Latest Nissan Versa - Your Driving Impressions?

Alright: Since, either no one here cares about reviewing or driving an entry-level Nissan, or, I'm too 'toxic' to correspond with on Usenet, due to certain company I attract, I'll kick off.

I'm renting, through my insurance due to a crash I was in, a

2016 Nissan Versa Note(hatchback edition). This is the second generation of Versa, and my example was well equipped(back- up camera, full-featured stereo, AC, etc).

While acceleration is not brisk, it was smooth and readily available with the CV transmission. And this Note has given me hope for electric power steering: It actually has WEIGHT!

It's not BMW steering, but at speeds over 20mph, the power steering fades from parking lot numb(where you need assist), to just enough at higher speeds. This lent some predictability to the handling, and I felt confident on back roads at or just above posted speed limits. Ditto for highways. And everything - suspension, felt tight - and the steering wheel felt connected directly to the treads of the tires.

The '16 Versa is also more capable at passing than some magazine reviews would have you believe, but of course it was just me, and a full tank of gas in it, going to work.

Interior fit and finish is 4/5, though I would like to see higher grade dash materials, especially the center stack(vents/stereo/climate controls.m The latter felt slightly cheap, especially the temperature knob and the outside/inside air selector slider, which at times I thought would come off in my hand!

Seats are comfy, with plenty of ranges of adjustment plus height up & down. Visibility is fine, except for the rear corners in the hatch, and the Note variant of Versa, at least, does not suffer much from the "gun slit" window mentality afflicting everything from the Versa's class up to luxury sport sedans and SUVs.

Would I opt to buy it? Mmmmmaybe. It is a subcompact, and my own car was a midsize, with excellent safety ratings. The Versa rates slightly lower in most crash angles. I would like something with a little more meat on it - like an Optima or Altima. Say those two names fast!

Howdy, li'l buddy. Many people on Usenet dislike you. You'll never resolve that issue by blaming others for your own shortcomings. Or whining that nobody's responding to your posts. Your fault; nobody else's. HTHLB. FKWAFA.

I rented a Versa last year but don't remember much about it other than it was a stripped down version. No cruise control, no center arm rest, no remote, and would not go much over 100 mph. It was red and I think it had crank windows. Earlier this week I had a Chevy Cruze. What a cheap piece of junk. I've rented nearly every kind of normal vehicle and my fav rental is still the Ford Focus hatchback. If I were to buy a small car it would be either the Focus or a Kia. My personal car is a 2006 Kia Spectra.

Paul in Houston TX wrote: "I rented a Versa last year but don't remember much about it other than it was a stripped down version. No cruise control, no center arm rest, no remote, "

Mine, for a base rental, was relatively loaded. Power windows in addition to everything else I mentioned.

Do you recall the handling, steering feel?

I picked up the 2015 Versa from the local rental and brought it home to load with tools and equipment and to check tire pressure before leaving. Steering was good but was kind of numb, like most cars today. Handled well from from 0 to 100 mph. One or more tires started wobbling at about 95 mph but I could not tell which tire due to numb steering. I keep detailed records, mainly for expense reports but also in case things go wrong. (Ex: soy beans at a combined speed of 140 mph causes instant windshield pitting - North Dakota, 2013). Expense report shows I went 1687 miles on the trip from Houston to construction sites along the Mexican border. Avg 31.6 mpg. Almost 2 weeks rental. It was hot. July 2015, 115 F in the shade in Carrizo and A/C worked very well. Total luggage load including me was about 270 pounds. Don't remember if I opened the hood or not. IMO, it's an ok car for big city driving but is not meant for Over The Road use.

There are some fast streets in Houston, been there, done that.

Paul in Houston TX wrote: "Steering was good but was kind of numb, like most cars today."

Steering that is decently weighted, not numb, with reasonably quick return should not be limited to vehicles with the black & blue propeller shield on the front grille, or hard to pronounce Italian names.

Who the hell are they configuring the steering in main stream cars for anyway?! AARP members? I don't need a car that can be parked with one finger on the steering wheel.

The Chevy Cruze I rented last week had no steering feel whatsoever. It was the worst so far of the electric steerings.

Paul in Houston TX wrote: - show quoted text - "The Chevy Cruze I rented last week had no steering feel whatsoever. It was the worst so far of the electric steerings. "

In cases like that - and my 05 Malibu, it's possible the connection between steering wheel and front wheels may be indirect: I.E. via a servo, instead of traditional column to box(electric or hydraulic). All about saving weight and satisfying CAFE standards, I guess! No matter how little assist the indirect setup provides, it will still feel like a video game. Sad.

I consider the natural buildup and return of the wheel due to actual alignment angles to be a SAFETY factor, not just a fun aspect of driving. Remove that, and might as well be driving a 747.