Got a call from Nissan salesman today,..Tried out a Suzuki X3.

[Wyld Bill]

Well, you guys called this one. GOt another call today from my salesman. He decided to be up front & honest with me & let me know that I should look elsewhere for mini wagon car. He said the car we ordered MAY be here in Febuary but from what he is hearing he can't guarentee ANYTHING. He said there is a 6 speed SL with the BASIC SL features in the color that we want coming in, in Dec. He said that if we wanted it he'd hold it for us, have Bluetooth installed locally for free & have sun roof installed locally for $1500. I told him I was probobly going ot go elsewhere. He said he didn't blame me, apologised & said I can have my deposit back. So I went ot another local dealership & tried out a Suzuki SX4. I told the salesman the whole story & he was really cool & easy going. I took the car for about an hour & checked it all out. It was a 5 speed base model. Thier base model costs about the same as a Versa but has the following: Floor mats, ABS, EBD, AWD, roof rack, 16" alloys (instead of 15"), MPG computer, fold and tumble rear seats, outdoor temp. gauge, rear disk brakes, 143 HP, and 100,000 mile/7 year powertrain warrenty.

What the Versa has that the SX4 doesn't?Better gas milage,..SUBSTANTIALLY! (well, acording to the EPA rating )A little bit better interiorMore comfortable seatsMore leg room in the back seat (about 3" looking at the specs but seemed like more of a difference)More room in the way back,...not much but a bit more.No front or rear center armrests,..I think they were an option Basically a LOT like the Versa except for the AWD. Even the same name for the packages AND the same items IN the packages. The convenience Package for instance. Steering wheel audio controls, Leather wrapped steering wheel, Cruise control, & I THINK Smartpass Keyless system is available in this package if not then in the Sport package along with fog lights. Wierd huh? I was giving the guy a hard time saying they have a spy at Nissan.

What I liked about it?Floor mats, ABS, EBD, AWD, roof racks, 16" alloys (instead of 15"), MPG computer, fold and tumble rear seats, outdoor temp. gauge, REAR DISK BRAKES!, 143 HP, and 100,000 mile/7 year powertrain warrenty, the looks of the headlights & tailightsThey can actually GET ME WHAT I WANT,..well so they say.

What I did not like:No center armrest consoleNo rear fold down center armrest (may be in a different non-base package)No sunroof option,... so the salesman said.Gas milage is a disgrace for such a small car,..not bad gas milage compared to the vehicles out there on the road but for this size car,..yeah.The car had some blind spots. The rear corners inside near the hatch are wide,..like 8" wide. The passenger side isn't bad but when you look straight back over your left shoulder you can't see anything out there! I don't remember if the Versa was like this or not but I don't think it was quite so bad. The other blind spot is the window pillar..the plastic interior part is intrusive & blocks the left edge of the windshield & the little triangle window (is the Versa like that?) It's a Suzuki. My wife has owned several Nissan Sentras & I have owned two Pathfinders,..one of which I got in a multiple high impact accident in that I should have been dead but came out without a serious injury.Oh yeah not a big deal but it's not a 6 speed for the coolness factor.

Tough decidion. I think I still would buy the Versa if I could get the one we want. I'm going to look at a Matrix & Vibe Tomorrow or Monday night.

[dalversajock]

Dude, don't waste your time. I looked at all the same options but I was lucky enough to find the Versa I wanted. The Suzuki has some great options BUT it just doesn't have all the bells and whistles like the Versa. The Matrix is over priced and you would have to pay more for other additional stuff. And don't even bother with the Pontiac. Look at Nissan's history on cars and compare it to Pontiac. Nuf said.

I'm sorry that you can't find the Versa you want BUT the best thing to do is wait for it OR constantly look around elsewhere. I was lucky enough to get the Versa- it was the ONLY Versa SL on the lot with everything in it. AND I got more bang for my buck. When I went to Toyota to test out the Matrix, I had asked him what he thought of the Versa and he said "the Versa SL is the better car BUT they are hard to come by". He even told me that he would rather get a Versa SL mainly because you actually do get more for your money PLUS the CVT is incredible.

I hope your car comes your way. Don't bother getting the Versa S...to me, it can't compare to the fully loaded Versa SL. Take care.

[OKVersa]

Check out the Vibe message boards over at Edmunds. That is what convinced me to go with the Versa over the Vibe. I liked the Vibe and almost bought it, since it has a Toyota engine. But once you have driven a Versa, there is no comparison.

Have you done a search on the nissanUSA.com board?

[cireecnop1]

Awesome dude!, I say go for the SX4. the AWD and the ABS should be almost reason enough. and if the MPG is such a big deal maybe you should buy a hybrid. The sport SX4 is what I would like to have, pretty nicely equippped the price.

again just my OPINION.

[marleyfan]

The Matrix is over priced and you would have to pay more for other additional stuff. And don't even bother with the Pontiac.

The Matrix and Vibe are virtually the same car. Some cosmetic differences is about all. Not sure why you are so dismissive of the Vibe. I have one and it is a good car. Not sure what the complaints are on the Vibe boards (haven't read them) but the only complaints I have about the Vibe are that it is underpowered and I'm getting poor gas mileage. Funny...it's the same complaints made on this board about the Versa. Having said that I do prefer my Versa (the wife now has the Vibe).

[Wyld Bill]

Yeah not going to bother with the S model. My wife has worked hard for 15 years as a nurse to get to the position she is in now where she makes really good money. I'm not going to settle for a BASE model car for her to drive to work every day. She has a base model Sentra & I hate it.The thing is the Versa that we tried out that first turned us onto the Versa is still for sale but it is a CVT & my wife is Hellbent on getting a 6 speed. She may just have to settle for a CVT or,....wait & hope that some day we get a loaded SL in Blue Onyx with the 6 speed. I dunno,...I ran the numbers & going by the MPG rating with gas at $2.50/gal it would only cost my wife about $6.00 more a week to go to work. That's two drive thru coffees LOL!! Over a year I figure about $350 more to run. Not a big difference I guess considering some of the other things I waste money on. My son & I race motocross from May to October & we usually spend about $100 a week doing that not including the bikes, parts, oil changes, gas, etc. I have had Suzukis & liked them so I guess the only thing that really still bothers me is the interior not being QUITE as nice as the Versa & the whole car being shorter with less room inside. Here's the size specs differences I found:

Wheelbase> Nissan 4" longerOverall length> Nissan 5.2" longerVehicle width> Suzuki 2.4" widerVehicle hight> Suzuki 2.8" tallerCargo Cap.> Nissan 5 more (cubic feet?)Front leg room> sameRear leg room> Nissan TWO INCHES MOREFront headroom> Nissan 1" more This is tough. Maybe the best thing to do is wait & do more research on the SX4. Maybe I'll just run the Sentra for another 100K miles & use the $18,500 to build me a garage

[versabundus]

Dude, don't waste your time. I looked at all the same options but I was lucky enough to find the Versa I wanted. The Suzuki has some great options BUT it just doesn't have all the bells and whistles like the Versa. The Matrix is over priced and you would have to pay more for other additional stuff. And don't even bother with the Pontiac. Look at Nissan's history on cars and compare it to Pontiac. Nuf said.

I'm sorry that you can't find the Versa you want BUT the best thing to do is wait for it OR constantly look around elsewhere. I was lucky enough to get the Versa- it was the ONLY Versa SL on the lot with everything in it. AND I got more bang for my buck. When I went to Toyota to test out the Matrix, I had asked him what he thought of the Versa and he said "the Versa SL is the better car BUT they are hard to come by". He even told me that he would rather get a Versa SL mainly because you actually do get more for your money PLUS the CVT is incredible.

I hope your car comes your way. Don't bother getting the Versa S...to me, it can't compare to the fully loaded Versa SL. Take care.

Uh...The Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota....

[Wyld Bill]

Ok can we all agree that Pontiac Vibe=Toyota Matrix?

[dalversajock]

Uh...The Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota....

Uh, sorry for being uneducated about cars, ok? I didn't know the Vibe and Matrix are the same car. Geez!

[Ever Victorious]

Ok can we all agree that Pontiac Vibe=Toyota Matrix?

Almost. GM got their hands on the interior of the Vibe. So there's one major difference between the two, and why the Toyota is still the better version of the two.

Maybe I'll just run the Sentra for another 100K miles & use the $18,500 to build me a garage

Mmm... garage.

[Wyld Bill]

I just realized something,...you have my car!! Your car is the exact car we are looking for. You bastard!

[OKVersa]

Not really. Remember, the Vibe has a GMC paint job and a GMC body. Look at the wheels on a Vibe. Everything is "cheap" about a Vibe in the looks department.

But it has a Toyota engine.

[Ever Victorious]

I just realized something,...you have my car!! Your car is the exact car we are looking for. You bastard!

close, but no, it's not. Look at my sig again... I've got the 6-speed Blue Onyx with just the Convenience package. the XM was an add-on Nissan kit after the fact. No sunroof, no audio package.

I'm seeing a pattern developing with the SL's that just hit my state. No loaded 6-speeds, only CVT's. Looks like you might have to "special order" a 6-speed loaded... or find a 6-speed with a Convenience package and d!ck over a dealer-installed sunroof and whatever else you wanted in those options.

Side note: if it's the Satellite you're looking for, and you're not hung up on a sunroof and/or factory subwoofer, it would be MUCH easier to find the car with just the convenience package and pay the nissan dealer $300 to put in the nissan satellite kit.

[Wyld Bill]

close, but no, it's not. Look at my sig again... I've got the 6-speed Blue Onyx with just the Convenience package. the XM was an add-on Nissan kit after the fact. No sunroof, no audio package.

I'm seeing a pattern developing with the SL's that just hit my state. No loaded 6-speeds, only CVT's. Looks like you might have to "special order" a 6-speed loaded... or find a 6-speed with a Convenience package and d!ck over a dealer-installed sunroof and whatever else you wanted in those options.

Side note: if it's the Satellite you're looking for, and you're not hung up on a sunroof and/or factory subwoofer, it would be MUCH easier to find the car with just the convenience package and pay the nissan dealer $300 to put in the nissan satellite kit.

Oh ok.....your not a rat bastid. Yeah I just spent a few hours searching all of CT, RI, NY, & MA for versas. Mostly autos S models. Some SLs with the CVT,..most were black or Blue Onyx. Found a couple loaded CVT SL. Found only a few 6 speeds from Maine to NY,...none of the 6 speeds were SL models at all. I've just about had it. I don't think my dealer knows how to order a car,... think he just looks for them after they get here. Shouldn't he have been able to order me the exact carI want & tell me it will be here by whatever month?

[Ever Victorious]

I've found some 6-speed SL's, but none loaded. Just with ABS. Will continue my searching now that I'm awake. (Mmm... sunday... lazy day)

[dalversajock]

I just realized something,...you have my car!! Your car is the exact car we are looking for. You bastard!

Thats funny that you said that. I thought you wanted 6 Speed though. Anyway, I was pretty lucky when I found my Versa SL. My 2001 Nissan Xterra blew a head gasket and needed the timing belt changed plus some other stuff happened to the car which it all totaled out to cost me $2600 to repair. My Xterra is a gas hog and after putting 109k on the car I felt I really didn't need it anymore. I was spending $200 a month on gas alone in which I could use that money for a new car payment. I was lucky enough to trade the X in and go myself a Versa SL. My V was the ONLY SL on the lot and it was the only fully loaded one too- power everything, sunroof, Sirius radio, bluetooth, CVT, etc. I hope you find the car that you want. I went all over my city today and only ran into 3 Versas at three different dealerships but non of them were SL's.

[cyberdeity]

Welp, my versa is still on order, but after seeing this thread I had to check out the Suzuki. Ends up there was a couple at the local lot acccording to their website, so my dad and I went up there Sunday night.

I WAS IMPRESSED! The one they had was stickered at $16,500. The key points was that it had ABS, EBD, rear disc, AWD, 16" wheels, bigger engine, roof rack, and a 100k warranty. It also had what I consider the normal necessities, like A/C, Power Windows,doors, automatic, etc.

I simply couldn't believe an AWD vehicle like that could be obtained for $16k. And it looks good from the outside too.

My biggest gripe is the interior. I think it looked really cheap/skimpy.

So, I had to spend some time deciding if I was still making the right decision on the Versa. Sure, the SX4 doesn't offer things like CVT, bluetooth, or sunroof, but I live in Cleveland and having an AWD vehicle would be a big plus.

I think I'm going to stick with my versa order, but I definately think the SX4 is something people should consider if they're still undecided on which subcompact hatch is right for them. The SX4 is a tad smaller by comparison, but I consider the Versa on the high end of the scale, so the SX4 would be 'average' when compared to others in this segment.

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in since I saw one last night. Was thinking about giving it a test drive tonight after work if I have time.

[campersand]

As soon as I started researching the Suzuki and saw the epa mileage rating, I didn't go any further. It might be a great car but, as someone already pointed out, it's just ridiculous that a car in this class would only get 24/29 mpg. Not to say no one should look into it, it just was lacking a crucial ingredient for me.

[versabundus]

I read a road test in a magazine that said the sx4 got combined mileage of 27That's not too shabby for 143 hp and awd. Seems a lot of folks are only getting that in their Versas with a cvt!

[Wyld Bill]

I read a road test in a magazine that said the sx4 got combined mileage of 27That's not too shabby for 143 hp and awd. Seems a lot of folks are only getting that in their Versas with a cvt!

Yeah that's what I was gonna say. It's the same MPG as a : Subaru Forester, ANY 4wd SUV out there,.well the RAV4 is close but even a RAV4 gets 27 MPG highway. I was surprised to see that the Volkswagon new bettle only gets 23/31 for crying out loud. That thing is tiny! I think if the SX4 had a sixth gear it would get better gas milage. I heard it may have a 6th gear in late 2007.