Thinking of buying an 09 hatch.. opinions?

[09Vhatchback]

Hi everyone. I'm looking into buying an 09 hatchback S sometime within the next two months. I currently attend school an hour away from home, but am going to begin commuting next semester. The drive will be 100 miles a day, roughly 400 a week. I currently drive a 98 F150 nascar edition, with a 4.6L V8, so I can't commute on that. This car will become my daily driver, leaving my truck for the weekends. Is this car a good car to do that much driving on? I've read plenty of reviews, but wanted to ask here. Is it reliable? Comfortable? How's the acceleration? Does it have any get up and go?

I would really appreciate any input on this. Thanks a lot!

[Riceball88]

Hey welcome to the forums. I just purchased an 09 Versa S hatch a few months ago and I'm in a similar situation. I commute 50 miles a day for school and the Versa is perfect for that.

To me the Versa is very comfortable, the seats are nice and the ride is fairly smooth considering the Versa is a compact car. The outside noise is also minimal so I can enjoy my music with minimal road noise. As you know, the Versa has great gas mileage for a long commute and it is very reliable (along with any other Nissan).

As far as pep goes, the Versa can get up and go. It doesn't blow my mind but it trumps all the other cars in its class. I bought a cold air intake so it sounds a lot better when I get on it.

All in all the Versa is a great choice for what you're looking for

[BBISHOPPCM]

I drive about 50 miles a day, and my honest opinion is that the Versa makes an excellent commuter car. I live in the backwoods mountainous region of NH, and if you've ever been to New England, you'll know how windy and narrow our roads are (one of the roads I travel runs under a 19th century railroad trestle, narrowing the road to one lane!).

I'll start by saying that this car is not for anyone planning on "modding" or "ricing" their "ride." Those who buy the car for this reason are usually sorely dissappointed, and come here to complain about the lack of garbage available to screw to their cars (like wings, NAWS, and turbo charger kits commonly found at Wal-Mart for Hondas are not available for the Versa). You will never turn this car into a Rocket. Now that that's said, if you're still interested, read on...

The Versa handles the twists and curves of these back roads easily, and gives a sense of stability you wouldn't expect from a car this heavy and tall; and when equipped with a CVT, has an amazing amount of pickup. The CVT will turn this car into an ideal highway cruiser, as it seems to have the best top-gear ratio. If I recall, mine cruises at 55 mph at around 1500 RPM. I love this car for what it is; a reliable, inexpensive, comfortably equipped, versatile driving machine. Tall passengers are very comfortable in either front or back, and it'll hold a decent amount of cargo when needed.

If you're driving as long as you say you are, definitely spring for the SL CVT, you'll appreciate the additional comfort of the seating materials, armrest, and cruise. I'll never give mine up.

Fuel mileage will suffer until the engine and driveline is broken in (about 10-15,000 miles). I started out with 26 mpg average (backroad/country), now I average 31.

I can't speak for the rest of the gang, but I've got over 46,000 miles and have had one warranty claim (noisy AC compressor, which appears to be normal, without any long-term affects other than noise). The factory tires are Continental ContiTracs and not the best in snow or anywhere for that matter. If road noise is a concern for you, consider upgrading the tires at some point. Members of this board have developed a new love for their cars after upgrading the tires.

Hope this helps!!

[SuperTurbo]

Either go big or go to the lowest entry (Under 10000 one)

For me wise, the only problem for this car is just speed. Pick up speed is reasonable, but for sure it's slow. After that, if you do a lot of crusing around 140km, this will be a problem for you...

This car basically don't have any power after that..... (That's the only reason which I didn't get a Versa yet)

[randyshemin@comcast.]

We bought our SL HB w CVT in Jan. 08, and already have 17k miles on it. My wife commutes 60 miles per day, and the versa is a home run in our opinion. She's getting a consistent 30mpg, the car is quiet, rides good and the car has exceeded our expectations. The only service thus far have been oil changes and tire rotations.

[Versafied]

It's a good car. There's more room inside then it looks and if you commuting with others you'll appreciate it. My wife and I decided that if we were trying to make a smart economical buy then go for the cheapest car that was still safe and reliable. No buyers remorse after so I guess I made the right choice.. It doesn't weigh anything so torque is reasonable, but if your used to cruising around 80 you'll find yourself going 65 on the freeway.. In all I'm very happy with my car, hopefully you are happy with whatever choice you make...

[Knightro2]

I have an '08 SL I bought back in November of last year. I drive 100 miles each day as well...mostly highway. It's a great car. I would say though if you can afford it get the SL. The interior upgrades are worth it. The upholstery is much nicer in the SL plus the head unit is a big upgrade and you get a center console arm rest. I freakin' love the CVT.

I regularly get about 32 mpg and you'll be amazed what you can fit in the V. At my old job I used to have to transport computers from a warehouse to my office for imaging. I could fit 14 fully boxed computers or 28 boxed LCD monitors in there with breathing room.

I have 17k on it now and only had 1 warranty service job done on it. My steering would "knock" when turning right at slow speeds. This seemed to be a problem on 07 and 08 models. I haven't heard any complaints on this from the '09 guys. They just replaced the steering joint assembly and the issue is gone.

I can relate to you with going from a truck to a little car. As you can see in my signature I am mainly a SUV/Truck kind of guy. I wasn't excited about getting a little hatchback but I needed the fuel economy that my Xterra wasn't giving me (15mpg). My SL has a 6 disc CD/MP3 player with bluetooth, iKey, fog lights, mag wheels, and spoiler. I always tell people what the car lacks in "manliness", it makes up for in gadgets.

[KimberKenobi]

Not sure what you're willing to spend, but if you can spring for the CVT, I highly recommend it for power and high-speed cruising. I've only had 1 major problem with my Camel... the fuel pump/pressure regulator which would have been fixed long ago had it just been done right the first time. I've put over 48k on the Camel since 25May07 and I've found it to be amazingly comfortable, roomy, and peppy for an entry level vehicle. Plus, the hatchback looks nicer... IMohsoHO. They made the sedan specifically for the NA market and instead of going back to the original designers, they just kinda did a rough sketch of a back end and produced it... so you get bubbly and goofy in the front and sleek and sophisticated in the back... which is really not very appealing. (once again, IMohsoHO)

rofl.

Good luck deciding.

Oh, and my sig fig drives a Chevy Silverado, and he appreciates being able to use the Camel when he has to make long day trips.

then I get to drive his big red truck... heh heh heh...

[09Vhatchback]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not looking to rice this car out, it will be staying completely stock because I'm just putting the truck off to the side (which gets all my spare attention.) I'm looking to get a manual, but may change my mind before the time comes. The S doesn't have an armrest? I'll have to look into the SL, which is only automatic, right? My dad just bought a Sentra with the CVT and it's pretty nice.

I'm giving up dorming to buy the car, which I think would benefit me much more. Thanks again for answering, it's always great to hear back from the actual owners!

[Knightro2]

Yea, from how I've understood it is the new '09 SL does not come with a 6-speed option...which most of us find stupid...but who knows.

[daan]

I've had an 08, S, 6-speed for almost a year. I have absolutely no regrets about buying it. I've only had manual trans cars before this, and I was kinda underwhelmed by the shifter in here, but it's not as bad as some of the clunkers I used to drive. It's very comfortable, I've driven 4 people in it on a 400+ mile drive (St Paul-Duluth and back) and we all fit fine, not all cramped like other small vehicles. (I went from an Elantra, and the same trip wasn't fun for back seat people in that) It isn't terribly fast, your truck will have a lot more "grunt" but if you're just commuting you won't be dissapointed. There is a suprising amount of cargo room with the back seats down, and with the hatch it's all usable space instead of trying to fit stuff thru a trunk opening. If you're really hung up on a manual, try doing an autotrader search for one, I ended up having to do that to get mine because the local dealer to me wouldn't look for a 6-speed. (I had to get mine from Iowa, about 300 miles away) The people with auto/CVT seem to like them, but I just can't deal with not shifting for myself. As far as the armrest goes, it's a lot cheaper to just buy one from a parts dealer on here (around $200) than upgrade to the SL just for the armrest. GOod luck.

[dorway]

Since it's 100 miles a day, I assume it's mostly highway driving.It's better to have a sedan instead of a hatchback because of fuel economy.According to versa's spec., it seems the fuel economy for MT is not so good.Maybe you can upgrade to a price reduced 4-cylinder Camry because the highway fuel economy difference is not sigificant.

[09Vhatchback]

I was originally leaning towards the sedan, until I saw it in person. Looks much better on the computer. The car will definitely be a Nissan, since both my parents recently bought Nissans (one altima, one sentra.) Coming from a truck, the 1-2 extra mpg of a sedan v. hatchback doesn't concern me too much. I've always been told MT gets better gas mileage?

One more question: someone mentioned to expect my cruising speed to be about 65. Can these cars comfortably reach 70-75?

Thanks again

[SuperTurbo]

I was originally leaning towards the sedan, until I saw it in person. Looks much better on the computer. The car will definitely be a Nissan, since both my parents recently bought Nissans (one altima, one sentra.) Coming from a truck, the 1-2 extra mpg of a sedan v. hatchback doesn't concern me too much. I've always been told MT gets better gas mileage?

One more question: someone mentioned to expect my cruising speed to be about 65. Can these cars comfortably reach 70-75?

Thanks again

Usually MT have better gas mileage, but Versa got a CVT, so it can cruise at a way lower RPM, so it makes the car save a bit more gas compare to MT.

For 120-130km-ish range, (around 65-75mph) I would say the car do suffer a bit.... I would recommend you to test drive it, since different places do require different stuff.

Like me, I live in Toronto, 140-160km is common during rush hour, so that's why I am still waitin to see what will Nissan do about it....

[dorway]

I was originally leaning towards the sedan, until I saw it in person. Looks much better on the computer. The car will definitely be a Nissan, since both my parents recently bought Nissans (one altima, one sentra.) Coming from a truck, the 1-2 extra mpg of a sedan v. hatchback doesn't concern me too much. I've always been told MT gets better gas mileage?

One more question: someone mentioned to expect my cruising speed to be about 65. Can these cars comfortably reach 70-75?

Thanks again

MT is supposed to be more fuel efficient than AT only if both have the same gear ratio.When it comes to highway MPG, RPM is one of the most important factors. RPM is determined by the top gear ratio.I can't find gear ratio info. of Versa but I suspect the situation is quite similiar to Honda FIT.Please check the gear ratio and MPG part in the spec. of Honda FIT and you will see why MT is not always the most fuel economic option.

This thread is also helpful for you to learn more regarding your last question:zerothread/328586

[kc5f]

One more question: someone mentioned to expect my cruising speed to be about 65. Can these cars comfortably reach 70-75?

About half my commute is in that range. Plenty of headroom left on the CVT at that speed, and still quiet enough that I hear more details of the CD's I listen to than on my home stereo. Not even any engine noise until the RPM's get up to about 3000, and at 75 mph the CVT's at 2500 rpm on flat road.

I'd never dreamed of driving anything other than a stick before I drove this one, but am quite happy to have paid the extra for the SL's CVT, cruise control (crucial to me), better stereo, trim upgrades, etc...

[sooner4x4]

One more question: someone mentioned to expect my cruising speed to be about 65. Can these cars comfortably reach 70-75?

Thanks again

These cars have no problem with speeds of 75-80 mph. The turnpike from Oklahoma City to Tulsa has a speed limit of 75 mph so of course everyone drives 80. The Versa feels right at home at 80 or 85.

This is with a 4 speed auto. Not sure how the cvt does at real world cruising speeds.

[KimberKenobi]

This is with a 4 speed auto. Not sure how the cvt does at real world cruising speeds.

Not to sound like a *****...

but the CVT would rock your ever-loving socks at those speeds.

shhh, shhh, Camel, he didn't mean it.

XoD

[Driving Instructor]

IN my opinion, go buy a TOYOTA....... just my 2 cents!

[Knightro2]

I looked at a Matrix at 2 different Toyota dealers when I was shopping. The only reason I didn't buy one is because...well...I'll use the word of the year for them...Elitest(sp?). Both dealers felt very snobby to me.

[raventare]

I have an 09 6MT S hatch and just in the first month I had to replace the fuel pressure regulator (long cranking to start) but that took about 1.5 hours at the dealer and under warranty. In the first month I put on 6000 miles and most of it was on the freeway at 80-90 mph. I now average 28-31 MPG and just changed the oil for the first time to Royal Purple. I expect the mileage to go up as soon as I lower the car 1.5 inches and I hope it handles better in cross-winds, although now is not as bad as a stock low level sentra. If you buy the S 6spd w/ only ABS you can get it (especially as a student) for under $13K OTD ($12.5K for me) and the money you save will pay for rear mid-wing, springs, front strut tower bar, light weight wheels (enkei RPF1 @13lbs),new dvd/mp3 head unit, new speakers, armrest and LED fog/driving lights...compared to the FIT Sport...with at least $3000 still in your pocket.