sedan vs hatch questions

[gowings]

Wondering what the pro's/cons are for these models as it pertains to storage. A hockey bag gets stuffed in the trunk most days. It's fairly bulky. I have a Versa sedan right now as a rental. Its okay except the tires are terrible. Looking to buy this week hatch or sedan. Hows the horses at 122 with say 4 people in the car. I'm wondering if it's too sluggish say compared to a 08 Civic with 140 horses. I find the Versa and Civic comparable in size. Yet find the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris smaller. Thanks for the reply's.

[Versa Madness]

For storage it is the Versa Hatchback FTW.

Cargo volume with rear seats up is 17.8 cubic ft. compared to the sedans 13.8. Fold down the seats on the hatchback and cargo volume goes to 50.4 cubic feet.

Besides, the hatchback just looks better to me...but I am a bit biased.

[jfanaselle]

The majority of the cubic footage increase on the hatch is due to the fact that the hatch has a taller back end. The overall lenght of the sedan is increased almost 7 inches, which makes the trunk "deeper", but not as tall.

However, if you don't have back seat passengers often and you want the better looking styling, go for the hatch!

[Rockhound]

Of course I'm hatch-biased as well, and in my opinion, you can't beat the utility of the hatch. At 50.4 cubic feet of cargo space (with rear seat folded down) the Versa hatch has only 8 cubic feet less (!) cargo space than a Rogue with the rear seat folded. Also, loading cargo into a hatch is far easier than a trunk.

As far as power is concerned, I find the 122 hp MR18 engine more than sufficient. I've driven the Versa around with three passengers on several occasions, and it actually has less of an effect on acceleration than the same number of occupants in my G20 (145 hp, comparable dimensions to new Civic, weighs in about 100 lb or so more than the Civic).

Plus, I don't know about anyone else, but I usually curb my tendency to drive a little on the fast/aggressive side when other folks are in the car - that's when I switch over to smooth & slow mode, if you know what I mean.

[Ever Victorious]

However, if you don't have back seat passengers often and you want the better looking styling, go for the hatch!

Just curious... why do you say that bit about the rear seat passengers? I haul passengers pretty regularly, and this wasn't even a consideration for me.

I know the THEORY is that the trunk deck/sundeck in the rear absorbs some of the noise from the rear shocks, but I've never found this to be terribly bothersome in ANY car, much less the Versa where they've made good efforts to reduce noice.

[gowings]

usually 2 adults and my 13 year old daughter who plays hockey 3 -5 times a week in the car. I did notice on our 96 civic that highway passing was a caution with the car loaded down. Thats why I wonder about the power. The civic is $2500.00 more than the versa yet has 20 more horses and the mileage seems similar.

[Great White Versa]

Though the engine is nothing to brag about, it is more than sufficient for hauling people/stuff around. And, in my opinion, much better than my sister's civic.

Plus, you can't beat the level of passenger comfort in this price level (or any where near it). Its a great economy car.

[monkeybear]

I prefer the look of the sedan myself. With the exceptions of the RamCharger, the WRX and the STI Forester I have always disliked hatchbacks.

If you need cargo space then get the hatchback. Also remember that the hatchback has a rear window wiper. If you drive in heavy rain alot its nice to have. If you ever want to put an exhaust on your car, they seem to be fitting them to the hatchback only.

I would probably recommend the hatchback to anyone who doesn't have a bias against them.

[Vahagn23]

ITs SEDAN FTW me and 4 passengers no problem, drove it like there was only 1 passenger inisde also you will find that the trunk is really deep and large enough and if u need more space go with the SL so you can get the folding seats thats more room again SEDAN SEDAN SEDAN HATCHBACK looks like a bug

[Deke40]

The 122 horses in the Versa seems more than adequate to me for most any situation in my daily driving.

We finally took the wife's new (50 miles on it) 3.5 Altima SL out of the garage(been raining since we bought it) and went on a 150 mile drive to Houston and back. Didn't get it over 4000RPM, as suggested in the manual, but the 270HP is going to be a blast to drive. Going on a 500 miler to Louisiana this weekend.

[matt_a]

When we bought my wife's Versa we looked at (and drove) both the hatchback and the sedan. We chose the hatchback for two reasons. First is practicality. You can put a larger box in the hatchback. I'm not talking about total volume of several small items; I'm talking about the ability to put a single, large, bulky item in the car. Hatchback wins easily. The second reason is styling. We just simply like the look of the hatch better. But that's 100% personal opinion. You might feel exactly the opposite. You really can't go wrong either way. They are both great cars. We just find the hatchback more useful.

[kc5f]

We've taken a couple of 500-mile trips with four adults and bags, and I was more than pleased with the performance. My daughter and I each have hatchbacks, and besides the versatility we both feel like the sedan just says, "generic Japanese car"...

[bikeman]

SEDAN SEDAN SEDAN HATCHBACK looks like a bug

Only one thing worse than a hatchback that looks like a bug. A sedan that looks like a sedan.

David

[Jaesin]

Agreed Bikeman...

I just feel like the designed the hatchback first, then made it into a sedan as an afterthought. It just seems so unoriginal.

[monkeybear]

The sedan is just the hatchback with a trunk. It's for people that want a car that looks like a sedan.

Agreed Bikeman...

I just feel like the designed the hatchback first, then made it into a sedan as an afterthought. It just seems so unoriginal.

[Vahagn23]

NOT AT ALL lol

Agreed Bikeman...

I just feel like the designed the hatchback first, then made it into a sedan as an afterthought. It just seems so unoriginal.

[sooner4x4]

We considered the exact same question when we bought our V. We usually have 2 to 4 people in the car with sports gear. At first we were leaning towards the hatchback but with the seats up in the hatch, there was not enough room for softball bags and other gear. Plenty of room in the sedan trunk.

Hauling big stuff was not an issue. We have a minivan and a large pickup, so we didn't need the hatch for hauling big stuff.

Only issue we have had with the sedan is the flimsy floor in the trunk over the spare tire sags and collapses under the constant weight of having gear in the trunk. Putting a full size spare tire in the trunk would provide support for most of the flimsy trunk floor. I would strongly recommend having the dealer add a full size spare to the car if I was buying a sedan.

[Andrews Chalmers]

IMO... if you want a Nissan sedan, go for a Sentra. You'll get CVT standard, with similar mileage. Roughly equivalent interior space - and much better resale value.

The Versa sedan, which was introduced after the Tiida had been around the block, seems unbalanced in its styling IMO. The front end and the back end just doesn't match that well. It pretty reflects the reality that Nissan, trying to adopt a consumer orientated design, looked at the US consumer's tendency to prefer a trunk. Looked at the Versa (Tiida), and redesigned the exterior & backend while maintaining the same mechanics. (Draw a line right down the middle of the B pillar and you'll see what I'm talking about).

Yes I know there are proud owners of the sedan & I hope they get the most out of their vehicles... but in several years, the Versa sedan will not be able to compete against Corollas or Civic sedans for their resale value. (Yes yes... the Versa sedan is "technically" a subcompact - but how many subcompact sedans do you see?)

In truth tho - Nissan seems to have missed the mark on both the Versa sedan & the Sentra sedan... but that's just my opinion after driven some competition vehicles in comparable price levels.

[Scottneon]

I have a 5yo so she can't sit in the front. I think the hatch looks better but I bought the sedan so when we go on vacation I can put the luggage in the trunk. I didn't want to load the luggage in the back seat with my daughter. I think the sedan looks just fine. I'm 46 and a single dad so I don't worry about trying to look good in a car anymore. I try and do whats best for my daughter then me,and the sedan fits better for us

[monkeybear]

Against the Sentra/Civic/Corolla the Versa Sedan is not too impressive but most people that shop for the Versa are looking at the Fit/Yaris/Aveo. Entry level economy cars. I have not seen a Fit sedan but every time I see a Yaris and Aveo sedan I'm I remember why I chose the Versa*.

If I was in the Civic/Sentra/Corolla market I doubt I would have even test driven the Versa.

If I could do it all over again I would get the hatchback. I need the rear window wiper and want an exhaust.

*Someone purchased my car for me and I personally decided it couldn't cost more than $15,000. What I really wanted was a Civic coupe/Mazda3/Lancer but I could not find one under $15,000 in my time frame.

[sooner4x4]

I spent several months shopping for a small economy car. I test drove everything out there that could have been considered the competition from a price standpoint.

If the measure of a car is bang for your buck, the Versa measures up at the top. An S model with antilock brakes, the power package, auto, and all of the airbags for the low 13's. I found nothing that could match it. Not even close. Plus more usable room than most "larger" cars (Corolla for example). Outfit the competition with the same features and they may have better resale but they start out costing thousands more when new.

The Versa hits the mark with a bullseye as a very practical, roomy, inexpensive commuter car with good safety features.

[msb0b]

I vote for hatch, because the 3 box design of the sedan is a less efficient use of space than a 2 box design.　I have owned only hatches up till now and plan on keeping it this way unless I'm shopping high end like S-class.

The hatch can hold a lot of cargo before one has fold down the rear seat. In my recent trip, I was able to pack 6 file boxes in the rear hatch area under the tonneau shelf. Each of these file boxes are 11" x 14" x 9" stacked 2 high.

[matt_a]

....Plus more usable room than most "larger" cars (Corolla for example).

I agree with you; but by what stretch of the imagination is the Corolla considered a "larger" car than the Versa? I've driven Corollas. They aren't even close. A Corolla makes a Versa seem like a mid-size car by comparison.

[Jaesin]

at least with the Yaris Sedan, it looks remarkably different than the hatch. You can tell they're related, but they have distinct differences. The Versa on the other hand... it just looks funny with the same front end, and the trunk.

The aggressive and shortened front works very well with the hatch, it's exaggerated and dramatic, put on the trunk though and it looks awkward.

[sooner4x4]

I agree with you; but by what stretch of the imagination is the Corolla considered a "larger" car than the Versa? I've driven Corollas. They aren't even close. A Corolla makes a Versa seem like a mid-size car by comparison.

You are right. I should not have classified a Corolla as a larger car, I was thinking more along the lines of price classification. The Versa is typically compared to a Fit or Yaris (because they are all entry level cars). Outfit a Corolla with side air bags, antilock brakes, like a Versa and you are thousands higher. Good luck finding a Corolla like that. They are extremely rare in my area.

I went to the EPA website and the Corolla is classified as a "Compact Car". The Versa is officially classified as a "Mid-sized Car" by the EPA!!! Further reinforcing the notion of getting a LOT of bang for your buck with the Versa.

I tend to agree with a lot of the posts here that the hatchback is a more pleasing looking car compared to the Sedan. That was our first choice until we realized we couldn't fit our typical gear we haul in the cargo area of the hatch with the seats up. I have owned other hatchbacks in the past and always enjoyed their incredible versatility.

[gowings]

What did you end up buying Sonner4x4. We are in the same delima that the hatch is just too small with the seats up. Don't like the look of the sedan.

[KimberKenobi]

Maybe this is mostly because I went from a Sidekick (if you really think hard about the trunk space, you'll laugh) to a Versa... But I have no issues with packing stuff around in the Camel. I packed 2 adults, food, prezzies, and entertainment for the better part of a week with everything fitting in the back of the hatch. Of course, I went to Paris for 3 weeks and Germany for 2 weeks with a carry on and a satchel... I'm probably not the best person to ask about things such as this; I'm pretty minimal in the luggage department.

[Ever Victorious]

Still, I took four adults, luggage for 3 days (and one of those adults is the anti-Kimber... extremely high maintenance), plus a small cooler and a full desktop computer system, including CRT monitor, and it all fit under the package shelf in the hatch.

[sooner4x4]

What did you end up buying Sonner4x4. We are in the same delima that the hatch is just too small with the seats up. Don't like the look of the sedan.

We bought the sedan and have put 8000 miles on it so far. It has been a great car. Good on road trips and around town. As I have stated before, the only thing I don't like about the sedan is the flimsy floor over the spare tire area that sags and has collapsed under the weight of gear we haul. I will eventually find a good buy on a used steel wheel and put a full size spare in the trunk which will provide support for the floor.

The hatchback does not have the problem with the trunk floor as it is supported with a real nice solid piece of foam that helps isolate road noise that can be an issue with a hatchback. I don't ever recall reading anything on this forum about road noise so I bet the foam insert in the hatchback is very effective.

[bdu]

I don't ever recall reading anything on this forum about road noise so I bet the foam insert in the hatchback is very effective.

There's a bit more road noise coming from the back of my versa HB than I had in my previous car (pontiac sunfire coupe), but that's to be expected, and it's by no means enough to be really annoying.