I hate Stupid Car Reviewers

[longo]

After the first 'review' on this car there was room for comments...here's mine

As the Huyndai'Touring' is now in the hands of a few testers, their impressions are far from informative, they are more like.... 'interesting'.....you know, when the Chineese want to insult you they say.."may you have an interesting life"

So far, the reports I have read from the initial drivers of this new 5 door, have been the usuall, preditable gear head nonsense.

When are testers going to stop reviewing 5 door family grocery getters on how fast they can go around corners without falling over, or peering at body joints tolerances with a micrometer?

Where is the info potential buyers really need to know? First is the mpg results...and NOT the cooked numbers off the company window sticker, the real number from the actual road test.

Potential buyers want to know this, even if the tester has to ask some kid in Grade 5 how to calculate and divide gallons used into miles driven.

Does it ride like a Camry, or, after hours of uninterupted driving in this thing, will you fall out of the front seat and have to crawl to the sidewalk.Does the engine sound like a screaming blender going up hills, at highway speeds, is the cabin hushed and quiet so you can have a conversation without yelling?

Do the brakes feel like stepping on a lumpy mattress or are they ..'right there'? Do your elbows hit the armrests right, is the steering wheel positioned for a safe comfortable grip, does the entrance in and out of the front and back seats require contortions or immediate treatement for concussion?

You know, honest answers to just a few of the questions I asked before I bought a Nissan Versa. - longo

[fjwagner]

based upon your criteria, the Versa would not pass. MPG is poor, the car is relatively noisy, struggles up hills, etc. Oh yes, I have to crawl to the sidewalk.

[1_Sleek_Versa]

The roadside assistance tow truck that comes bi-weekly to tow/boost my car is pretty noisy. LOL

Seriously, I'm with you. Car reviewers don't really anwser the questions to the everyday driver's questions. A lot more axed on racing performance than reliability and everyday driving situations.

[kc5f]

Quote »based upon your criteria, the Versa would not pass. MPG is poor, the car is relatively noisy, struggles up hills, etc. Oh yes, I have to crawl to the sidewalk. [/quote]And based on his criteria, the SL with CVT would pass. Mileage over 30, we're quite comfortable after short or long trips, I don't hear the engine until it gets to 3000 rpm, we have conversations with no problems at highway speed and can even listen to the quiet parts of the music, my 84 year old mother-in-law can get in or out easier than in our minivan or her mid-sized Oldsmobile, etc.

[Bubs daddy]

Indeed, I feel the same way. I got 33 mpg last fillup and it has plenty of power. It's very quiet on the highway, almost eerily quiet. I couldn't be more pleased.

[randyshemin@comcast.]

Indeed, I feel the same way. I got 33 mpg last fillup and it has plenty of power. It's very quiet on the highway, almost eerily quiet. I couldn't be more pleased.

Same here. Compared to my 01 Sentra SE, the Versa rides like a mid-size and is quiet and extremely comfortable. I'm 6'3'' and actually enjoy riding in the back seat if I get up the nerve to let my wife (her car) or daughter drive. She averages 31 mpg on her 60 mile daily commute.
Modified by randyshemin@comcast. at 12:24 PM 1/25/2009

[Rockhound]

based upon your criteria, the Versa would not pass. MPG is poor, the car is relatively noisy, struggles up hills, etc. Oh yes, I have to crawl to the sidewalk.

Exaggerate much? Our lifetime MPG is 30 - and that's predominantly urban driving. I've found that the CVT keeps revs low, and correspondingly, noise is minimized, too. NVH is quite minimal, and passengers often comment about the smooth ride and how easy it is to carry on a conversation from the back seat to front.

Although scientifically quantifying interior noise levels is difficult - no patch of road is the same texture, tires are often to blame, wind conditions are highly variable - but the Versa scored a very low decibel ratings in several reviews I've read - far lower, in fact, than cars like the Accord.

I've also never experienced struggling up hills, either. In fact, with it's 9.5 second 0-60, the Versa is pretty spunky for its class. Perhaps you should press on the accelerator. Or maybe you shouldn't have gone with the 4-speed automatic transmission.

Also, I've found the seats to be quite comfy for long trips. The lack lateral support, but that's not a crucial feature for a soft economy car.

Here's a look at some similarly sized cars' power and weight characteristics. The Versa is somewhat of a porker at the scale, but its power-to-weight ratio isn't drastically behind the competition...

.........................................hp....weight....power/weight..lbs/hpMazda3 (hatch)...............156...2900.......0.0538.............18.6Caliber.............................148...3000.......0.0493.............20.3Elantra.............................138...2800.......0.0493.............20.3Fit....................................117...2500.......0.0468.............21.4Yaris (sedan)...................106...2300.......0.0461.............21.7Vesa............................122...2700.......0.0452.............22.1Rio5.................................110...2487.......0.0442.............22.6Accent..............................110...2500.......0.0440.............22.7Matrix...............................132...3100.......0.0426.............23.5


Modified by Rockhound at 1:35 PM 1/24/2009

[Slither]

Weight Versa with CVT 2779

[krissj2001]

Mazda 3 weights 2811 AT European's Versa called Tiida weights more than Mazda 31.6 sedan AT 1269 kgs 2798 lbs1.6 H/B AT 1281 kgs 2824 lbs1.8 sedan manual 1278 kgs 2817 lbs1.8 H/B manual 1289 kgs 2842 lbs1.5 sedan diesel manual 1342 kgs 2958 lbs1.5 H/B diesel manual 1360 kgs 2998 lbsI have no idea why European's Versa (Tiida )is heavier than US/Canadian Versa

[longo]

Just to put all this in perspective please read the following comments from a new car owner in Colorado.

"I purchased this car brand new and it has been nothing but problems since day one. The vehicle steers to the right since the date of purchase. The transmission shifts funny, slips, bangs into gear, consistently chooses the wrong gear, etc. Paint is chipping off all over the vehicle. The engine stalls in the mornings, sometimes racing by itself, then dropping itself down to a normal RPM.

The window mechanisms continue to scratch the window tinting - it has been replaced three times on the front windows. Rain sensing wipers work part of the time, sometimes not at all. The cupholder mechanism has broke twice. Nomenclature has fallen off the vehicle. There is EXCESSIVE road noise, tire noise, suspension noise and wind noise in this vehicle. Also, there are squeaks and rattles THROUGHOUT the vehicle. This car only has 9000 miles on it, and most of these problems were regular problems since the car had 2500 miles on it."

The car in question was a new Mercedes Benz C230

[JGT5]

based upon your criteria, the Versa would not pass. MPG is poor, the car is relatively noisy, struggles up hills, etc. Oh yes, I have to crawl to the sidewalk.

It's all a matter of comparison. Are you comparing your Versa to your BMWs? I think my Versa gets excellent mileage and is extremely quiet. Of course, that's compared to my Xterra, which gets only 15.6 mpg and has a roof rack that apparently was designed to amplify wind noise. My wife's Murano gets 22 mpg (26 on highway trips), but it's really not much quieter than the Versa is, and it lacks the Bluetooth and MP3 capability my Versa has.

[srellim234]

I'm with kc5f with the exception of the gas mileage. The Versa SL was worth the extra money for the comfort of the seat alone. I drove our Versa to Florida and back last year and was very comfortable despite my back problems. After 20k miles and 18 months the car has only suffered a couple of minor warranty repair issues, none of them mechanical. My 80+ year old parents with hip replacements love the car, getting in and out of it easier than their own Buick and finding the back seat more comfortable.

Dealer support has been very good, with the only dealer problem being their failure to call me twice when parts came in. They should just stop telling the customer they'll call.

Would I buy another Versa? No. Not because there's anything wrong with the Versa. We just see options are out there, or will soon be out there, give or take a few $1k, that will fit our driving needs and/or desires better.

As an only car, the Versa is probably one of the best compromise cars of all worlds. Not sensational at anything, but good at almost everything.

[longo]

Well, I don't think there's much more to say on this subject, you have the Vesa nailed in your final commment. In thinking about your conclusion I too am stumped to find anything "sensational' about our Versa except the fact that so far, in it's price range (and beyond) I havn't found anything as good, or better at doing all that it does.

I have a low miles Buick Park Ave Ultra sitting in the barn that we havn't driven since we got the Versa. The other day I got in it to look in the glove box and almost knocked myself out when my head hit the door frame.

I have gotten used to just opening the Versa doors and stepping in and out without the usuall drop, roll and duck.

We just returned from a 2000 mile Dec-Jan round trip in the V' driving over 2 continental divides, 3 states and a time zone discussing our next car.

Hope your will share your Versa trade off plans with us, as I'll be damned if we can find anything, all things considered, to replace ours in a year and a half.

[Rockhound]

Mazda 3 weights 2811 AT

Seriously, folks, I was just giving round weight estimates, and I know I wasn't consistent in rounding technique.

All I was trying to illustrate was that the Versa isn't as much of a slug as fjwagner made it out to be. It isn't exceptionally fast, but for it's class, it has an average power/weight ratio, thanks to an engine with enough hp to make up for the added weight (as compared to a Fit or Yaris). Given those statistics, the Versa should have similar acceleration performance to the Fit and Yaris, and lo and behold, it does. The Yaris is a bit slower, and the Fit a bit faster, but all within the 9-10 second 0-60 range.

[grogman]

based upon your criteria, the Versa would not pass. MPG is poor, the car is relatively noisy, struggles up hills, etc. Oh yes, I have to crawl to the sidewalk.

most here on this forum have grown accustom to this guys replies. he never has anything nice to say about the versa. really dude you should predate other forums because your remarks are not constructive. please sell your versa and move on. i am loving my car. for my budget this car has the most features and creature comforts. when i get money i am buying lightweight rims and maybe that tailgate flare if it's practical. anyone know if thr rear flare is practical. thanks again

[VersaMG08]

You better watch what you say, Red Devil may come on here and say other wise, haha! j/k

[They Call Me Whatshisname]

I have had my 1.6 base sedan for about a month now with 500 miles on it. My first fill up it got 32 MPG 95% city driving. I wasn't sure on that number because I didn't top it off and I didn't know if the dealer that sold me it topped it off. Then I got my catback exhaust and for the next 255 miles during the 2nd tank, I averaged 31.6 mpg without topping off and no highway driving. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense. Anyways, I am very happy with this car so far. It's comfortable and gets good mileage and looks awesome for the price .

Only problem I've had with it so far is that I've had the hubcaps off for a couple of days and today I noticed the back 2 wheels had a little bit of rust in the center where it was silver. I went to walmart bought some primer and black paint and sanded the rust off and am in the process of painting it black. Sort of off topic, but oh well.

[srellim234]

longo, our trade would be to an electric or a hybrid that uses almost exclusively electric around town. Our other car is a Buick Rendezvous that has leather interior and the third seat so it seats 7. We have one of those rare ones that really runs well, delivering 26 mpg on the highway if my wife is driving, 27.5-28.5 mpg. if I'm driving. The difference in highway mpg between that and the Versa really doesn't justify the Versa price for us.

Most of our driving is around town, 25-45 mph and less than 25 mile trips. Shopping, visiting friends, etc. I do small shopping trips on my bicycle when the kids are at school but otherwise we want a car yielding 55+mpg or uses no gas at all. Creature comforts don't matter at all in our case and for what we intend to use the car for.

The wife gets a company vehicle for her commute and I'm a stay-at-home dad right now. An electric or small hybrid makes sense for us. Unfortunately, at the time we bought the Versa, hybrids were too expensive and there still isn't a reasonably-priced electric on the road that goes over 25 mph.

[longo]

"we want a car yielding 55+mpg or uses no gas at all"

Ok, don't we all, still for that occasional trip to Florida, you would definitly be driving your Buick.

I guess if Nissan can convert the Versa to an electric plug init would be a best seller. However the electric cars that Nissan is building for Isreal and Denmark sort of look like tiny bugs. I took a Honda Civic Hybrid out for a test drive last week and hated it. Noisy, hard riding, gutless and over our conservitive 53 mile road test got 28 mpg.

In my mind not a great ride, but good luck with your search for a Versa replacement and don't forget to post what you decide on.

[fjwagner]

most here on this forum have grown accustom to this guys replies. he never has anything nice to say about the versa. really dude you should predate other forums because your remarks are not constructive. please sell your versa and move on. i am loving my car. for my budget this car has the most features and creature comforts. when i get money i am buying lightweight rims and maybe that tailgate flare if it's practical. anyone know if thr rear flare is practical. thanks again

My initial reply was "tongue in cheek" to the original post. However, the Versa fit our needs perfectly as it had a really good price point vs an unnamed compact (dont want to start another discussion) which is a comment I have made several times. I do feel this certain competitor is a better car (just my opinion), but I was not willing to pay another $3k for it. The Versa is roomier for sure.

We bought the automatic rather than the 6 speed. In hindsight, I wish we had bought the manual. Just being honest when I say that. I am not planning to sell it because we drive cars into the ground. We typically buy 2 year old cars, but did buy this one new. The car will go off to a College campus at some point in the not too distant future.

You lost me on the "predate (sic)" comment. Typo?

[fjwagner]

It's all a matter of comparison. Are you comparing your Versa to your BMWs? .

No, comparing to a competitor car we drove 1000 miles in around Iceland last summer. That car to be unnamed. The Versa meets our needs though and no regrets.

[fjwagner]

Exaggerate much? Our lifetime MPG is 30 - and that's predominantly urban driving. Modified by Rockhound at 1:35 PM 1/24/2009

No. I have yet to average even 30 on the highway driving the speed limit. My much heavier 6 cylinder car will get 32 mpg at 70 mph on cruise control. Lucky to get 24 around Houston.

[BGW]

Jeez boy, unhitch the trailer.

[Rockhound]

No. I have yet to average even 30 on the highway driving the speed limit. My much heavier 6 cylinder car will get 32 mpg at 70 mph on cruise control. Lucky to get 24 around Houston.

Just goes to show you that the 4-speed auto wasn't a wise choice for fuel economy, as evidenced by the EPA rating of 24/32 MPG (urban/highway). Looks like your 24 MPG around Houston isn't so far out of line with EPA ratings.

I knew after owning a 2002 Infiniti G20 that I'd never again own a I4-powered car with a 4-speed automatic transmission. That car was a slug (10 second 0-60), despite having a decent power-to-weight ratio. The transmission was at fault - too few gears and poor ratios as a result. When the manual-transmission version has a near 1.5 second advantage from 0-60 MPH (as was the case with the G20), you know that the auto is antiquated and poorly fit for the job.

Also, your comparison with your 'much heavier car' is flawed, in that you fail to take into consideration the power-to-weight ratio for each vehicle. A little horsepower goes a long way in motivating mass. Additionally, your other car is likely able to cruise at 70 MPH at a lower RPM than your 4-speed Versa.

[fjwagner]

also, your comparison with your 'much heavier car' is flawed, in that you fail to take into consideration the power-to-weight ratio for each vehicle. A little horsepower goes a long way in motivating mass. Additionally, your other car is likely able to cruise at 70 MPH at a lower RPM than your 4-speed Versa.

not flawed, but did not go into the logic. At highway speed, the 6 cylinder is much more efficient and lower rpm's as you stated and to which I agree. Double the horsepower too. However, the overall cost of ownership is obviously much lower with the Versa. My daughter drives the Versa most of the time and I do not even want to go into the poor mpg she gets!!! The numbers I quoted were with me driving.

[Rockhound]

not flawed, but did not go into the logic. At highway speed, the 6 cylinder is much more efficient and lower rpm's as you stated and to which I agree. Double the horsepower too. However, the overall cost of ownership is obviously much lower with the Versa. My daughter drives the Versa most of the time and I do not even want to go into the poor mpg she gets!!! The numbers I quoted were with me driving.

Yeah, kind of like how Corvette owners like to boast of their highway mileage, which is impressive given the horsepower and displacement involved.

And I guess not too many teenagers get excited with the whole 'conservative driving' thing, huh? I guess I didn't at that age, either.