I hope you guys who've bought the Versa (US) aren't going to hate me for asking this but were you at all hesitant in buying the Versa because it's not made in Japan, but made in Mexico?

Don't get me wrong. I really like what Nissan is offering with the Versa. It really hit the sweet spot with me, and with you all as well. My heart says "Go for it" but my brain says "Wait a minute. Do you trust made in Mexico when cars made in Mexico don't have a good track record? Check out consumerreports.org and look at all the cars made in Mexico such as the full line of Volkswagen, and the Nissan Sentra, Xterra, and Pathfinder. Their records don't speak well of Mexico-made vehicles.

I've checked to see if the Honda Fit is Japan made and it is. When the VIN starts with J it's Japan, when it starts with 3 it's Mexico, and when it's 1 it's made in USA. Just go to autotrader.com and see the VINs on your searches and you'll know.

On the other hand, when you look at the Japan-made vehicles, they consistently get great reliability ratings. Toyota and Lexus, Honda and Acura, don't make cars in Mexico. Volkswagen and Nissan, and the US manufacturers, all do. I wonder whether Toyota and Honda just decided it's not worth sullying their name to have their cars made in Mexico. Sorry if I'm getting off track.

I would like to see Nissan import some Versas from Japan, price them higher, and I will buy it in a heartbeat. And if that's not possible, I would like to know where the different components of the Versa are coming from, such as engine, transmission, body panels, chassis, etc. For engines and transmission, it's a "must" for it to be made in Japan. For body panels and chassis, it's important that it's made in a factory that has consistently produced with close tolerances, so that fit is assured and that there is no rattling and no leaks.

Since it is way too early to know if Versa made in Mexico is going to give me years of driving bliss, I may have to cross my fingers when I decide to dive in and put a deposit in for a Versa - the style and the features make it too compelling for me to not say "Go for it."


Modified by yerrago at 12:18 AM 8/16/2006

Welcome to NICO, Michael.The Versa is indeed manufactured in Mexico.

I say go for it! The fact that a car you're interested in is manufactured in Mexico is a terrible reason to pass up owning one.

Consumer reports is the last place to turn for geniunely useful information beyond which dishwasher gets out spots best.

Nissan's made-in-Mexico cars are among the best the company has ever made. The B13 sentra (still in production there for the 15th year straight because it's so beloved--for good reason: it's incredibly reliable and one of the best compact cars in a very long time), the pickup (which is widely regarded as one of the two best midsize pickups on earth) the Xterra (the only real tough-duty truck-based compact SUV left, and a famously durable and dependable platform).

Japan-made vehicles mean one thing and one thing only for the consumer: higher prices. The Maxima has been produced in the US for over 15 years, and remains one of the best (if not the best) large FWD sedans on the market. It's no less "Japanese" than it was when it was built in Japan and shipped here--but it is less expensive, to both manufacturer and consumer. Cars produced in North America are no different than what would be produced in Japan. It's the same car, and it's mostly machine-built anyway.

Modern Volkswagens made in Mexico are unreliable because Volkswagen makes unreliable cars. Volkswagen's Mexico-made cars would be just as unreliable made in any other country. Alternatively, the old Beetle, which is a great example of a durable, time-tested design, was manufactured in Mexico and has a very positive history.

And yes, the Fits we get here in the US are manufactured in Japan.Maybe that's why they cost so much more than the Versa for so much less car.

Thanks Minister! I should just do it and stop thinking too hard. Last time I did that, I passed on a Prius that was ready for me to pick it up. That was about 2 years ago. Imagine, I could have sold the car for the same price I bought it two years later! Talk about cheap miles and free use of the car for 2 years! Ouch!

While I doubt that the Nissan Versa would give me the same returns as that of a Prius, it seemed very likely that I would be enjoying the full-featuredness of the Versa more than the spartan minimalist interior of the Prius.

MinisterofDOOM wrote:The Maxima has been produced in the US for over 15 years, and remains one of the best (if not the best) large FWD sedans on the market. It's no less "Japanese" than it was when it was built in Japan and shipped here--but it is less expensive, to both manufacturer and consumer.

Ooops. Maxima was made In Japan until the Smyrna plant opened and started making the 6th-gen in 2004.

You're right. Blame my dad for that one. He's always told me my 93 was manufactured in Smyrna...I'm not sure where he got that idea. I just assumed he was correct.

yerrago wrote:look at all the cars made in Mexico such as the full line of Volkswagen, and the Nissan Sentra, Xterra, and Pathfinder. Their records don't speak well of Mexico-made vehicles.Modified by yerrago at 12:18 AM 8/16/2006

US sold Xterras are manufacturered in Smyrna Tennessee.

While there are some Mexico-manufactured Nissans that don't have the best track record, I'd chalk that up more to design (i.e. Spec V).

The fact that the QR is t3h suck doesn't have much to do with Mexican assembly. I wouldn't assume that the Versa is any less solid because of it's country of assembly.

I'm still probably getting a Fit, but that's just because I've been a Fit fanboy since the global launch like 5 years ago and always wanted one.

The made in Mexico does concern me but I am going with the Versa instead of the Fit because the Honda dealers are complete jerks and want to start talking at MSRP and go up from there. They can take their Fit and fit it somewhere on themselves as far as I am concerned!! I don't do business with people like that. I have had 2 Hondas and both were junk as far as I am concerned. I had a Civic and a CRV and both were back to the dealer far more than any of my Ford products. Once back to the dealer, they acted offended and had the attitude that Honda products never break, even when you had it in front of them and showed them. No more Hondas for this household!! I have never owned a Nissan, but should it prove the same, then I will just go back to my Ford, good or bad!!

alot of people still have the impression that mexico is some backwards un-modernized country where car factory workers accidentally drop their cigars into your engine block while putting it together. The fact is, mexico is a north american country and carries north american standards. The versa is made in the aquascalientas assembly plant which is brand new and one of the most sophisticated plants in the world.

VW made in mexico cars are unreliable because VW makes unreliable cars!! its true. Second, alot of cars now are completely built by robots, humans do very little in terms of assembly, and the robots used are the same ones used in all major plants, whether in japan, europe, korea or usa.

third, no offense to people out there, but people tend to complain about cars they cant afford. There were times when people were complainging about the quality and reliability of cars like bmw and benz, all as an excuse for not being able to afford them. Xterra is honestly one of the last remaining real offroad quality suv's and its built in mexico. Honda and toyota make go-kart like vehicles like the yaris and fit, nissan gives u class leading horsepower, 20hp more than the competitor and if it takes building in mexico to do it, so be it.

fourth, since the 1990's, and more so in recent years, globalization has integrated companies which were once owned and operated in certain countries into global markets. There is no more such thing as a company being exclusive to a nation, since car manufacturers use parts and components built by several companies from several countries in order to provide u with an affordible car, and all they do is assemble and design them.

treat your car right, change the oil on time, do regular maintenance, driveproperly and there is no reason why ur nissan should operate any less than a toyota or honda.

I don't think the country of origin matters, as long as the manufacturer has the appropriate quality controls in place. US-made cars had a bad rep for a while, but when companies like Toyota and Honda started producing high-quality cars in the US, it kind of put a squash on that.

I owned one previous car that was made in Mexio, and while funner than heck, it was a piece of junk. But it was due to its design, not the country of origin, and the car had been designed overseas.

It was an orange *four-door* convertible designed by one of the most famous car companies in the world. Can you guess what it was? :-)

Ron

VW Thing?

MinisterofDOOM wrote:VW Thing?

Yup! Bought it used for $1200 in 1978, sold it 20 years later (significantly rusted, with a tattered top) for the same amount.

Ron