2013 Nissan Versa

Faults:

I am concerned about the heat shield. I had a rattle and took it to the dealer. Without looking at the car, they knew it was the heat shield (they have replaced several). I have 40,000 miles on the car, so the $238.00 repair was out of pocket. If anyone has even a small rattle, take in before 36,000 for it to be a warranty repair. It seems to be a design flaw that is occurring frequently on this model car, but it is not a warranty repair after 36,000 miles. I hope it doesn't happen to my car again.

General Comments:

Good gas mileage. Overall 38 MPG.

Overall I am satisfied with the car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th June, 2014

28th Aug 2014, 02:38

I had the exact same horrible rattle problem with my 2012 Versa sedan. The heat shield was replaced within warranty the first time. It failed a 2nd time around 45k miles, if I recall. The service advisor said "We're having to fix a lot of these. Don't worry, we'll take care of it." They didn't charge me a dime. Even if you get charged for the repair, it shouldn't cost $238. The part itself is about $60 and should take no more than an hour at $100/hr labor. Next time the heat shield fails (and it likely will), bring it to another Nissan dealership. Be nice, but tell them it's already been replaced once and you're aware it's a common defect. They may replace it free of charge like they did for me.

8th Sep 2014, 01:16

You should never darken that place's door again. Although my car only has 27000, the heat shield failed one Saturday after driving through a large puddle on the freeway. I didn't want to wait till Monday and found it only took an over sized washer to fix. About 29 cents in parts and 5 minutes of labor.

2013 Nissan Versa VS 1.6

Summary:

Dangerous CVT auto box

Faults:

This was a courtesy car.

I drove 479 miles inside of one day.

I drove the car very hard at 80/90mph.

It was the 1.6 CVT Auto.

This CVT box is a nightmare! The car nearly gets rear ended around town; it is dangerously slow. Plus anytime you let off the gas around town, you get dangerous engine braking from the CVT box!

General Comments:

Never again!

This car takes serious work to achieve fast speeds.

The only good point being I achieved 31 MPG after ringing its neck for nearly 500 miles!

It is also too twitchy at high speeds!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th December, 2013

7th Mar 2014, 06:42

So you completely thrashed this little car and STILL got 31 MPG. Versa's were never designed to be sports cars and people shouldn't look at them as such. It is however exactly as you described; very dependable cheap transportation.

28th Aug 2014, 02:33

I totally agree. It's a cheap economy car, not a sports car. It's not designed to be driven hard and will let you know when you're pushing it hard. If I drive my Versa respectably, I feel like I'm in a much more expensive car. Quiet, low revs, great fuel economy. I pretty much love my Versa. I can carry 4 adult family members in good space and comfort. I just hope it holds up! Some things about it make me wonder.

13th Mar 2021, 16:52

It is always a Porsche or Lamborghini at hand... but you will need the money !!

2013 Nissan Versa 1.6

Summary:

A compact economy car has never been so big and comfortable, at such a bargain price!

Faults:

The tether on the gas cap broke off the fuel door at 19,000 miles, which is surprising considering how little use it gets.

General Comments:

To start with the good:

The fuel economy is outstanding. My commute is about 30% mountain and city, the rest is 2 lane highway, and I get an average fuel mileage of 38 MPG. This is consistent with the fuel computer.

The interior room is astounding. There is more leg room and head space in the back seat of this car than in my grandparents '13 Malibu, and my trunk is larger as well. Everyone who has been in my car can't get over how such a small car is so big on the inside.

The 5 speed manual is fun and easy to shift. The clutch can be a little tricky, but once I learned it, it was not a problem.

This is my first car with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and it's great. The TPMS light came on while I was crossing a mountain, allowing me time to pull off in a safe place. I discovered a hole in a sidewall and changed the tire before it went flat, possibly saving me from a blowout and/or crash on the very crooked, steep road.

For such an inexpensive car, it's quiet and smooth riding. The traction and vehicle dynamic control systems are good features, and I'm glad they came standard.

I love the electronic power steering. It never drags on the engine, and it's speed sensitive, making it easy to maneuver in tight spaces, yet not over sensitive at highway speeds.

The negative:

I got the most basic Versa available, only because I wanted a manual transmission. There were literally no options available on it. No power windows or locks, no cruise control, only 2 speakers, no chrome... you get the idea. In fact the only package that doesn't come with a tachometer is the one with the manual tranny. Makes no sense at all.

The seats are comfortable, but the fabric is bad. On the base model it only comes in black with no texture, so it shows every bit of lint and pet hair, not to mention stains and crumbs from my 4 year old.

The engine offers enough power most of the time, but taking off, especially on hills, can be a pain in the manual because you really have to ease the clutch to avoid bogging the engine down. Makes me worry about future clutch life. It's also too small to offer much slowing ability on steep grades when downshifted, so I still have to use the brakes a lot.

The air conditioning is good, but again the small engine is mated with a small compressor, so you have to be driving to get much out of it.

Overall, this is the biggest feeling compact car out there. I bought it because it was the cheapest car in America, and so far the quality of the ride and style don't show its price.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th July, 2013

30th Aug 2013, 10:50

Have taken the Versa on 2 vacations thru the Appalachian mountains, and I must say even with 4 adults and a trunk full of junk, it pulled the hills better than our other 2 cars with automatic transmissions. They both unlock the torque converters on the slightest of inclines and then down shift if the incline is too steep. Now they're running at 4k RPM and the wife’s giving you a dirty look asking what are you doing!

All of this while averaging 38MPG, I must say I am pleased.

2013 Nissan Versa S 1.6

Summary:

Extreme value

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

Finest car to be introduced in the low priced field.

Or so starts the 1960 commercial for a recently revived car name, and in my opinion this is THAT car for the 21st Century. As many others have said, don't believe the "professional" reviewers, this car provides adequate styling, power, handling, and standard features, making the Versa an outstanding value on its own, but we haven't even mentioned the roominess, the ridiculous reliability, and the huge trunk all wrapped up in a 40 MPG compact car.

It's not a neck jerking sports car, nor a couch on wheels, and reviewers should not consider it as such.

I've had this car for three months now, and I do believe the Versa is the best car, dollar per dollar, on the market at this time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th May, 2013

6th May 2013, 06:28

Yes, the ridiculous reliability... after only 3000 miles.

15th May 2013, 20:43

Yep. It's definitely far too early to determine the car's reliability with such low mileage.

19th May 2013, 13:50

It's true, I am using my research to report the reliability, but look around other forums and you don't see any common complaints like you do with other cars. I will add comments, good or bad, as time goes on, so we'll see.