Thrifty Versa offers few perks

Kathy Renwald

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

The Nissan Versa is an admirably cheap car. The basic four-door sedan starts at $12,698, but that model has been picked dry of the necessities of life – no air, no radio, no power locks, no perks – like a taxi in Havana.

I tested a 1.6 litre Versa with a price of $15,498, because it came padded with the $1,800 Value Option Package – which included among other things, air, power windows and locks, radio, remote keyless entry and a light in the glovebox – which is better than using a candle I guess. The automatic transmission added another $1,000.

Nissan repositioned the Versa a year ago, grooming the car for value shoppers. The consequent budget-minded whittling dispensed with some propulsion so that the Versa sedan now has 107 hp. The 1.8 L hatchback version puts out 122 horses in a better-looking package ($14,198).

There's no kind way to describe the looks of the Versa sedan. It looks like a forceps delivery. With camera in hand, I dragged it around Ontario and watched as the Versa turned postcard landscapes into classified ad mug shots. With its slab sides and TV dinner sheet metal, it proves you just can't polish a nerd.

It's not the only subcompact car with a brutish profile. The challenge to create air space in a stubby car leads to shapes as sophisticated as a camp stove pack of Jiffy Pop.

Deft metal bending is responsible for a spacious interior in the Versa. There is legroom for the lanky and headroom for the gangly. Why then did Nissan cheap out and not include a seat height adjustment for the driver? Forget the keyless entry and provide the driver with the tools to get the proper and safe driving position. That omission would keep the Versa off my shopping list, and made me feel cranky every time I got behind the wheel.

The base model comes with a five-speed manual, which I yearned for after driving the automatic. The four-speed auto gets coarse under acceleration, and with foot to the floor, like it might be going uphill or merging, the engine thrashes like a Popular Mechanics experiment. Cruising at 80 to 100 km/h improves the karma as the mechanicals quiet down.

An overdrive button is stuck on the gearshift and is easy to overlook, so in many cars it's likely on all the time, which helps fuel consumption rated at 7.8 L /100 km city and 5.9 L /100 km highway

Up to speed, the ride is predictably pleasant and the car feels solid. A forgiving suspension is soft enough to absorb ratty roads, and meshes with a conservative driving style. Between the steering mechanics and the 14-inch donuts the Versa rolls on, steering feel is on the squishy side of vague, but the brakes do a competent job. If you want ABS though, it's a $500 option.

The base model comes well protected with six airbags including front seat and side curtain airbags.

There's little that's perky about the instrument and dash design, but the switches and dials have a quality feel, and the absence of flashy trim means there's nothing to reflect in your eyes.

Seat comfort in the front is fine, but I preferred the back seats, which were firmer and ironically higher than the front.

There's good room there for two adults and feet fit easily under the front seat.

The trunk is spacious even with the back seats up. When the 60/40s are folded down, the cargo floor isn't flat but you could still get a couple of cockatiels in a cage in there. The trunk, with seats up, provides 390 litres of storage.

Generally the Versa is pretty free of annoyances, although I didn't like one aspect of the automatic locks. In my tester, the doors didn't unlock until the key was pulled from the ignition. Try to open the door before that and you might as well be in the back of an OPP cruiser.

The Versa is a top selling model for Nissan. The high-value 1.6 sends an aggressive message to competitors. Still, subcompact shoppers might prefer the more flexible cargo space of the Honda Fit, the styling of the Kia Rio and Chevy Aveo, or the equally frugal Hyundai Accent. But the Versa can counter with a spacious interior and stripped down pricing.

Freelance auto reviewer Kathy Renwald can be reached at www.kathyrenwald.com

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