2009 Versa sedan test

[Nissan Sport Editor]

Sometimes you just fall into a Nissan unexpectedly. That happened on a recent trip to the DC area when I didn't ask for, but got, a Nissan Versa sedan as a rental. Yeah, it was pretty stripped, but I still walked away impressed after a few days in the car.

The good-Immense amount of luggage room. The trunk (this is not the hatch version, mind you) swallowed four pieces of luggage, a laptop bag, and had room to spare. Impressive if not stunning considering the size of the car.-Surprising backseat room. To say the Versa has more leg room in the back seat than my Infiniti EX would be a huge understatement. It has several times the amount of legroom. It feels like a stretch Continental, minus the leather and cush ride.-Clean design. The interior is relatively smartly designed for the price point of the car. No hunting for controls. Everything was where it should be. The exterior, while not head-turning, did little to offend.

The not so good-Acceleration. Coming from a pair of V6 Infinitis, I didn't expect it to have the same oomph. Getting on the highway meant a bit more looking over the shoulder. -Plasticky. The dash, while clean, had the sound of Chevy/GM plastic. The cup holders were not flexible--drinks have to be the size of a 12 oz can and nothing more (or less).

For an affordable run-around-town sort of car, the Versa comes up solid. I'd probably get the hatch version as it would be even more versatile ... as it could hold oversized gear (bike, snowboard, etc.) even easier.