Nervous New Owner

[jgaepi]

Picking up my new 2009 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback tonight. After reading skeptical reviews on Consumer Reports, CarGurus and Yahoo Cars, some of the postings here make me even more nervous. Clunks, Noise, etc. My first experience was test driving a Versa SL and the battery was dead on the lot. They are trading for mine Black with Black interior. Put a $1K deposit down to pick up tonight. Tried negotiating for 10 days on a Honda Fit but they just wouldn't budge, and no C4C trade in or any trade in for that matter.

I couldn't pass up the $1500 less than the Fit and the 1.9% financing. But boy am I nervous.

Tell me how my decision is going to pan out over the next 5 years.

[br4dysays]

Hmm, strange, yes I've read some issues here and there but they don't seem to be on all the cars, all i can say is I've had mine for 46k and counting over the last 2 1/2 years and have had no issues outside of regular maintenance, had one warranty issue (fuel pressure regulator) about 20k, not a hiccup since. personally id never get a fit over a versa but thats just me, i think youll be fine
Modified by br4dysays at 11:15 AM 8/17/2009

[biggie]

Some have a couple small issues, others have none. Kept mine for 2 years and not a single issue at all.

[GapRunr]

I couldn't pass up the $1500 less than the Fit and the 1.9% financing. But boy am I nervous.

I can understand how you feel. I've had a half dozen Honda cars and several Honda motorcycles in my time, and would have bought the Civic Hatchback if they imported it here to the US, but they don't. I have wanted a Fit since the first Gen came out, then really wanted one when the second Gen was released. When I went for the test drive, my wife drove, the salesman sat up front, and I sat in the rear. The rear seat comfort was okay, but I felt like I was in a tin can, and could feel every bump in the road like I was riding on skateboard wheels. The rear seat wasn't as roomy as I was expecting, and the comfort wasn't there. We hit a hard bump, and it felt like my seat came up off the floor. Turns out that since it folds up, the bottom of the seat is literally just sitting on a metal tube on the carpet.

The Versa is a larger car, with a longer wheelbase and greater overall length. It has more room, feels tighter, and has 4 seats that actual full size adults can fit in comfortably. And as you already know, it is priced significantly less than the Fit sport.

I still had reservations, being such a Honda die hard, but after spending weeks lurking on the Fit Freak forum and this forum, I had no qualms about choosing a Versa. Yes, there are posts about unknown clunks, but there seems to be a fix for those few that have that issue. The Fit forum was talking about paint peeling and flaking, about unwanted lane changes when they pass a big truck, about the sound of fuel sloshing in the corners since the fuel tank is under the drivers seat, and a bunch of other stuff that had me worried.

I chose the Versa. It's larger, quieter, has at least as much power, and was several thousand less than a Civic. I even saw a few reviews where the cost of ownership over 5 years was actually lower than the Fit Sport.

Stop worrying about your car and go drive it. Plan a weekend ride somewhere so you can get acquainted.

GapRunr

[dee_tymz_sl]

I've owned my Versa for 2 1/2 years and I'm not at 45K and have had no major issues with mine. Some people complain of problems, others don't at all. However, you can't fully assume because someone has a problem you're going to be faced with the same problems also. Besides that, I'm sure whichever thread you go to, you'll always find people talking about problems and or issues they have with their cars, no matter the car. Overall, the Versa is a wonderful car and it won't be hard to realize that once you own one. Good luck and stay posted

[iluvmyVersa08]

Picking up my new 2009 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback tonight. After reading skeptical reviews on Consumer Reports, CarGurus and Yahoo Cars, some of the postings here make me even more nervous. Clunks, Noise, etc. My first experience was test driving a Versa SL and the battery was dead on the lot. They are trading for mine Black with Black interior. Put a $1K deposit down to pick up tonight. Tried negotiating for 10 days on a Honda Fit but they just wouldn't budge, and no C4C trade in or any trade in for that matter.

I couldn't pass up the $1500 less than the Fit and the 1.9% financing. But boy am I nervous.

Tell me how my decision is going to pan out over the next 5 years.

I've had my Versa since April 2008. I have not experienced any problems. No clunks, no noises, no warranty issues what so ever. I love mine. I keep adding small things to her, and love it. I have the CVT model, and find that it gives a very smooth drive. I personally like it much more than the Fit, and like br4dysays, I would never trade mine for a Fit either.

I'm sure you'll like it, it is a great small car.

Here's a pic of mine from this past Saturday. I just installed a bumper protector, and aluminum kick plates.

[iluvmyVersa08]

P.S. Don't forget to post pics of your new Versa!!!!

[graymalkin2]

I wouldn't be too nervous about it. I was in a similar situation about a month ago when I bought my Versa. I was looking at/fairly certain I wanted a Fit, but since the dealer wasn't budging I went with the Versa instead. One thing about forums is people rarely start posts just to say 'Hey my car is working great! Thought I'd share!' they usually are posting a question or asking about a problem they have with the car. As someone mentioned above people in the Fit forums have made a lot of posts dealing with issues on their cars.

Its not uncommon at all for cars sitting on dealer lots to have dead batteries. Actually, every car (except my Versa) I have ever bought from a dealer had to be jumped. I can imagine given the new car sales climate pre-C4C that quite a few cars sitting on lots needed to be jumped.

Also, keep in mind that professional reviews on cars often don't stray out of the class that the car is in. Sure, the Fit almost always wins in comparisons, but the prices a reasonably equipped Fit goes for moves it into a class filled with much nicer/larger vehicles (after rebates and such)

[VersaMG08]

Honda usually costs more because of the brand name. With Nissan, you get more bang for your buck. Biggest reason why I bought the Versa.

[kc5f]

Tell me how my decision is going to pan out over the next 5 years.

I'm a little late to this party, but with 145k miles on three SL Hatchbacks in my family, I can add another voice to those happy with their Versas. I've put on 100k myself in three years, and was happy enough to buy a second one last week. (My daughter bought her own two years ago and has 45k on it.) I think odds are you'll be happy with your Versa.