Should I buy a Versa or a Civic ?

[pvora]

I am just a recent college grad and I am planning to my first car. I love nissan Versa and honda civic and m not able to decide between the two.

I need the car for local commutes and sometimes long distance commute.I just was wondering if the car is steady enough at high speeds ? Also is it a safe car inspite of been small ? ANd also how can someone tell me the mileage versa gives ?

I would really appreciate your reply versa owners . YOur experence will help me in my decision.

Thank You.

[Great White Versa]

In my opinion, here is how the two cars compare:

Pros for Versa - - I find the Versa to be a little bit more comfortable than the civic (my little sis has a fairly new one) - More cargo room for moving your junk around - Not quite as common

Pros for Civic - - Slightly better real world gas mileage (I drive pretty hard and get about 31mpg in my V where I used to about 34mpg in my 97 civic) - Easier to tinker with

That's all that I have. I would rather drive the Versa. At 1000 miles per month the mileage difference means about 4 extra gallons per month... So, for me, that's really not an issue.

If your concern about gas mileage is a financial issue (as opposed to environmental), I would find out what deals you can get from either of the two dealerships and find out what you would pay for insurance. That might help you make up your mind.

[rwanttaja]

I am just a recent college grad and I am planning to my first car. I love nissan Versa and honda civic and m not able to decide between the two.

Check how much you'll *actually* have to pay. Don't go by MSRP. When I was shopping, the Hondas all had a dealer mark-up sticker that added $3,000-$4000 to the MSRP of the Civic. The Nissan dealership had a smaller mark-up sticker, and they didn't fight when I told them I wouldn't pay it. I paid something like $6,000 less than a Civic would have cost me.

Ron

[bulld0g]

I traded in my 2006 Civic for my Versa....if that helps at all I am much happier with the V....

[frankoV]

funny that so far the vote is 5-3 Civic but those who posted were all pro-V.

Reliability = avantage Civic (or so it seems).

Price = advantage Versa.

[DejaWiz]

Which one fits you/your budget/your needs better and comes with desired options for the price range you're looking at?

[Stumpkin]

Our V is to be used by our college daughter. She was involved in the selection process as she will have the option to buy the car from us when she is done with school.

We went with the V after looking at Chevy Avaio , & Cobolt LS , Ford Focus SE , Honda Fit , Hyundai Accent , Nissan Versa S , & Toyota Yaris . Then I made a spread sheet to look at the Pros & Cons of each as well as trying to get apples to apples not apples to oranges when compairing. We did look at others but ruled them out do to cost.

She liked the way the V felt to drive & sit in (as well as the looks - I think the look is odd). I liked the SAFETY size & 6 airbags we also have Anti-lock brakes. I also felt it was the best "bang for the buck." It is what it is - a small entry level car.

The dealer found us one with the wrong color interior, then found one she wanted. My Brother liked our V so much He got the one with the wrong interior. So our college kids have the same car option wise just different paint & interior. We have the "S" to keep the cost down going to school - You might want the "SL" as your getting on with life after school.

I vote for the V - If my bro was a member he would also vote for the V.

[VersaMG08]

You won't see many Versa's on the road compared to Civics. I've noticed that when I got rid of my '98 Civic coupe. Versa:

More bang for your buckLess commonly seen on the roadMore comfortableMore storage/space

Civic:

Easier to MaintainMore commonBetter gas mileageModding is easier

Basically, I've had better results with my Versa more than my Civic. I've had my Civic broken into twice and been into an accident. After all that came about, I sold the car and didn't want to deal with anymore problems than I had to.

[KimberKenobi]

I'm biased... fwiw.

[wingFeather]

Civics are slow and overpriced. Their gas mileage advantage gets cancelled out by having to push harder on the gas pedal to get any speed.

[hiimjered]

I didn't see the box to vote for a BMW??

Seriously, I looked online a little, for some comparason:

Civic coupe DX manual base model: $15,480 according to KBB book valueVersa S manual base model: $13,572

The EPA lists them both at almost the same gas mileage. Even if the real world mileage is 10% better in the Civic, based on 12000 miles a year, you would burn 400 gallons in the civic and 445 gallons in the Versa. The total difference in cost of fuel (at $4.50/gallon) is $202, or around $1,000 in the five years you are likely to keep the car.

At a 5% interest rate over 5 years, you will pay about $300 more in finance charges for the extra 2 grand in the price. (not to mention the about $40/month extra in overall payment.)

Assuming the above (fuel and payments), the total cost per year:Civic - $5,000Versa - $4738

Still very similar in annual cost. I personally went with the versa because of the options avialable for a very minimal price. I like mine so far and am happy with the choice, but you need to decide based on your situation.

[frankoV]

You won't see many Versa's on the road compared to Civics.

That's changing here.

When I first got my V I had to look hard to find one . . . even though they'd been around for a year and a half I only saw the same four ever.

This past month they are popping up all over the place -- rare now that I don't see one on a drive.

See move Yaris' than Fits, more Mazda 3s that Civics.

[Woody64]

I went through this whole process in the past few months. For me it all came down to $$$. What I could get in a Versa for 16K verses what I could get in a Civic were substantially different. You can get a Versa SL, with plenty of options for less than a base Civic. To me it just made sense.

[Ever Victorious]

Couldn't help myself, had to put a "none of the above" because at this point I wouldn't buy either.

However, a serious response to one of your questions: Safety.

In my first Versa (2700 lbs), I was at a dead stop, got rear-ended by an F150 (5300+ lbs) that was moving somewhere between 20 and 30 MPH, and pushed into a Suburban (6000+ lbs). I walked away from the accident almost unscratched, needing only the usual regular chiropractic visits associated with a car accident. It is INCREDIBLY safe for its size.

As for fuel economy, you can look at what my V was getting before I ditched it.

[srellim234]

To answer your questions:

1. Steady at highway speeds? YES. I drove my Versa from California to Florida and back in March and except for high crosswinds at 80 mph in west Texas the car was very stable. Bear in mind the higher profile that makes the Versa a little more unstable in crosswinds is also responsible for the superior interior room and creature comfort in the Versa S or the Civic.

2. Is it safe? YES. Best safety rating overall in its class. A couple of people here have had their Versas totalled and walked away from the crashes.

3. Gas mileage? I think you can realistically expect 26-27 out of the automatic, 28-29 out of the CVT, and 30-32 out of the manual transmissions. Reported mileage varies greatly but you can look at some averages at http://www.fueleconomy.govandhttp://www ... ta.comHigh winds are going to affect the gas mileage on the high profile Versa more than the lower profile Civic.

A lot comes down to the features, transmission, etc. you want in the car when it comes to price. Do you want a loaded Versa SL or a scaled back Civic when it comes to creature comforts for the price? If you are going to spend a lot of time in the car I think the Versa SL seats alone are worth the price over the Versa or Versa S. But that puts it closer in price to the Civic.

Anectdotally from this site and others it would seem that Nissan has weaker after-purchase support.

We went from a Civic to the Versa and we regret the decision, but that is entirely based on our needs and wants and expectations, not yours. We feel that the Versa SL is very superior when it comes to creature comforts but just an average car mechanically. The Civic seems to be stronger mechanically (our nephew bought a new one, commutes 90 miles by freeway each day and loves the car) but can't match the Versa SL interior.

[Urq]

I mean come on do you think coming to a Versa Forum you will get many people saying go with a Civic?No they will most likely say go with a Versa!And I am sure you will get the same type answer if you go to a Civic Forum.They will say go with a Civic!You must do your homework on your purchase, read about them and test drive the two of them on the same day then you can and will see what vehicle you like best and what vehicle best fits your needs more.

Good luck on your Quest GRASSSSSHOPPER.And please let us know what vehicle you have chosen at the end of your journey !

[Slither]

Why are you comparing the guy Honda Civic?

The guy Honda Fit is the comparison guy.

The guy Sentra is comparable to the guy Civic.

The guys are all out there.

[Shad0wXCalibur]

Any new car should be stable at highway speeds...

And the reasons I chose a Versa were for the price, room, and safety (6 airbags).

[srellim234]

Why are you comparing the guy Honda Civic?

The guy Honda Fit is the comparison guy.

The guy Sentra is comparable to the guy Civic.

The guys are all out there.

Your overuse of the term "guy" doesn't make a lot of sense, but I think you are trying to force the comparisons into specific models that were not part of the original questions asked.

We are comparing the Versa to the Civic because that's what pvora asked us to do. Did you even look at the title of this thread and read his initial post? He likes the Nissan Versa and the Honda Civic and asked us for our input comparing the two. He's not considering buying a car other than a Versa or Civic, so why NOT compare them?

Heck, If someone wants to compare a Nissaan Versa to a Hummer we can do it. Who says we have to compare all the closest matches out there? My personal feeling is that for competition the closest matches are the Scion xD and Toyota Matrix to the Versa hatchback and the sedans like the Honda Civic and many others to the Versa sedan. The Fit and Yaris are not the closest in design and mpg to the Versa.

[Nismo V]

You started off on the right foot pvora asking the question Versa or Civic do your homework, check the civic boards see whats happening with their cars to get a good feel for what others are experiencing with that car as well. Most people here like their Versa's so most will answer the Versa, but take a good look at both inside and out take them for a drive to get a feel for what each one is like you'll know then which to buy.

I like the Civic coupes lines clean, the sedan is not so appealing. I bought the Versa because of the style, flexibility and it's reasonably priced.

Either car will make for a good first car given your needs, here are some questions to ask yourself,

1) What's can I afford?

2) Do I want to have a more common car or go for something a little different from the rest?

3) Do I plan on tuning it?

Good luck on which ever you choose

[Bubs daddy]

There are a million plus more Civics than Versas on the road because they've been selling the Civics for far, far more years. Versas have only been for sale for two and just starting the third.

I don't believe you can go wrong buying either.

My mileage has been in the 30's since only a few months after I bought it in Dec '06. 344 miles/10.2 gallons in the tank the last fillup. That's 33.73 mpg. I'll take that with a peppy engine and CVT.

But the Civic has proven to be a reliable car to most buyers. I'd prefer the Versa, though.

I mean, if you go to a Civic site and ask them, I doubt they'd favor the Versa very much.

[pvora]

Thank You all for your inputs . I am going to test drive both cars this weekend and then make my decision. i'll keep u'll posted

[Urq]

Keep us posted on what you liked and good luck.

[hiimjered]

You may want to test drive both a CVT and non-CVT model of Versa. The CVT felt really strange to me when I first drove it, but is what made me decide to get the Versa.

[kam472]

u would want to consider one more thing as well tho'...civic is the most stolen car in north america, so as this comes, insurance companies make fortunes on guys driving civics charging arm and a leg to insure it due to theft problem. just my 2 cents to it.

[motoguy128]

If you don't need the extra cargo space or rear legroom and headroom, get the Civic. It's a little more expensive (although offset by resale value), but you get more power, better mileage, better fit&finish/quality. THe civic is better handling and much better, more stable for long freeway trips & commutes.

The Versa has a little better visibility, and again and lot more room.

Test drive both and decide which you need for your typical driving. I almost bought a Civic, but the local dealers couldn't work me the deal I wanted.

The Civic might be hte most stolen car, because it's one of the top selling cars, and is more desireable than the accord, corolla, or camry.