Should I buy a Versa?

[nixe1597]

Hello everybody!

I am glad I found you, so I can ask you the question I ask myself for four days: Should I buy it? I bought my Saturn VUE 2007 last year and I love this car. But: the gas mileage:-)) So I think about to trade it into a small car with better mpg. I like the Honda Fit, but the carseat of my daughter does not fit in the back. I like the Yaris, but it only has 3 doors (I want a hatchback). I liked the Toyota Matrix from the exterior, but I hate the interior (no side airbags, no AUX Input...). Then I found the Versa SL. I love it, but I do not have any experiences with Nissan. I hear always great and wonderful things about Honda and Toyota, but what is with Nissan? Would you recommend the Versa? Usually I drive with my daughter around, the stroller does not fit very well in the trunk, but my daughter won't need the stroller forever. I love all the technical stuff in the Versa and also the look. But I know that you cannot judge a car just from the look, so I need your advice.

Thanks a lot

[spddemon]

Nissan makes pretty good cars from my exp. I havnt heard too much about problems with the versa, my girlfriend test drove one and loved it but it didnt have good crash test rateings so she didnt get it.

[bikeman]

my girlfriend test drove one and loved it but it didnt have good crash test rateings so she didnt get it.

You should have rechecked your info. The Versa has best in class class test ratings.

David

[Johniboi]

YESSS!!!

lol.

[bikeman]

I am glad I found you, so I can ask you the question I ask myself for four days: Should I buy it? I bought my Saturn VUE 2007 last year and I love this car. But: the gas mileage:-))

How much money are you going to lose by getting rid of the VUE? Hard to imagine you're going to come close to making it up with better mpg. Some folks aren't getting good mpg with the Versa. It's something to think about before changing vehicles.

David

[spddemon]

You should have rechecked your info. The Versa has best in class class test ratings.

David

That was all her dad (hes one of those stubborn types who has to have everything his way)

[my_new_v]

Nissan are great quality cars. They always say Toyota will last you at least 200k miles with no problems as long as you take care of it. Well, Nissan is the same way, if you take care of it, it will last a long time. And most people will say if you take care of any car it will last you. I have never seen an american made car out last an import unless you trash the import. The Versa has some pretty good zip to it for its size and it does get great gas mileage. I drive in the city about 90% of the time and I get about 29mpg. Ive had no problems with mine but if you read around the forum a little you will see what people are coming up with and you'll know what to do if it ever happens to you.

[coxcj]

My experience with the Versa has been very good. I've got 2 car seats in the back, and they fit well. I also haul around a double stroller once in a while, and it's a tight squeeze to get it in there, but it fits. The gas mileage isn't as great as the sticker makes it out to be, but I'm averaging right around 29mpg for just over 21,000 miles. I'm definitely happy with my purchase.

[Ever Victorious]

You should have rechecked your info. The Versa has best in class class test ratings.

And I can personally vouch for that, after having become a human test dummy in a Versa sandwich. Both other vehicles weighed more than twice what the Versa does, too.

I have never seen an american made car out last an import unless you trash the import.

A couple points here. If that Vue is the V6, it's actually a Honda V6. Even if not, I believe the newer 4 cylinders are the GM Ecotec engines, which are supposed to be FAR better than anything produced up through the late 90's. Also, my Saturn was among the most reliable cars I've ever owned.

And yes, if you take care of a domestic, it can last a long time. According to the service records for my Rambler, its odometer has rolled twice. And I have records dating back only to '96. Who knows how many times it rolled over before then. My aunt now owns the Saturn my brother bought new off the lot in '96, and it's going on 200k now, nothing more serious than a clutch has ever failed.

Of course, on the other hand, my friend Josh's Pontiacs... well, neither made it to 100k miles without serious drivetrain failure. Actually, transmissions in both cases.

But back to the original topic...

I have to agree with bikeman. Getting rid of a 1 year old car that works perfectly fine under the guise of fuel economy is not really practical. You will lose a TON of money in depreciation. Possibly even enough to buy 2000 gallons worth of fuel. Even if your Vue doesn't get stellar mileage, it probably still gets around 20 MPG. That's 40,000 miles worth of fuel.

If the Vue had over 100,000 miles and started having things going wrong with it, or even if it was 5 or 6 years old so the depreciation hit had already been paid off, then I might have a different stance.

[nixe1597]

Thank you so far for all the answers. You are right, I would loose money, but don't you think it is better to trade now than later when I don't get much money for the Saturn anymore. Also, gas prices will increase. nixe

[bikeman]

Thank you so far for all the answers. You are right, I would loose money, but don't you think it is better to trade now than later when I don't get much money for the Saturn anymore. Also, gas prices will increase. nixe

It's tough to time the market (vehicle and/or fuel) based on current circumstances. We could easily be right today and very wrong tomorrow. It's best to make up a detailed worksheet and list as many variables as you can think of. Put a best estimate on each, do the math and see what works. It's not foolproof but it's better than guessing about just one or two factors.

David

[Bubs daddy]

Quote »Thank you so far for all the answers. You are right, I would loose money, but don't you think it is better to trade now than later when I don't get much money for the Saturn anymore. Also, gas prices will increase. [/quote]As EV stated, you may get better mileage but you will not save any money. You'll take a $4-5000 hit on your VUE (perhaps more). $5000 buys $1666.7 gallons of gasoline. And that's just to get to the breaking point.

Trading in a newer car for another new car is a big money loser. Any increase in mileage will be negated by the money you lose in the trade. It will take 3-4 years, probably more to recoup that loss. And that's if you keep the Versa and donb't get something else.

My advice, keep the VUE. If it's saving money because the Versa gets better mileage, you won't save any money. In fact, you'll lose money. Lots of it.

[frankoV]

You are right, I would loose money, but don't you think it is better to trade now than later when I don't get much money for the Saturn anymore. Also, gas prices will increase.

If you are looking for justification to trade and buy, I'm afraid you won't find it here.

If gas prices rising were justification enough to sell my van and buy new a couple of years ago (and boy did I want to rid myself of the gas hog) I would have. But other considerations intervened, including the fact that car repairs plus gas-guzzling were still less than car payments plus better gas mileage. (I tend to drive my vehicles into the ground).

If you have money to burn, go for it; otherwise, drive the Saturn until it makes financial sense.

Other suggestions like totaling it aren't the best.

[nixe1597]

Maybe you are right. I just was very excited because I love this Versa with all the technic inside. I would get exactly the money for my Saturn I still owe. And I get the Versa SL $2000 under advertised price. Wouldn't it be a good deal?

[Great White Versa]

Maybe you are right. I just was very excited because I love this Versa with all the technic inside. I would get exactly the money for my Saturn I still owe. And I get the Versa SL $2000 under advertised price. Wouldn't it be a good deal?

Is that because you put a bunch of money down when you purchased the Saturn? Would your payments be less with the Versa than you currently have with the Saturn?

[nixe1597]

I only put a little money down and yes, my payments would be less than now.

[Great White Versa]

I only put a little money down and yes, my payments would be less than now.

If your payments and your expected maintenance would be less, and you like the car better, then that changes everything.

[bikeman]

If your payments and your expected maintenance would be less, and you like the car better, then that changes everything.

What if the expected savings on fuel don't materialize? We still haven't heard his expectations.

David

[Knightro2]

When I bought my 2008 Versa last November it had the new gas mileage ratings which they apparently changed recently to reflect the average driving habits and gas mileage. I've been getting exactly what it says. I average around 28 - 29 MPG most of the time. So I say you can put faith in the window stickers MPG ratings.