Looking for low cost reliable safe transportation. Couldn't care less about 0-60, autobahn fantasies, ultimate driving experience or nurburgring lap times. The reviews make it sound like the car is horrible, meanwhile I see lots of people driving around in them and they seem to be doing just fine. Some also say you're better off with a used car, but I'm not so sure about that either, a new car has full warranty and you know how it's been treated. Also a three year old car may be fine, but you're three years closer to it being an older car that needs stuff.

Am I missing anything or are the writers just snobs?

Quick answer is "No" It is not horrible at all. I have owned three of the second generation cars. Two Notes, and one sedan. If you get the S version, which is bare bones, you get 5 speed manual, no electrics (except for the outboard mirrors), bluetooth and not much else. You can get it in a 4-speed auto version but I would avoid that. If you want automatic, go for the S+ or beyond.

I have enjoyed them thoroughly, because I am like you. I don't need speed or power. Just get used to the slower acceleration and plan ahead when driving (which everybody needs to do anyway). They are reliable, friendly, comfortable, VERY efficient, (I am averaging 34 MPG in mixed driving) and cost very little to own. What's not to like? I prefer the hatchback version. The sedan, an S, felt less stable on the road, so I traded it for a Note SV, which feels much more sure-footed.

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about the S+ sedan. The hatchback seems more versatile, but it's a chunk more money. Interesting you said the hb drives better, would not have expected that, do you think it's something about the different transmission in the higher trim level? I would cross shop the note with the fit, but I can do a lot better on Nissans, there's a dealer a couple hundred miles from me that has insane prices with no haggling.

When I was driving 37k miles per year it might have made more sense to buy used, but even then I preferred new. Now that I'm down to a more reasonable 12k per year I prefer it even more. You know the history and get all the latest gadgets. I do prefer the older non-Note Versa HB just because it feels a bit more solid and the trunk configuration works for musical instruments we carry, but my son recently bought a Note HB and really likes it. A bit less power than his previous Versa, but fine for how we drive.

In our family we've now owned five Versas and a Juke, and after them wouldn't buy anything that didn't have the CVT, even though I put over 750k miles on various manual transmission cars before them and loved them. So smooth, although my son was surprised that his new Note had the Nissan adjustment to make it feel like it's shifting. I guess folks thought something was wrong because it never shifted!

Short answer is NO. We have had our 2012 SV Sedan for almost three years, my wife uses it as here daily commute car and its also our family outing car since my truck only seats 2. My only complaint is size, i am not a small person and i have to be careful how i sit in the driver seat or i can cramp up from the position my legs are in.

We think ours is great. 2011 Sedan, automatic with ABS, all else is base model with the small engine also. Wife commutes with it daily. At 6'2" I fit great, but I'm only tall in one direction. We sometimes remove the back seat back rest and open it up to the trunk so we can haul large items in it. The front seats can fold down to the rear seat and creates a large open space in the cabin. It's a pretty versatile car. We bought it for that new car reliability at used car pricing, almost... it was a close race. Complaints? I'm grasping at straws, but the paint seems pretty thin. A couple of chips and nicks seemed really easy to get. I wanted a 5 speed, but wife won't do stick. We did not get a cvt.

The choice is coming down to Versa SV vs Sentra S for comparable features. I could probably live with the crank windows but I think the lack of power locks and keyless entry would get old on the Versa S+.
Looks like I can get the Sentra for just a few hundred more.
Agreed that CVT is the way to go. We have other Nissans with them, after you get used to them the smoothness is really nice.

With our base model, no power locks, windows, etc. Interesting was that the passenger door has no key hole to unlock it. So, you can't be a gentleman and open the passenger door first, you have to be a heathen and get into the driver's seat first, then let the passenger in. The only access to the cabin is using the key on the driver's door. That was an issue I didn't think of before purchase and we've since gotten used to it. We were on the wire with adding a couple grand to get into a civic for a while, but ultimately didn't want to spend/ finance a couple of thousands just for the sake of a different car. We were already aiming for the cheap and the Versa was it. I don't recall even looking at Sentras. They were probably out of our price range in 2011.

I can only speak to the Versa SL that we purchased new in 2007 but we were very happy with the car. It was not the best at anything but it was very good at almost everything. Dependable, decent mileage, very roomy and comfortable on multiple California-Florida trips. We wound up parting with the car not because of the car itself but issues with both the dealer and Nissan North America. If it weren't for the company itself we would seriously consider another Versa SL as long as it had all the upgraded creature comforts.

BocaNissanian wrote:Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about the S+ sedan. The hatchback seems more versatile, but it's a chunk more money. Interesting you said the hb drives better, would not have expected that, do you think it's something about the different transmission in the higher trim level? I would cross shop the note with the fit, but I can do a lot better on Nissans, there's a dealer a couple hundred miles from me that has insane prices with no haggling.

Actually, I said that it felt less stable -- very sensitive to wind, even from passing cars. I think it has more to do with the sedan's higher ground clearance and somewhat less streamlined front profile. But the ride is smoother than the Note, which has a stiffer suspension. Trade-offs -- can't live with 'em, pass the beer nuts.

Having said that, the S+ is an excellent choice for the sedan, because, unlike the Note at that trim, you get cruise control. But as another poster pointed out, there ain't no keyhole on the passenger side door. Also, be aware that there is no coolant temperature gauge. That makes me uncomfortable, what with the higher running temp of the CVT. So if you go that route, get a good blue tooth diagnostic dongle and pair it with the Torque ap. It not only supports coolant temp readings, but also transmission temp. Good ap.