Long-Term Test: 2007 Nissan Versa SL

Why We Bought It
Durability
Performance and Fuel Economy
Retained Value
Summing Up

Inside Line's one-year test of the 2007 Nissan Versa SL became more than a test of this fuel-sipper's fortitude. It evolved into a test of our personal willpower. Life with a subcompact vehicle as a daily driver is not easy. The accumulation of 16,000 miles on our Versa was more difficult than we ever could have imagined.

Why We Bought It
We didn't exactly jump at the opportunity to add a 2007 Nissan Versa to our long-term fleet. We are driving enthusiasts, and subcompacts typically aren't our thing. But if you twist our collective arm far enough, we'll admit there were good reasons for bringing it into our fold of long-term test cars.

An upheaval in the subcompact world for 2007 made the Nissan Versa newsworthy. Nissan wasn't the only freshman in a class that also introduced the all-new Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. Updated versions of the Chevrolet Aveo and Hyundai Accent drew even more attention to the segment. By virtue of its performance during our full test, the Nissan was a shoo-in.

Yet another reason to add the Versa to our fleet was our intention to buy a Honda Fit. These two economical entries charmed us more than any of their competitors, and a 12-month comparison of these subcompacts side by side made it easy to spend our money on the 2007 Nissan Versa.

Durability
Twelve months with the Versa exposed us to life with a compact car as a daily driver. It's not an easy life. When it came time to choose a vehicle for the drive home each night, our lonely Nissan was regularly picked last. But that didn't keep us from appreciating what it has to offer.

Senior Editor Erin Riches noted in the Versa logbook, "After several evenings in our Versa, I'm finally beginning to understand its appeal. This is not a driver's car. It's a subcompact that offers the kind of comfort and space that seasoned commuters come to expect from a car. It has a soft ride, and the suspension absorbs freeway expansion joints well. Large, cuddly seats are also a benefit. While the 1.8-liter engine doesn't have much of a low end, it has a strong midrange that is useful in freeway traffic."

We found the 2007 Nissan Versa has an alter ego when it's full of passengers, though. With three or more occupants onboard, the Versa bobs and floats noticeably, especially at the back. If the asphalt isn't glassy smooth, the body motion is quite busy.

Life behind the wheel of the Versa is bland. Every aspect of the driving experience — from steering response to clutch pedal feel — is without a memorable moment. The Versa simply succeeds in moving its occupants from Point A to B in a completely plain fashion. It took us where we wanted to go and asked no questions, but it offered nothing extra.

Beyond its fairly straightforward architecture and powertrain, the Versa offers a few user-friendly features uncommon to vehicles in its class. One such feature is the keyless entry system. We found it beneficial, but a bit clumsy to use.

Lead Senior Editor Ed Hellwig was first to mention the keyless entry feature on the long-term blog pages. Hellwig wrote, "It's inevitable. At some point in the near future, someone is going to whine about the Versa's keyless ignition system. Well, that person won't be me. I drove the Versa all weekend running errands and using it like a normal owner. I kept the key fob in my pocket, locking and unlocking the doors by pushing the button on the handle. And you know what, it was easy."

Senior Photographer Scott Jacobs brought up the issue of the Versa's keyless entry design. Jacobs points out, "The way in which you turn off the car is silly to me. It requires you to twist the keyless knob on the steering column to the lock position to turn off the car. And that requires simultaneously depressing a release button to do so. If you don't turn all the way to the lock position, the car emits an annoying buzz. This car doesn't need a key, so why does it still have this function?"

Comparisons to our long-term 2007 Honda Fit were unavoidable, and understandably since we tested the compacts side by side for a year. Inside the cabin is where the Nissan stands out from its Honda counterpart. Versa offers more interior accessories than our Fit by far.

Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds had an opportunity to drive the 2007 Honda Fit and 2007 Nissan Versa back to back. He wrote, "While I agree the Versa isn't particularly fun to drive, I find the interior quite spacious and flexible. Unlike the Fit, in which I don't fit, the Versa fits me just fine. When all 6-foot-2 of me is settled in behind the wheel, rear seat passengers still have genuine legroom. I climbed into the seat behind my selfishly adjusted driving position and fit back there, too. I even had a couple of inches of daylight between my knees and the seat ahead. I can't say the same about most midsize cars."

The cover over our Versa's passenger-side airbag peeled back slightly on the dashboard at some point during our ownership. Whether it was a matter of heat or a prying passenger, we can't say. Beyond this blemish, the Versa lived a problem-free life. Mechanical defects were never in question.

Santa Monica Nissan performed our 7,500-mile service and charged just under $90 for the work. It's not the least expensive service around, but it was thorough. Our test was completed prior to the Versa requiring its 15,000-mile prescribed maintenance.

Total Body Repair Costs: None
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 12 months): $89.95
Additional Maintenance Costs: None
Warranty Repairs: None
Non-Warranty Repairs: None
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 1
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: None
Days Out of Service: None
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None

Performance and Fuel Economy
Standardized performance testing showed the 2007 Nissan Versa improved with age.

At 16,000 miles the Versa's acceleration from zero to 60 mph took 9.4 seconds, 1/10th of a second quicker than during its first test at 1,000 miles. In the quarter-mile, the Versa lost 2/10ths of a second and more than 2 mph, recording a final mark of 17.2 seconds at 80.2 mph.

Most remarkable is the Versa's improvement in braking performance. The distance required to stop from 60 mph shrank from 152 feet to 135 feet. We attribute this to normal brake pad break-in and the lack of optional ABS on our Versa. As a side note, an ABS-equipped 2007 Nissan Versa in a prior test needed only 123 feet to stop.

The Versa struggled through the slalom at a slow 63.9 mph, though this represents an improvement over our initial test. Lateral grip remains somewhat consistent at 0.77g on the skid pad. We did not expect much from this car's relatively narrow, tall-profile P185/65R15 tires.

Over a span of 16,427 miles we averaged 27 mpg. This number falls below the 30 mpg city and 34 mpg highway EPA estimates posted on the window sticker. Our best and worst single tanks of gas were 38 mpg and 17 mpg, respectively.

Best Fuel Economy: 38.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.1 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 26.7 mpg

Retained Value
When the time came to return our Versa, its value after depreciation was reasonable. Edmunds' TMV^® calculator measured the drop in value at 26 percent. This didn't seem bad until we compared it to our long-term 2007 Honda Fit.

Our Fit depreciated a mere 18 percent by comparison. This is interesting since the Fit has fewer options and a lower MSRP than the Versa, both of which typically increase value.

True Market Value at service end: $12,626
Depreciation: $4,439 or 26 percent of original paid price
Final Odometer Reading: 16,427

Summing Up
We rarely chose the 2007 Nissan Versa over any other vehicle in the fleet. It accumulated less mileage than any other long-term test car in quite some time. Inside Line tends to shy away from subcompacts in general, so this Nissan was guilty by association. When our list of daily commuter choices includes a BMW M3, a Ferrari 308 and a Mercedes-Benz C300, it's not difficult to justify our logic.

When comparing the 2007 Nissan Versa to the 2007 Honda Fit, our preference was obvious. We struggled to reach 16,000 miles in our Versa, while the sportier Fit eclipsed 20,000 miles in the same time frame. The Versa didn't get much love.

With that out of the way, the Nissan Versa is undeniably practical. Features such as keyless entry, sunroof, steering-wheel-mounted controls and adjustable second-row seats add personality to an otherwise simple machine. In fact, the car seems so simple that our most common reaction to the Versa driving experience was complacence. The Versa gets the job done in a practical manner, but it never inspires you with its competence.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.