- sedan 112,135
- Greer, SC
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 112,135 gasoline gold automatic
2007 nissan versa review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new, big inside, small outside, with premium trim. introductionsmall cars are back in favor, which is not surprising considering the price of gasoline. There is decent head room, and even tall passengers will find rear seat leg room as good as that in many much larger cars or suvs. Handling is crisp and parking is a breeze. initially, the versa is only available as a five-door hatchback, but a sedan version will appear in nissan showrooms later in the model year. Modern hatchbacks have improved considerably from the econoboxes of years gone by and the versa is no exception with a well finished interior that includes good materials and plenty of modern conveniences and safety features. the versa competes with the lower priced toyota yaris and the more expensive honda fit, but it is slightly bigger than either. Bottom line, the versa is a large small car with good performance, plenty of safety features and versatility. lineupin keeping with its positioning as nissan's entry-level car, the versa lineup is pretty straightforward. It is available in two trim levels with manual or automatic transmission. Initially the versa is only available as a five-door hatchback. A sedan version will be added to the lineup in early 2007. both the s 12,450) and sl 14,450) come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, which is far from the norm in this class of car. Anti-lock brakes (abs) with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution (ebd) are an option on all models. options are limited on the s but include abs 250), a rear roof spoiler 350), splash guards 110), floormats 150) and an aluminum kick plate 90). A power package 700) includes power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, door armrest pad and a glove compartment light. the sl models feature a more powerful stereo system with an in-dash six cd changer with an auxiliary input jack, cruise control, alloy wheels, woven cloth seat fabric, rear seat center armrest, rear door pockets, remote keyless entry and power widows, door locks and mirrors. options for the sl include abs and some of the other options listed above that don't come standard. Xm or sirius satellite radio 300) is available for the sl, along with five option packages: the convenience package 700) features an intelligent key system, bluetooth hands-free phone system, steering wheel audio switches and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. An audio package 300) adds a rockford-fosgate stereo with premium speakers and subwoofer. The sunroof package 600) features a power sunroof and illuminated visor vanity mirrors. A sport package 700) includes fog lights, rear roof, side sill and front and rear chin spoilers. walkaroundthere's no doubt that a car with short overhangs looks much sportier than those where the wheels are far from the nose or tail. The nissan versa has an exceptionally short rear overhang that makes the car look much larger than it actually is. from the front the versa has some family styling cues from the quest minivan including a highly raked windshield and a prominent grille. The triangular shaped headlights look classy. Overall though, it doesn't look that much different from other small cars on the road. it's very different at the rear as the versa almost looks a bit like a hatchback bmw. The edges of the tailgate are angled inwards surprisingly far toward the lower lip. It's probably designed this way to allow the trapezoid-shaped taillights to stay on the body rather than being mounted on the tailgate itself. It gives the rear end a unique character, though the tailgate opening is smaller than it could be. the sedan version has a more conventional rear end that does not stand out nearly as much. It even comes close to that in the chevy suburban. No hard plastics here. It's obvious nissan listened to the criticism of the quest minivan which was lambasted for its hard plastic surfaces. The cloth-covered seats are also comfortable without being too soft and offer plenty of side support. the instrument pod contains three large, well-recessed gauges that are easy to read. The speedometer takes pride of place in the center and almost seems as if it is floating over the other two gauges. controls for the dash mounted radio and cd changer are well integrated into the center stack and although they are not very large they are easy to see and comprehend. There is a large volume knob in the center with a very visible power button. three functional, conventional knobs operate the climate control system. All in all there's nothing fancy about any of the controls although everything looks well finished. Two large cupholders are conveniently located under the center stack. keyless remote entry systems are now almost a standard on all but the least costly cars. The versa goes one step further with its optional intelligent key, which allows for keyless starting of the engine, something that hithertofore has only been available in luxury cars. versa's versatility really shines when it comes to carrying the goods. There's a generous 17. 8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place. Part of the reason for the spacious rear cargo space is due to careful design of the rear suspension so that it does not have any struts intruding into the interior. driving impressionpart of the reason the nissan versa delivers good fuel economy is due to the use of the xtronic continuously variable transmission, or cvt. Nissan first used this system in the murano where it was so well integrated that some drivers never noticed it was anything other than a regular automatic. that's not to say a cvt is not as good as a conventional transmission, but it is different. It delivers a much smoother drive as there are no gears or inefficient hydraulics involved. Instead, a series of belts are used to vary the drive ratio between the engine and the drive train. It works more efficiently than a traditional automatic, which is why the versa equipped with a cvt delivers the best highway mileage. Naturally, it will continue to offer a six-speed manual transmission for those who enjoy shifting. as nissan intends the cvt versa to be the most popular model in the range that is the one we spent time driving. It had plenty of zip and there was no problem merging into traffic on a fast free-flowing freeway. We found it not unpleasant, in fact it sounds kind of fun. Headquarters, we found the car's handling to.
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