Wednesday, August 22, 2012

In the driveway: 2012 Nissan Versa 1.6S

In the driveway this week is Nissan's 2012 Versa 1.6S. Honestly when I got the key to this model, I was in a bit of disbelief. I didn't know they made cars like this anymore: No keyless. No power windows, locks, mirrors. One gauge (speedometer). Heck, there are only two keyholes on the car—driver's door and trunk.Ladies and gentleman, behold: A stripped down model!

I'd actually wanted to get into this car for a while, as I can't remember the last time I drove a true base model. However, this isn't the base base model. It's got the CVT and cruise control. The price? $14,040 including delivery. Granted, this car can be had for as little as $11,770 (including destination and a manual transmission), but $14,040 is still good.

Over the 70 or so miles I've driven it since yesterday, I'm averaging nearly 38 MPG—quite good. It's got a huge trunk, rides surprisingly well, is quite comfortable, and feels very solid. Pretty, it ain't, at least not in my eyes, but I am kind of attracted to its simplicity. To be honest, I'm actually somewhat smitten with this frugal stripper.

More later. Stay tuned.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was hoping that this was the 5-speed manual version. Wondering how that one drives & feels for long distance Spartan-like commuting. Will look forward to your review!

Andy Lilienthal said...

"I was hoping that this was the 5-speed manual version"

That makes two of us. While this 1.6 S model is Spartan, the manual version is even more bare bones, as you can't get cruise control with it.

Ducati Scotty said...

So how stripped is stripped for $11,770? Does that include A/C? A radio? My Civic CX had neither when I bought it.

Kinda cool, that's less than $1,000 more than I paid for my Civic CX 16 years ago but the Nisaan has two more doors ESC, ABS, and TPMS. Of course my Honda does have a keyhole on the passenger side so I'm still ahead there.

Andy Lilienthal said...

@Ducati Scotty,

The least expensive version is identical to this but has a five-speed manual. You still get A/C, a two speaker CD player with aux jack, ABS, EBD, rear defogger, tilt, trip computer, and more. FWIW, you can't get the cruise control package unless you get the CVT.

FYI, manual trans curb weight is only 2,350; auto is 2,415. The manual fuel economy is rated 27/36, you do get a bit of a drop from the CVT.

The more I drive this basic car, the more I appreciate it for what it is: basic, simple transportation. And although I'm not much of a fan of the styling and it's not a corner carver, it is very comfortable, quiet, and rides better than average.

Ducati Scotty said...

Ok, so ABS, EBD and the rear defogger are federally mandated . But CD player? A/C? That's not stripped! Still, at that low price it may be this cheapskate's next car.

Andy Lilienthal said...

It's got a HUGE trunk, too. Stroller will likely fit in this thing. Maybe I can swing by on Monday and you can take a gander at it. You could peep it on Saturday morning, too ...

Ducati Scotty said...

Yes, BOB stroller storage was the prime test on our recent car buying experience. I should probably roll all those pictures I took into a story.

Andy Lilienthal said...

Not a bad idea.

Anime Gee said...

Oh man! This looks like a 1,000,000 mile test candidate for me. Taking one of these for 1 million miles on the original motor & tranny. Can they make it? Will the rest of the car survive? That would be something awesome to do. A 5 speed version would have been nice to test. I might go take a test drive soon.

Ducati Scotty said...

I got to see the car and go for a spin last night. Love it! I think its best feature is that nothing sucks. I just bought a new car and test drove ten or so. Almost every one had some fault to live with. This car, nothing! It's beyond basic but everything is solid and unobjectionable. That goes a long way.

I also decided that if I get one I'm getting black, removing the hub caps, and painting the steel rims red. Rat rod Versa!