplish the task. Don't know why. Chrysler had this figured out way back in 1996 on their Cirrus sedan. Their lever arm telescoped out in three sections, like the old radio attennas, so that it was about a foot long and could generate enough leverage to lift your body from bottom to top in 3 strokes. When finished, the lever simply retracted to about a 4" length. Now that's clever! In reality, if you are to be the primary driver and pretty much have this vehicle to yourself, it's a small point of contention because once it's adjusted, you're unlikely to change it much other than for possible position variations on longer journeys.

My personal preference in vehicles is to have 4 headlight bulbs where the Low Beam's stay on when the Hi Beam's are activated. This gives lighting in close as well as at a distance. The Versa only has single "dual element" bulbs on each side and it is impossible to activate both elements simultaneously for any length of time without burning up the bulb. However, the reflector is designed in such a way that they offer pretty decent vision (even illumination as well as light out to the sides) on low beam which is the way we drive about 95% of the time anyway. My bet is that the Jetta will have superior lighting. Certainly, the Volkswagen Rabbit did, but again, the Versa's are pretty good for a two lamp design. I'm in the "frustrating process" of trying to upgrade my bulbs to Osram SilverStars for even better performance. Not a particularly fun experience to put it mildly!

Some might say that the Versa's handling/road feel is lacking. Personally, I prefer a LITTLE isolation from minor road imperfections and appreciate the subdued tire slap present in the Versa. Their "ripple tuned" suspension really works. While it may be no autocrosser, I have little to complain about related to the Versa's handling. As mentioned in my original post, the Volkswagen Rabbit's tire noise REALLY annoyed me in spite of it's excellent ride and I suspect the Jetta might be similar. The Volkswagen certainly has a "planted" feel about it on the road and I suspect it would be wonderful on the Autobahn at 100+ mph.

In summary, you stated your intention is to use your new vehicle as a fairly long distance commuter. So let's FORGET about the Versa's compromised cargo area for a moment. The passenger accomodations, both front and rear, are where the Versa really shines, especially in the SL models which have wonderfully padded armrests (doors and center), both front and rear, as well as addtional storage bins versus the S models and they include cupholders in the rear. Entry/exit ease is excellent and leg/toe room is abundant. There are extra reading/map lights in the SL (definitely beneficial if you choose the charcoal interior) and a roof mounted holder for sunglasses in the SL model. We have the gold interior and the primary dome light illuminates the interior reasonably well. Black however, really sucks the light out of the air. For me personally, the SL model with CVT and the Technology package is the ONLY way to go if considering a Versa for long distance commutes. Why the CVT? Two words; Engine Revs! At 75 mph, it is only reving 2,500 rpms which is below the point where most 4 cylinder engines start becoming buzzy. Albeit, revs do rise somewhat when going uphill but generally not as much, (nor as annoyingly as a traditional automatic downshifting/hunting for an appropriate gear ratio). For comparison, the 6 speed manual revs 3,600 rpms at 75 mph. The slow turning CVT makes for an enjoyable environment in which to appreciate the relatively high end Rockford Fosgate stereo system with it's integrated sub-woofer. On a commute as long as yours, chances are high that a cell phone will come into the picture. The bluetooth feature (available only on the SL's) is pretty much unheard of at this price point. Ours works particularly well using an LG 550 phone. The first time I tried it, my wife was on the home phone and asked me to quit yelling. Speaking in a normal voice, the system worked extremely well and it is definitely safer than trying to handhold a phone while driving with one hand. The steering wheel mounted audio controls, auxialliary audio input jack for an IPod etc., and 6 disc in dash CD changer are also nice touches in the Technology Package. By and large, the control layout of the Versa is straight forward and intuitive as opposed to the video game atmosphere becoming prevalent in a number of newer vehicle designs. While I do prefer the Toyota/PT Cruiser style cruise control stalk, the Versa's steering wheel mounted system is MUCH better than many designs.

I'd highly suspect that even a loaded Sport model of the Versa which includes sunroof, fog lights, and spoiler, would come in at a significantly lower price than the Jetta. But like myself, perhaps price is not the determining factor in your decision. In the end you will have to decide which is more important to you, passenger comfort or versatility. I would suspect that either the Jetta or Impreza will have more actual useable cargo room.

Good luck on whatever you choose. I'd highly suggest test driving the Volkswagen at night (harder to do as the days lengthen) to determine whether the dash lighting works for you AND check out the location of those lower heat vents. My suspicion is that the design is similar to the Rabbit which literally left my wife and I COLD. I can't stand freezing feet when I'm driving, no matter how well their heated seats worked.

P.S. When searching for a vehicle, I read actual owner input on Epinions and Yahoo and anywhere else I could find reviews. I search through these write-ups looking for all the LOW scores to see if there is some chronic problem I need to be aware of. Every once in awhile you come across a particularly negative score which is so far out of the norm that it was obviously written by a salesperson for a competitive brand they are flogging. Overall, I prefer this type of feedback to the information found in car buff magazines and Consumer Reports because it is "real world" experiences from people who've plunked down their hard earned money rather than a bunch of yahoos driving free cars everyday and living in lah-lah land. In this context, the Versa had a pretty high overall average score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. I was surprised to see folk who had traded in Cadlillacs and Buicks for their Versas and found that they weren't lacking much in the way of quietness, ride comfort, amenities, etc (those particular owners were driving loaded Versa SL models). It was statements like that which prompted me to take my FIRST test drive in a Versa and I must say we were pleasantly surprised. After weeks of test driving MANY other alternatives (some costing more than twice the Versa's price), we wound up back at the Nissan dealer one last time for a final test drive to rule out specific and possible concerns. The Versa passed and now sits comfortably in our driveway.

Regarding the aforementioned reviews on Yahoo, I did a search there after test driving the New Camry. Could I have been SO wrong in my negative opinions of this car? After all, it is supposed to be the state of the art in automotivedom. Well, I just checked again. There are now 329 reviews on Yahoo and the Camry still has a lowly overall rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. That's a pretty fair sample size! By way of contrast, the Versa still has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars over 97 reviews. The Volkswagen Jetta sedan also has a rating of 4.5 stars but only on 24 reviews. The Subara Impreza too is rated a 4.5 on 40 reviews. Hyundai Sonata? 4.5 out of 5 stars on 108 reviews. What about that other standard bearer, the Honda Accord? Uh, 2.5 out of 5 stars, thank you very much, on 58 reviews. Well surely then, the new Honda Civic will be way up there in the stars! Sorry, only 3.5 over 44 reviews. My, how the mighty are falling! Perhaps there's something to their misguided video game mentality. I'm not against technology but in my mind, it has to offer "functional" benefits when applied to a car. It's just TOO dangerous out there to be fiddling around with impressive looking but non intuitive controls while driving.

Sorry to rant folks. I'll get off my podium now.

Excellent research and a great read, thanks for posting achr.

In addition to ripple technology they have added other noise suppression technology to the vehicle. (It was either undercarriage design or insulation - I just spent an hour searching for the reference but can't find it....). Anyway, Autoweek rated it as 64DBA at 60mph which is in the luxury car class.

Your concerns with the cargo space notwithstanding, I have noticed something interesting. Every time my wife and I buy groceries the number of bags we purchase seems to just fill the rear space; the benefit being the bags don't roll around and scatter as they would in a larger cargo hold. Who knew?

DreamU wrote:Your concerns with the cargo space notwithstanding, I have noticed something interesting. Every time my wife and I buy groceries the number of bags we purchase seems to just fill the rear space; the benefit being the bags don't roll around and scatter as they would in a larger cargo hold. Who knew?

I guess I'm not the only person that loves this cars for grocery getting. I had to use my cargo net in my Accord. The cargo area for most use is the perfect shape and the hatch keeps you out of the rain while loading.

I also tried the "refresh mode" the other day. Just remove the front headrest, slide the seat forward and presto... you have the same feature as the Fit. The Fit does have more versatility, but in order to get the fancy folding seat, they sacrificed comfort and padding. The small driver footwell and no dead pedal killed it for me. Also the Honda dealers were giving me low ball trade-in on my Honda Accord of all cars. So much for Honda resale value.

Achr, another excellent write-up. I agree with almost everything you wrote. I also did a crapload of research before my purchase. I have a tendency to over-research most of my purchases. It took me 2 weeks of research just to choose an mp3 player (chose the Meizu M6 by the way). Initially when I started researching I had never heard of the Versa. But the name kept popping up as a very strong contender. I looked long and hard at both the Fit and the Yaris (which doesn't hold up to a very hard look). However once I actually sat in and drove a Versa my mind was made up almost instantly. It is roomy, comfortable, and has a much more expensive feel than either of the other two (I think "yaris" is Japanese for cheap). I am totally satisfied with my decision. I'm hoping that with time my gas mileage will improve but it doesnt change my impression of the car. The only thing I would have changed is the addition of the sport package. Unfortunately it wasn't available yet when I bought my Versa back in October.

PS. Your PS was the longest PS I have ever seen Hey I noticed you are from London Ont. I grew up in London. Perhaps we knew each other in another life. (I went to Montcalm).

I also purchased a bright red Versa S and I LOVE it. I looked at several cars and found this to be the most comfortable and best riding/handling vehicle for the price that is out there. Everyday that I drive it I realize what a good decision I made. The mileage is certainly disappointing but I have gotten used to it. I get from 24/25 city and 29MPG combined driving. Have not checked hwy driving only yet, but am sure it would range about 32 to 34.

I am a big guy and yet I fit well in the car. The headroom is perfect. I am getting lots of questions from on-lookers about the car. Folks think I am driving a VW rabbit or some other car.

Our 'other' car is a Camry and this car is MUCH more comfortable than the Camry. I love driving hwy miles since it rides so smoothly. I easily ride 80 and have to really pay attention to the speed limit.

John

You guys have really created a very opinionated discussion board here. Certainly you guys have driven a number of models from all types of ranges, but each year vehicles are improved, modified, etc. It's not really fair to make general statements such as the one Greek.intuit said.

Greek.intuit wrote:
3. Fit and Finish: A car must feel like somebody spent time trying to make it as full of life as possible, nothing feels more disjointed than a Ford, Chevy or Dodge... that is unless it's a Toyota...

Have you driven a new ford F150? They've made great improvements in ergonomics, aesthetics, and driver "feel". How can you hate on Toyota... their cars are statistically some of the most reliable in north america.

IMHO, If I get into a car and cannot clearly determine how to turn on/off the stereo, I will not buy that car. Speaking of Toyotas, I drove a friends' Corolla today, and I felt like I was in a Geo Metro. Toyotas have only one thing going for them; longevity. Apparently getting 250,000 miles out of a Nissan isn't good enough for todays' consumer. My 1989 Maxima had 230k on it before it nearly broke in half (ran like a top!), my 1987 Pathfinder had 175,000 city miles (and survived Hurricane Andrew) before the head gasket blew and I toasted the motor (had to drive with the blown gasket). Replaced the motor and she's still going strong. My 1999 Sentra went over 100,000 miles without any repairs at all (sold it, still on the road). My 2004 Frontier went 40,000 without a single component failure of any kind (traded it in for the Versa). My 100% original 1987 300ZX has 105,000 miles on it and runs better than most new cars. My point? Honda and Toyota are NO better than Nissan. Unfortunately, the big-three American automakers are dead in the water (the only customers they have left are the "I aint buy no Jay-panese veehiggle" crowd.

WaitWait!

I can control myself...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

okay, no I can't...

BBISHOPPCM wrote:"I aint buy no Jay-panese veehiggle" crowd.

ROFLMAO

Prospekt wrote:Have you driven a new ford F150? They've made great improvements in ergonomics, aesthetics, and driver "feel". How can you hate on Toyota... their cars are statistically some of the most reliable in north america.

I completely agree regarding the F150. Interior comfort has come a long way over the last few years without sacrificing any "real truck" capabilities. However, I tend to avoid using half-ton pickups as examples for American automakers, simply because they're not really "on-par" with the rest of their lineups. American half-tons (and bigger) have always been the best trucks (until the Titan). F150/Silverado/Sierra are hugely dependable and not really typical examples of American reliability. The Cavalier was a piece of crap. The Silverado wasn't. The Tempo was a piece of crap (understatement of the century)...but the F150 definitely wasn't.However, Ford has come a LONG way recently. Their lineup is the best it's been in at least a decade. The Fusion is a decent car, even almost attractive. The 500 IS attractive, is nicely sized, as reliable as any Toyota...I used to be a passionate Ford hater (at the same time as I was a Ford owner--and I liked my little truck).Chevy is on their way up, too.

Toyota may be statistically the most reliable, but they're also statistically the most generic, boring, and amazingly UGLY cars. There's not an automaker on the planet who makes more eye-gougingly bad designs. I don't care if a car gets 900 mpg and massages my feet while feeding me hamburgers...if it looks like something that was excreted from a part of my body, I'm NOT going to give it a second though. To any Lexus execs who may be reading this: You KNOW you're in trouble when you're ripping off the body styles from the most hated auto styling designer in half a century (in their defense, the GS actually an attractive car...probably because it's a fairly faithful copy of the 2-year older Maxima).

Also, despite what Consumer Retards would have you believe, Toyota is NOT any more reliable than [insert manufacturer here] anymore. They WERE, a decade ago. Not anymore. The latest Avalon had scores of issues warranting recalls after its introduction, and that's the brand's flagship! Toyota is living off brainwashed customers and media now. The Fusion is as good a car as the Camry, 100 times as attractive, more fun to drive, and no less reliable. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper, because you're not paying for the Toyota reputation (which doesn't even apply anymore, anyway!).

I agree nearly 100% with your comments about using the Versa for long commutes. Mine is 104 miles r/t, with a combination of mountain and flatland driving, and the V's been great for the 24,500 miles I've put on it since September. Yeah, the cargo area isn't what some are, but we managed a weekend 600-mile trip with four adults and all luggage with no problems.

achr wrote:The steering wheel mounted audio controls, auxialliary audio input jack for an IPod etc., and 6 disc in dash CD changer are also nice touches in the Technology Package.

The only thing I regret about my Versa is that I didn't spring for the Tech package because I don't care about Bluetooth. But with the SL you do get the 6-disc changer and auxiliary audio input jack, without having to get the Tech package.

sorry to throw this a little off topic, but...what did you think of the Saturn Aura? We've been eyeing them up a little bit in the need of a new daily driver.

/end mini threadjack

kc5f wrote:The only thing I regret about my Versa is that I didn't spring for the Tech package because I don't care about Bluetooth. But with the SL you do get the 6-disc changer and auxiliary audio input jack, without having to get the Tech package.

Actually, in Canada where achr is from, you have to have the Tech package to get the 6 disc changer, and you don't get the option of satellite. The stock SL radio in canada is the same as the stock S radio here in the US.

Bluetooth is actually one of the two absolute great features included in the Convenience package. yeah, the audio controls on the wheel are nice, but the iKey and Bluetooth are wonderful. Also, you may be singing a different tune in a year or two... states are starting to ban use of handheld cell phones while driving. Washington just passed a ban, so you are now REQUIRED to use a handfree set. Which means either wearing a gaudy bluetooth earpiece, getting a bluetooth stereo, or not answering your phone at all while you're driving.

Thanks for the Canada correction - I didn't realize that. And I already regret not having the iKey and steering wheel controls, even if I never get a bluetooth phone. I do have a handsfree headset, so at least I'm not totally stuck when NC and/or SC enact this totally sensible law.

Now I just have to try to convince my wife to let me give this V to my daughter as a college graduation present so I can buy myself the one I should have bought eight months ago. ("It's USED! It's got 28,000 miles on it!" - by the time she graduates in a few weeks...)

High Five Achr!!! Very well written.

I drive my V because I choose to too! I didn't do half the research achr did but came to the same conclusion. Versa hands down beats them all! I've had my V nearly a year now and love it just as much now as when I first got it.

"sorry to throw this a little off topic, but...what did you think of the Saturn Aura? We've been eyeing them up a little bit in the need of a new daily driver. /end mini threadjack

The Aura is probably the BEST looking Saturn (well, excluding the SKY anyway) in their history. Getting rid of the plastic body panels really tightened up the door gaps. We test drove the High End Aura, you know, the one with the Morrocan Leather treatment (shades of Ricardo Montabalm and Chrysler's COR-IN-THIAN Leather). The interior LOOKS really attractive IMHO. However, there are two rolled seams in the stiching of the seats which stick out and hit you squarely in the spine if you're simply wearing a thin shirt. Hugh???? Who dreams this crap up? Don't the designers ever spend time in the cars? That was the deal breaker right there for me. The steering wheel is also a weird shape. It is still circular but the rim has a tri-angulated contour that just felt unnatural to me. The ride was also taughter than I care for and imparted similar tire slap to the Volkswagen Rabbit. It's probably a Germanic thing. At any rate, it just wasn't for me, even if it is CAR of the YEAR according to all the "Enthusiasts" out there. The Chevy VEGA was once car of the year as well, as was the Plymouth Horizon .

That being said, I am still HIGHLY interested in the new Chevy Malibu which offers a similar looking interior (without the weird seat seams) and hopefully has a more softly tuned suspension. It is based on the same Opel chassis though and will probably be similar to the Aura. There are a lot of new vehicles coming out these days and that is one of the things which prompted me to only take a 2 year lease on our Versa.

Who knows, the next generation Toyota Corolla MAY actually get it right!!! I certainly have to admit that as much as we disliked our 2003 model's driving dynamics, it certainly hands down beat the Versa in real world fuel economy department although their ratings are quite similar.

Saturn Aura... great styling, excellent marketing hype. Ultimately just a rebadged Buik Lacerne, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Malibu. It's the most rfined 4 speed automatic on the market... however, everyone else has better 5 and 6 speed transmissions. It's heavy, and mileage is below average for the class. Looks like GM may finally have a chassis and refinement to match the competition, now they just need a better I-4 and V6 to match the competition and 1 or 2 more gears on the tranny. It still seems like they are playing catch-up in that department.

Saturn (to me, anyway) was one of those automakers who catered to people who just need a car... that's right, not a Chevy, a Dodge, or even a BMW... they just need a car. When someone asks the Saturn owner what kind of car he/she drives, they will respond with "A blue one." How big is the engine? "I dunno, 1.8 Cylinders? Is that good?"

Not that there is anything wrong with this. Actually, the original Saturns were American built Holdens (austrailian GMs) It seems they are now using regular GM platforms (like the epsilon, Delta, and Z platforms).

motoguy128 wrote:Saturn Aura... great styling, excellent marketing hype. Ultimately just a rebadged Buik Lacerne, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Malibu.

Not quite.

Malibu, Aura, and G6 share a platform, yes.

The Lucerne and GP have nothing to do with those two--or each other--though. The Lucerne shares the Cadillac Deville/DTS platform (large FWD V8). The Grand Prix is a different large front-driver (same platform as Buick's smaller Lacrosse, but not the Lucerne).

But still, the Aura isn't really a rebadged Malibu. It is quite literally a rebadged Opel Vectra. They took the silver Opel badges off and applied the red Saturn ones.Just because the two cars share a platform doesn't make one a rebadge of the other. Nissan's Maxima, Altima, and Murano all share a platform. No one of those is a rebadge of any other, though. They are distinctly different vehicles. The G35 is NOT a rebadged 350z, yet they share the same platform.

The Aura is a marked improvement over the L-series (though they were good looking) and the abominable Ion, but I agree that it's a long way from perfect. I'd never consider owning one.

Aura

Vectra