2010 Nissan Versa Coventry RI

TheCarConnection.com's editors have driven the Nissan Versa--and even checked out the budget-priced 1.6-liter version--to bring you their expert opinion on the entire lineup. To help you make the best buying decision, TheCarConnection.com also brings you highlights and insights from other road tests.

Likes
A new car for used-car money
Stylish silhouette ( hatchback )
Straightforward instrument panel
Smooth, quiet ride
Comfortable seating

Dislikes
Engine noise (with CVT)
Overly light steering feel
Relatively clumsy handling

The Nissan Versa hatchback and sedan were completely new for 2007; for 2010 Nissan adds some important safety features as standard to Versa models fitted with a 1.8-liter engine. Unfortunately, the entry-level 1.6-liter model still lacks a number of safety features, but its price point of $9,990 justifies this by making it one of the cheapest vehicles on the U.S. market. There have also been some minor styling tweaks to the exterior, as well as a new navigation system option.

Two body styles are offered: a five-door hatchback or a four-door sedan. As a hatchback , the Versa looks considerably more elegant and complete as a design, with the gently curved roofline and kicked-up back pillar. Versa sedans look a little tall and homely, and the proportions don't work out as well. Inside, the Versa is no-frills but cleanly designed, with an upright, squared-off instrument panel that's refreshingly simple.

The base-level model is appropriately named the Nissan Versa Base, fitted with a 1.6-liter engine. Sitting above this are the S- and SL-level trims, both of which are more expensive but pack more standard features into the Versa. Those bargain-priced models--the 2010 Nissan Versa and Versa Base--include a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine delivering 107 horsepower, which comes with a five-speed manual, rather than a six-speed, but we like the nice, neat linkage and smooth clutch uptake with either manual gearbox. Oddly, the 1.6-liter is only offered in the sedan body style. For a bit more than the 1.6 Base, there's a 1.6 model that's offered with a four-speed automatic, but we'd recommend the stick with the lesser engine, as the 1.8-liter doesn't deal well with the auto's wide ratios and can become boomy at higher speeds. The 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower four-cylinder engine that was previously standard is now offered on the rest of the line and comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, while Nissan's continuously variable Xtronic transmission is available on the top SL Hatchback model. Other models are only offered with an optional four-speed automatic. Overall, the 1.6-liter version does just fine around town, though it does feel a little more winded on the highway. Despite having more power on tap, fuel economy for the 1.8-liter is about the same in the city, at 26 mpg, as the 1.6-liter model, but it does have a lower 31-mpg highway rating.

Compared to other small cars, the 2010 Nissan V...

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