Not that I need to do this anytime soon, since the car is new, but as I peruse the FSM which NICO has been kind enough to supply us with, I see that in order to change the plugs I have to remove the intake manifold, along with various sensors and throttle components.

Am I reading it correctly? http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Versa/2014% ... ote/EM.pdf

Are the earlier Versa engines also arranged in this fashion? As a guy who likes to do as much routine maintenance as I can to save some bucks, I find this distressing. I have neither the talent, patience, tools or experience to perform this maneuver.

Tell me I read it wrong, or that it's really not as hard as it sounds

Well, I have answered my own question. Check out this video, if you haven't already seen it, of Smokeasammie changing the plugs on a 2007 versa. What an ordeal! I'm trying to think of a valid reason to have engineered things this way.

It's an hour long, so make sure you have time.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=putwah6xXN0

Good thing you only have to do this probably once (maybe twice) during the life of the car.

Perhaps, but when the time comes, I will shell out a good chunk of cash for labor alone. With my Rio, I could do the job myself in less than a half hour for the cost of parts. Kinda pisses me off.