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Tuesday morning last week I drove the 2011 Nissan Versa Hatchback into the Starbucks drive-through lane and at the speaker ordered my grande bold coffee. The smiling Starbucks woman at the window handed me a gift card for coffee, purchased she said by the driver in the minivan ahead who asked her to give it to the person behind. That was me, and that is life in northern Colorado, particularly these days though not restricted to this time of year. I’ll pass on the kindness soon.
The Nissan Versa is one of the better subcompacts – roomy, good-handling and thrifty in fuel usage, though not so impressive in mpg as that of the new Ford Fiesta which I drove last Memorial Day weekend.
I enjoyed a five-door hatchback this time around; twice three or four years ago I tested the Versa four-door sedan.
The ’11 hatchback has better styling than the sedan. From its rounded hood and sharply raked windshield, it slopes back and down to where large boomerang-shaped taillights wrap into a rounded liftgate, topped with a spoiler. The cargo capacity inside that rear hatch is only 17.8 cubic feet until the rear seatbacks are folded flat, then the space expands to a very usable 50 feet.
Overall length of 169.1 inches for the Versa hatchback is at the front end of competitive models. Among the list are 169.7 inches for the Chevrolet Aveo, 169.3 for the Toyota Yaris sedan, 168.5 for Hyundai Accent, 167.3 for Scion xB, 162.8 for Suzuki SX4, 161.6 for Honda Fit, 160.1 for Ford Fiesta and 155.5 for Mazda2.
Generating the strong economy for the 2,700-pounder is a combination of 122-horsepower, 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission; the top-of-the-line SL hatchback is the only model using the CVT. I averaged 32.3 miles per gallon for the week, in which more than half the miles were along fairly flat highways. Even in stop-and-go city driving, the Versa will push toward 30 mpg. On the other hand, accessing a highway at an incline brings to light its lack of strength in acceleration.
The Versa’s front independent strut suspension with stabilizer bar soaks up bumps like a bigger car. It is equipped with antilock brakes, disc in front and drum at the rear.
Extra wide door openings make the hatchback an easy one for entering and exiting. Inside, the front seats are fairly short, though wide and comfortable, covered with durable woven cloth. Headroom and legroom are plenty in the rear seating area.
A feature up front is a small triangular window on each side where the A pillar separates from the door frame.
I was surprised to find a navigation system in the Versa, though its display screen is half-sized compared with most other models. Practical storage spots are plentiful, including a small bin with lid atop the nav/audio/climate stack.
While the most basic Nissan Versa sedan begins in price around $11,000, the better-equipped SL hatchback carried a sticker price of $18,400, which included six-speaker audio with satellite radio, power windows/locks/mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, rear wiper/washer/defroster and roof-mounted curtain airbags.
The sedans offer, in addition to the 1.8 engine, a 107-hp, 1.6-liter for the base models, and choices of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. A 6-speed manual is standard in the S version of the hatchback.
A look back
Thirty years ago this month, I reviewed in The Denver Post the newly introduced 1981 Toyota Starlet, an import from Japan. Excerpts:
Toyota’s strong reputation as an economy leader has been bolstered for ’81 with its little Starlet model from Japan. I didn’t match the EPA’s fuel-mileage ratings for the car (39 mpg in city driving and 54 on the highway). With only 110 miles on the odometer at the start, the tight little engine produced an average of 41.6 on a highway run and 34.9 in combined town/highway driving. Best of what I’ve liked about Toyotas in the past has been the drivetrain – their cars run easy and shift easy, and the Starlet is no exception. It comes in at a base price of $4,798, which includes power-assisted front disc brakes, steel-belted radial tires, tachometer and two-speed wiper/washer. Defroster, undercoating and freight of $161 raised sticker price to $5,110. The Starlet weighs only 1,725 pounds and its engine is 78-cubic-inch-displacement and 58 horsepower. There is lots of room under the hood and the engine is easily serviced. Luggage capacity is 6 cubic feet. The Starlet is very nimble; it is 152 inches long, 60 wide and has a track of barely over 50 inches.
2011 Nissan Versa SL
$18,405
(price as tested)
MPG City 28 Highway 34
Vehicle type: Subcompact hatchback
Wheelbase: 102.4 inches
Length/Width/Height: 169.1/66.7/60.4 inches
Weight: 2,722 pounds
Engine: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel mileage: 32.3 mpg
Fuel tank: 13.2 gallons
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/60,000 powertrain
Competitors: Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Accent
Built at: Aguascalientes, Mexico
THE STICKER
$16,900 base
$610 Navigation, satellite radio
$155 Floor/trunk mats
$740 Destination
PLUSES
Economy
Roomy for size
Ride comfort
MINUSES
Acceleration
