I tried a Nissan Note here in Norway with CVT. It was not as all as good or as fun as the CVT in my new Honda Jazz. The Jazz (and Note) seemed a bit sluggish when you pressed the throttle down quick.
But you should have tried a Jazz in Sport mode. THAT is fun! Great action and very quick response. You get a "downshift" at once and it start to accelerate at the same moment. But you got a lot smoother action when accelerating with a CVT vs a regular AT.

 

i tested a cvt versa about a month ago and it wasn't impressive to me at all

the cvt gives no sense of connection between throttle and vehicle speed, perhaps it is because of my inexperience with cvts but it just seemed very unintuitive and inspired no confidence, that's not to say it was slow, it was as fast if not faster than the fit i'm driving now but it just doesnt feel like it

as for the suspension it was a bit soft for my tastes, soaked up the bumps better than the fit but that also means it isn't as stable in the corners, i'm 19 so i dont have a problem with stiff shocks, brakes were equally unimpressive as they lack feel and power, about the only thing i can say that's good about the car is rear legroom, though a couple of my friends riding in the backseat at the time noted there was quite a bit of roadnoise

if i were to buy a versa it would have to be the 6 speed manual, and the first thing i would do is get grabbier pads and stiffen up the shocks

 

I do mobile detailing, and the local nissan dealer hires us to do all of their detailing work. Well, I have had to chance to work on, sit in and drive a handful of versas, and the only words I can think of to describe them are "yuck" and "blah". They are SO boring and really awkwardly designed, inside and out.

Honda really knows how to design a car that is right in all the right ways, Nissan was getting there at one point, but they aren't even close anymore.

 

Not that this is a decisive slap in the face to the versa, but I just thought this was funny--the versa is the car with the most toxic fumes inside... in fact most of the fit's competitors are in the top ten most toxic list...

KickingTires: Nissan Versa Tops Toxic New Car Smell List

 

i havent' had a chance to drive the versa, but to me it doesnt' seem to belong in this class of car.
it seems nissan has gone with the bigger-is-better mentality here and i don't think it works, people looking at this class of car generally want something that is as effecient as possible.
what i want to know is why did they bother to release the versa sedan when the sentra cannot be much bigger?

 

It's because the Sentra has become bloated with options and in price in recent years, much like the Civic. The Versa and Fit were introduced to the U.S. market to take their respective places, an economy car that can be had with all the options for under $16k. The top of the line Sentras and Civics had become just too expensive.

Generally the longer a car is in production, the more expensive it becomes as they begin adding more options and features to keep the new models competitive with the market. Assuming the Versa and Fit are around for another 8-10 years, we'll also see their prices go up, not just because of inflation.

 

i guess by that time, the civic will be a yacht!

 

I totally agree with knifeedge. I drove a Versa here in PA and tried to do the fast turning that all of my Civics could handle easily. Not only was the ride soft, but the steering in those turns had way too much play. There's nothing tight about a Versa, although it had some cool features that Honda didn't offer: Bluetooth, keyless start.

And the hump someone else mentioned turned me off as well. I love my Magic Seats. I leave the back seats down all the time now and my windows are tinted so I can take a nap in my car without getting hot. ;-)

T
Fit Sport AT driver since 3/07

 

Before I bought my Honda I was on the edge leaning towards to Versa. The Versa came with a 6spd manual and more hp, plus all the reviews were pretty positive. I also like that Nissan has a great long term reliability record and I have always been a big fan of the Pathfinder and X-Terra. When I started the Honda didn't have a chance in my mind.

Man was I disapointed with it on the test drive, I will tell you why...
1) The 6spd shift gates were NOT nearly as slick as I expected, more like shifting my Jeep than a car!
2) The engine kept reving whenever I shifted, at first I thought I was still on the gas or I was doing a crappy job of shifting. But no, it apparently just does that. :confused:
3) The interior trim, wow what crap! I am sorry, but I could see every plastic mold line, the seats looked like cheap slip covers and they sank like a 20 year old couch when I sat in them.
4) The outward visibility, not even close to what I expected. I am big on visibility, I think it plays a major part in safety and I just couldn't comprimise on this. When I closed the door it felt like the rest of the world was totally shut out... great for people who want to use their cell phones while they drive I suppose. :rolleyes:

The Honda was one of my last test drives, but what a breath of fresh air. Crisp responce, excellent handeling, firm ride, an interior that was actually kind of upscale and clean slick shift gates!!

The only conclusion I can draw from my experience is that maybe the Versa I test drove had the crap run out of it by other testers. I don't know for sure, but it sure left a bad impression on me.

 

I test drove the Versa as I attempted to find the right car. The big issue I had with the Versa was that the rear seats did not fold flat. The rear would have two levels with the seats folded down, and this wasn't acceptable for me.

I did like the interior of the Versa better than the Fit and I thought the CVT on the Versa drove very nice.

The Nissan dealer also jacked the price of the car up to $19,500 before taxes and fees and wouldn't budge. So I went across the street, drove the Fit and knew the Fit was the right car for me.

But the Versa is a nice car, the rear seats were the big issue for me.

 

Hi, I know this is my first post and all and I really was interested in this particular thread. I have to say that there is a great deal of interesting feedback from everyone here. It seems that a big selling point was the creature comforts and visual asthetics for choosing the vehicle you did. I know that some of you might be able to tell that I did not purchase a Fit myself, although it is a really cool little car, I did however choose the Versa over the Fit.

If I dont mind saying so myself I was really impressed with both vehicles. I have owned both Nissans and Hondas in the past and have had a great deal of success with both. I actually had to go on several test drives before finally deciding. I went and looked at the Xa yaris and the SX4 as well. While the Fit was very nice, I didnt have the leg room I was looking for that I have in the Versa. Being that I am 6'4" it is hard to find a vehicle that I am really and truly comfortable in.

Keep in mind also that the demographic for the Fit is very different from the Versa. I believe there was a post above that stated that the Versa was strictly transportation. Which is very true. The target age bracket for the Versa is age 40-50, where as the Fit's target audience is age 20-30.

But all in all I enjoy reading the input you guys/gals have to offer. I myself selected the Versa after driving the Fit and I do not regret it. Fun car to drive. I just figured I would cruise on over here because a friend told me about the forum and after checking out the Versa's sleepy forum I was left wanting more. So i hope you dont mind that I chill with you guys.

 

Man I love that new car smell. I guess it's like huffing almost.

 

Hold your nose while your driving those top 10 most toxic cars! I drove the Versa but did not like the handling and loose feel of the steering. At least the Fit is not in this list of the 10 most toxic cars! My new car smell is gone - but not forgotten- LOL

Cat :x

 

Hi Cat...yeah, I wanted a car with CVT(would have got a Fit if they had had it). Was thinking about the Versa, but finally got a Dodge Caliber. So glad to have avoided the most toxic offgassing car(Versa). Am surprised tho, since the Korean cars, as a group, have the most toxic cars.

 

Has any Fit owners raced a Versa yet?

 

I have put up a better lap time in my V than a fit at an auto x event, but have never done a 1/4 mile against a fit. Kind of pointless if you ask me. They are both still pretty slow.

 

No but i want to! I hate the Nissan Versa:p

 

LOL totally agree with this hahahah

 

Its funny though good luck finding someone to race, most people that drive Versa's are long past thier speed demon days. I like mine for the handling aspect. It aint fast, but damn can it corner.

 

i would get a sentra over the versa...and i hate sentras except for their se-r