2009 Nissan Versa: Base Car Covers the Basics

By Mike Blake, Carlisle Events

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Nissan is one of the champions of style; just look at the 370Z. But when it has a job to do, Nissan devotes itself to the job at hand, so when it chose to make an entry-level economy car, Nissan created a prosaic vehicle that fits all the parameters buyers have come to look for in an econo-car: low sticker; simple styling; good gas mileage and dependability. You get all of that with the 2009 Nissan Versa.

I don’t understand why sporty styling seems to be out of the question for econo-cars; perhaps that is simply the psychological mindset Detroit and Tokyo have put on entry-level buyers, but Versa fits right in with other low-cost cars on the market with its clean-but-uninspired architecture.

Ranked 13th out of 37 most affordable small cars by U.S. News and World Report, the Nissan Versa is roomy – much more so than most of its compact competition -- and just about perfect for running errands, getting students to school and back and meeting transportation budget cuts.

With a tall roofline for easy access, the Versa measures 176.0 inches long, 66.7 inches wide and 60.4 inches high on a wheelbase of 102.4 inches. My test vehicle was a Base 1.6 and it did not include many extras, to maintain a final sticker price of $12,090. Manual folding side view mirrors, 14-inch steel wheels multi-reflector halogen headlights, black front grille and decklid finisher, fixed roof antenna and energy-absorbing body-color front and rear fascias complete the exterior package.

True to its 1.6 name, the Versa Base 1.6 was powered by a standard 107-horsepower DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder engine coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. With 111 lbs.-ft. of torque, the system is EPA rated at 26mpg in city driving and 34mpg on the highway. The ultra-low emissions, fuel-efficient vehicle achieved an average of 32.2mpg for me during a week of mixed testing during sunshine and warm temperatures in Mid-Pennsylvania and Northwest Maryland. Considering the fact that the vehicle weighs in at only 2671 lbs., I really thought the fuel efficiency would be higher. While horsepower and torque are not very muscular, and the expected hesitation is present, the Versa does achieve speed steadily and once at speed, 80mph is easily attainable on the track and traveling at 70 feels the same as 50.

At the track (yes, we do track tests on all of our cars, even the low-power econo-models) my test Versa was able to move from zero to 60mph in 10 seconds, while covering a quarter-mile in 17.8 seconds. A reasonable low-cost option is the larger 1.8-liter engine that delivers 122 horses and 127 lbs-ft. of torque and better city mileage (27) while losing 1mpg (33) on the highway.

The ride is soft, but comfortable. Vehicle lightness makes for some body sway in wind gusts at speed, and cornering shows some yaw, but independent strut front suspension, front stabilizer bar torsion beam rear suspension, ripple-control shock absorbers power-assisted vented disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering smooth out road imperfections.

Assembled in Aguas, Mexico, my Brilliant Silver Versa’s exterior was matched to a Charcoal interior, where Spartan-but-thoughtful is the design key. There is considerable interior spaciousness with good accommodations for 6-footers. The cabin measures front row head room of 40.6 inches with 37.9 in row two; leg room of 41.4 and 38.0 and shoulder room of 53.5 and 50.7.

My test Versa had such standard interior inclusions as air conditioning with cabin microfilter, 4-way manual adjustable driver seat, cloth seat and door trim, tilt steering column, variable intermittent windshield wipers and rear window defroster and timer. Curiously, while my test Base Versa came with the fixed antenna and four speakers with audio pre-wire, there was no radio. I wonder why, even at $12,090, there was no radio, however in the “S” trim, a 4-speaker 120-watt audio system with AM/FM/CD is included.

The 2009 Versa comes standard with the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System of seat-mounted driver and front-passenger bags, side impact supplemental airbags, roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental airbags for front and rear, and outboard occupant head protection. Unfortunately the ABS package of anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist is an option ($250), but most vehicles will be outfitted with them so it is a non-option option – and I believe all safety features should be included in all vehicles. Zone body construction with front and rear crumple zones is also a safety plus.
In government crash tests, the Versa scored four out of five stars for all occupants in both front and side tests, and four stars in rollover tests.
Base priced at $10,990, the only options on my test Base model were five-piece floor/trunk mat set for $155 and the safety ABS package for $250. A $650 destination charge was also added to bring the bottom line to $12,090. That is a very good price for a genuine starter car or low-cost transportation vehicle … but it certainly would have been a better driving experience if they had popped in a radio.


Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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