DeadSkunk (Warren) said:CyberEric said:Last, why do modern small cars ride so high? That thing looks like it's 2 inches to high.
It's only 1.1" taller than my 2003 MINI Cooper S. Looks like it's on tip-toes though. A set of springs can fix that.
Perhaps something like this?
In reply to Colin Wood :
Now, doesn't that look much more purposeful, especially with the big brake kit front and rear !
As much as I like small cars, one thing I often wonder with the subcompacts vs. compact is do they make sense from a value perspective. If there's a $2k price difference between a Versa and a Sentra at a given trim level and you get more equipment, better interior, suspension, engine, safety etc. in the Sentra, does the Versa make sense?
Snrub said:As much as I like small cars, one thing I often wonder with the subcompacts vs. compact is do they make sense from a value perspective. If there's a $2k price difference between a Versa and a Sentra at a given trim level and you get more equipment, better interior, suspension, engine, safety etc. in the Sentra, does the Versa make sense?
Yes, it's the only way to avoid the CVT. Nissan's early CVTs have a reputation as time bombs as well as being less fun.
In reply to CyberEric :
The Versa reminds me of the first USA car Nissan brought us. It too was too narrow and too tall.
MadScientistMatt said:Snrub said:As much as I like small cars, one thing I often wonder with the subcompacts vs. compact is do they make sense from a value perspective. If there's a $2k price difference between a Versa and a Sentra at a given trim level and you get more equipment, better interior, suspension, engine, safety etc. in the Sentra, does the Versa make sense?
Yes, it's the only way to avoid the CVT. Nissan's early CVTs have a reputation as time bombs as well as being less fun.
How about this - a Versa or well priced compact competitor like a Mazda3 or Elantra. ;)
In reply to Snrub :
Nissan had that already with Micra,weirdly we got it up here but the US didn't
I'd love to be in the room when the designers were like, "I know, let's make it ride HIGHER." My guess is they were trying to get buyers who likes the height of SUVs.
Re the looks, I think it actually looks better than pretty much every other Nissan product right now, sans the Z. That's not saying much tho.
A lot of the dimensional issues are really just perceptions. The Versa is only 1.4" taller than a 1971 Datsun 510 and it's over 6' wider. I think the perception that it's tall and narrow is more a function of a higher belt line.
Colin Wood said:DeadSkunk (Warren) said:CyberEric said:Last, why do modern small cars ride so high? That thing looks like it's 2 inches to high.
It's only 1.1" taller than my 2003 MINI Cooper S. Looks like it's on tip-toes though. A set of springs can fix that.
Perhaps something like this?
That looks way better. Thank you, Colin.
I spent yesterday with the Versa–mostly highway but enough in town, too.
Very roomy up front. For a “small” car, it doesn’t feel small up front. (I know, it’s bigger than what most of us consider to be small.)
Plenty of bolstering for the seat backs, but the seat bottoms feels flat and a tick too short.
Radar cruise and CarPlay on our tester. Both big and small USB ports.
Big, clear gauges. Knobs and buttons, too.
Hard plastic upper door panels. The steering wheel still feels too hard to me.
So, that CVT. If you just treat this like an appliance and aren’t too much into cars, would you notice? Nissan’s CVTs have gotten better with time, but I think everyone here would notice. It’s still a CVT, and the engine isn’t blessed with an overabundance of power. End result: A little pokey, and not in the Gumby sort of way.
The Versa–at least ours–wanders a bit on the highway. Maybe it was the wind, maybe it was the tall profile, maybe it was the alignment, maybe it was the pavement (yay to I-4), but it felt more nervous than anything else I have driven in a while.
Is this your ’90s throwback? I’m going to say no, and I have driven/owned/lived with most all of that era’s greatest hits.
Would the experience change with the stick, an alignment and tires? Maybe? Then maybe it would feel more like the B segment cars of just a few years ago.
And some pics from yesterday.
Looking at cameras:
Making zines:
Dinner, too:
David S. Wallens said:Both big and small USB ports.
This right here is a huge win. I get that we're kind of moving to USB-C as a world standard, but support for popular legacy plugs is a HUGE win for utility and common sense in my book. Especially in an affordable appliance car.
For a day of driving around, the Versa delivered an adequate, serviceable experience, especially if shopping for a new car in that budget. It has just enough extras to make it feel special for the masses–the CarPlay, the cruise, the illuminated door sills. Plus it does look sharp.
But it’s not a replacement for a wishbone Civic.
JG Pasterjak said:David S. Wallens said:Both big and small USB ports.
This right here is a huge win. I get that we're kind of moving to USB-C as a world standard, but support for popular legacy plugs is a HUGE win for utility and common sense in my book. Especially in an affordable appliance car.
Oh, totally. A pic of the USB ports for those at home.
In the back, you just get the USB-C port. (You can borrow my adaptor, though.)
Also in the back: pretty good room. This is me (5-foot-7 or so) sitting behind me.
Wow, $17k for a manual transmission car is really, really cheap in 2024. For fun, let's take the Dodge Neon comparisons earlier in this thread and use the final model year 2005.
2005 Dodge Neon base MSRP: $14,985
2024 Versa S 5MT MSRP: $16,680
Versa MSRP inflation adjusted to 2005: $10,567
That's cheap!
In reply to maschinenbau :
Totally a deal. Plus the Versa gets tech that didn’t exist back in the days of the Neon: radar cruise, CarPlay, power windows for front and rear.
If I worked at Nissan: Soften the leather on the steering wheel, work on the chassis tuning, and offer the stick across the line.
SE-R version, you (Nissan) bunch of imbeciles.
Nx2kpaser said:SE-R version, you (Nissan) bunch of imbeciles.
I debated whether my formula would qualify for the SE-R badge. I owned the original. I reserve judgement on going that far.
I remember renting a recent Sentra and it also got blown around on the highway. No idea if it's alignment or aerodynamics, but it seems to be an issue for small Nissans lately.
David S. Wallens said:The Versa delivered an adequate, serviceable experience
I sometimes need to remind myself that for 90% of drivers on the road, this is all that needs to be offered.
Not everything has to break the mold or reinvent the wheel.
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