Comments: 1-15, 16-19
1) Tire Pressure Monitor light came on at 2300 miles when all tires were properly inflated. Nissan refused to run the car through their computer because they still insist that I had low pressure on the tires without bothering to check that fact. May I add that I have the Nissan Gold Maintenance Program and I should not have to argue with the dealership to have the car checked out.
2) Windshield wipers started to "chatter" after the 2nd time they were used. Five towns Nissan also ignored this when I came in to have the car maintained.
3) The car refused to start 3-5 times at around 3,500 miles. There was something wrong with the key and it had to be reprogrammed.
4) An old lady hit the car while it was parked and the whole front bumper had to be replaced. Parts are still rare as it is a new model.
I was one of the first persons to get ahold of the new Versa last August 2006. The car was a nightmare at first with regards to its blind spots, but that was quickly remedied by adjusting the mirrors a little closer to the car's body. Handling is heavy for such a small car, body roll is high because of its height. The car does very well in medium speeds, but crank it up to 70+ and it grumbles, but does the job anyway. I have not been getting the advertised mpg on the car, but I do jackrabbit starts and I speed all the time. A full tank lasts me 10 days if I drive 32 miles per day.
The Versa's interior totally balances out its odd exterior. It comes standard with suede seats, audio system, front/side/passenger airbags, and digital odometer. It's very roomy and the seats are very comfortable for long drives. The only problem I have with the driver's seat is that it is situated too low and short drivers (such as myself) will have a hard time seeing the front hood. This is especially cumbersome when you are trying to parallel park. Putting a throw pillow/seat cushion on the seat will give an extra boost. Aside from that, the Versa has a lot of nooks and crannies which can hold a lot of stuff. Compartments are spacey and you will never complain about running out of room. The backseat can easily fit 3 adults. You can even stuff a fourth one if need be.
The "trunk" can hold 2 large suitcases and a lot of knick-knacks. I personally have a stash of emergency driving kits, wetsuits, a large trash bag containing toys, a beach umbrella, and assorted books in there and I still have plenty of room.
Overall, it is a great car for the price. Just don't expect to be racing it anytime soon. It's quick, but not as quick as the Honda Fit or Scion XB.
I am the original poster and this review is for a 2007 model, not 2006.
The 6 speed tranny might be better for you than the CVT. Hope you have the 6 speed. As for the CVT, hard acceleration will drive the hydraulic pressure close to 1000pounds per square inch! In addition to the regular low MPG you will get with a lead foot, the high CVT hydraulic pressures will take even more MPG away from you. Hope you can adjust. It will be the only way to get pleasing MPG.
I do have the 6-speed transmission and I admit, I have been berating myself for not getting the CVT. But now that you have mentioned how it puts undue pressure on the hydraulics, I feel so much better. I've been driving manuals forever and it just felt more comfortable that's why I chose it. Nissan has been pimping the CVT because of the no shift-shock feature and the alleged more miles per gallon, glad to know it's not really true.
Regarding the lead foot, I've been very careful lately about the starting and the speeding, but find it hard since I live in NYC and most people/drivers here are impatient as hell.
Now that I have told you of the Versa CVT's achilles heel, I'll also state that I love the CVT. Jatco, maker of both the Nissan Versa & Dodge Caliber CVT, computer limits the power & rpms that run thru the CVT at v. low speeds. I believe that is because of the high CVT pressures plus the extra activity the CVT is going thru at the very lowest speeds. I own the Caliber, not the Versa.
Both Versa & Caliber, once they are above 25MPH, get very good acceleration, out performing 4 speed automatic trannies quite well, & closer to 5 speed manual performance than shifting automatic performance.
Some Caliber owners are getting mediocre MPG. I feather foot my Caliber, keep those hydraulic pressures low, & get reasonable Caliber MPG. High highway MPG has been 34.9MPG, 32.5MPG over 4000 foot mountain passes, & average 29.5 MPG thru the cold 2007 winter. My average MPG continues to rise with the warming weather & the use of summer mix gasoline. If I'd bought the Versa CVT, I think my average would have been 34 to 35MPG, if the Versa had been as fine as my Caliber has been for me.
P.S....My overall average, due to warming weather & summer mix gas, has risen again, & now is 30.0MPG.
I read this post because I'm considering buying a Versa. I'm on a budget and want a hatchback for the added cargo room and better gas mileage. I've been doing a ton of research on the Versa (prices, equipment, safety ratings, etc.) It has a 6-spd manual standard, optional 4-spd automatic on the base "1.8S" version, or optional CVT transmission instead on the "1.8SL" version. Personally, I don't like the CVT from what I experienced test driving a Caliber. If you're used to driving traditional automatics, it's really unnerving. It feels like the transmission is slipping when in reality that's how it's supposed to function. Also, it makes the engine rev up VERY high in normal driving, especially when accelerating on the highway and passing even leisurely. I have a feeling it's going to shorten engine life span. 4000-4500rpm seemed to be the norm in a Caliber. Created lots of unnecessary engine noise. I would think it would make highway travel so tiring like any noisy car. My current '89 Lebaron, a 3100lbs convertible with a 2.5L 4cyl. and 3-spd. automatic, gets 31-33mpg on the highway. That's another reason why I'm consider small hatchbacks, for even better fuel economy. Surprisingly though, new, smaller cars don't seem to be all that much better on gas. They seem to be getting worse in fact compared to previous generations. The '95 Sentra EPA rating was higher than the new redesigned '07 model and even the smaller Versa. But I suppose making the cars larger, adding more equipment, and installing bigger motors is going to cause that.
I'm the person that put the comment about 1000 psi hydraulic pressures in the CVT & if you're a lead footer maybe you should stay away from the CVT.
I have the CVT in a Dodge Caliber & I love it. Your comment that the CVT is like a slipping clutch is untrue. The CVT really feels like a propellor airplane accelerating you down a road (runway). Like an airplane you accelerate down the road (runway) without jerking. Like an airplane the rpms don't change. The CVT beltdrive is made of carbon fiber graphite, 4 times stronger than steel. Boeing uses the material increasingly in their airplanes. No finer material for the CVT exists. The problem is your lead foot, not the CVT.
My Caliber is rated at 30MPG highway (27MPG highway under the most recent EPA ratings). With over 10,000miles, I have a highway high of 34.9MPG, 32.5 MPG over 4000 foot mountain passes from sea level, & am overall averaging 30.0MPG. This is again proof that the CVT is not a slipping clutch. No slipping clutch will overall average the EPA highway average for over 10,000miles.
Your other comments about the CVT & high rpms are inaccurate in the least & malicious in the most. Continuous 1000psi internal pressure only occurs if you are a lead foot. I run my CVT at low pressures even over the mountains.
Made the comments about the Nissan Versa & Dodge Caliber CVTs having high hydraulic pressures when driven hard. The Versa & Caliber high gear manual transmissions run at higher highway rpms than both CVT transmissions run at. That is why the Versa CVT has a higher EPA MPG rating than the Versa 6sp. manual transmission. Supposedly, the Caliber manual 5sp. transmission has a bit higher EPA MPG than the Caliber CVT. But my own CVT Caliber, when feather footed, has very fine highway MPG. Also I found a 2% error in my Caliber odometer, which means my personal Caliber MPG numbers have been under reported. My more accurate Caliber MPG numbers are: 35.6MPG highway high, 32+MPG over 4000 foot mountain passes, & OVERALL AVERAGES 30.9MPG. With warmer weather & summer mix gas this last number should continue to rise till October 2007 when colder weather & winter mix gasoline return.
HealthyCar.org This website gives information about offgassing from various interior parts of cars, & trucks. Those people interested in the Nissan Versa will find the news on the Nissan Versa very interesting & important to know BEFORE they buy the Nissan Versa.
I don't have Versa, but a friend of mine has one and I've driven it a few times. I'm used to V8 car, but for a 1.8l with the 6 speed its pretty good if you know how to shift and know the sweet spots.
I like the way it looks cause I like different looking cars anyway.
The engine is smooth, quiet and its fun to drive.
The only thing I'm not really cool on is the body roll; on a windy day at highway speeds you feel the wind pushing on the car. I think some stronger springs and an after-market wheel and tire package would help a lot, along with a strut tower brace. All are availible on ebay and aftermarket sites.
I own a 2007 Versa and I couldn't be happier. I have driven it through an unusually hot summer and get 30 mpg in mixed city, country, no Interstate driving. On my one trip I got 36 mpg cruising between 76-80 on the Interstate.
I have the CVT, Bluetooth and the SL package. I don't miss my Camry at all.
I considered the Versa when I needed a replacement car, but ended up with a Caliber instead. They both use the same Jatco CVT2 "platform" however they are not the same exact units--I found that the Caliber's was more "aggressively tuned" than the Versa's. Both suffer from lack of "off-the-line" acceleration, but as I said, the Caliber seemed tuned to respond better.
I found both cars have a somewhat "budget" interior feeling--as if they employed cheaper plastics. Caliber is more comfortable than Versa--it seems that the latter has seats designed a smaller "average stature". However, both are very roomy for small cars. I just went for the Caliber because it seemed like a bit "more car" and more solid.
There seems to be a lot of misinformation about the CVTs in these cars. The overall acceleration is actually BETTER than a conventional automatic, however acceleration starts low and INCREASES to a certain level, stays constant then levels off again. Conventional automatics start with HIGH acceleration that tapers off, then jumps back up with each gear change. That initial high acceleration creates illusion of power.
Also, it is false that the CVT is "unproven"--this line of Jatco units have been in use in Asia and Europe for several years and extensive reliability studies have shown them to be SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RELIABLE than conventional automatics (at least on par with manuals). There is also evidence that the CVTs REDUCE wear on engine components since abrupt changes in torque do not occur in CVTs.
Nissan AND Chrysler have to work on reduction of HIGH RPM engine noise however, as the CVT-equipped cars ramp up to 4000 or 5000 RPM and stay there throughout acceleration. These cars do NOT have engine noise issues at constant speed (on the highway, my Caliber goes 2200 RPM and you can barely even hear the engine).
Hi Oct 1,2007...I was looking at Versa's, but ended up with a Caliber too because it was $3000+ less. Read the Caliber threads on Carsurvey. My review is the one with the most posts & discussion, 'Too big & needs better MPG, but CVT is wonderful'.
Agree with most of what you say. As for Versa & Caliber interiors, I found the Versa dungeon-like compared to the Caliber's bright interior. Some say the Caliber's interior is cheap, but I find it sunny & cheery. After 1 year, my overall average with 50 tanks of gas is 31.4MPG, averages 32.7MPG over 4000 foot mountain passes with a highway high of 35.6 MPG. Have no problems mechanically & not one creak, squeak, or rattle with 18,000 miles.
I have a 2008 Versa SL Hatchback with CVT transmission. I love the car. I get approximately 37mpg on the highway and 34 in the city.
I don't hear much road noise, nor does my RPM go too high. It usually rides between 1000RPM in stop and go traffic, and 2,000 - 2,500 RPM on acceleration. I find the CVT transmission extremely smooth. I love the exterior and the interior is great. Better than my Honda.
My only issue is when the RPM is lower than 1,500 I do get a vibration, kind of like the car wants to slide into a different gear phase, but the RPM is too low. It is fine when I first get into the car, the RPM gets high enough so the car runs smooth. If I park the car for more than 1/2 hour, I get the low RPM and the vibration. I would love to get rid of that vibration, then my car would be perfect.
Alright - we get it mr. caliber.
CVTs are a good idea. Probably better than an automatic, but I'll stick with a manual transmission. It allows more control. I can disengage with a clutch, which cannot be done in a CVT. That system still relies on a Torque Converter. It can be push started if necessary and you cannot beat the reliability and economy (in most cases) of a good old fashioned manual transmission.
Experiencing persistant and annoying squeaky brakes for the last 6 months on a 2007 Versa. Dealer service department blames problem on the semi-metallic brakes, and offers no solution.
Car was purchased for safety features, gas economy and value.
Nissan's service is disappointing.