Thank you so much for reviewing affordable new cars! As a working class American with a low income, these are the reviews that are the most relevant to my life!
Exactly!!! I'm a big guy, been driving used cars for YEARS. My current vehicle is costing me A LOT of money to repair and maintain and thought it time to purchase my first NEW vehicle... and my gosh, new cars are SO EXPENSIVE! Thanks for this review Car Confections!
@@Scythe_Voltage when you have low income, you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars in repairs. when you have low income, you can't afford to lose your job because your crappy old beater of a car broke down and so you arrived at work an hour late. That's why you buy a new car with a low income.
Before COVID the base Versa sold for $10k ($14k-$4k in factory incentives and dealer discounts) Now they sell for $16k and no discounts. So this is 60% inflation over 4 years. ☹
Well no you can take incentives as inflation lol. It's a whole new generation of versa so it got more expensive also. This car was never 10k. The previous generation and it showed by the way it looked lol.
@@occckid123 look at used ones...the prices sure have gone up that much on old ones for sure...way out of my budget, i just bought a 98 Sentra with manual transmission
@@occckid12310k is a bit of a non factual stretch. In 2014 it start at 12k and had manual Everything. If you added in the standard features from a decade ago you would be in the 15-16k ballpark
For that price this is actually a good deal. The interior isn’t amazing but you get what you pay for. This would be a great commuter car or high schoolers first car
My husband has an hour commute every day. He has 8 years left until he can retire and is getting a new Versa next week in the hopes that he will be able to use it until retirement. Cheap cars that are good on gas are needed for the working people.
Unless you want a manual, there is no reason to go with any other Versa except the SR trim. You get so many more features for so little more money comparatively. I just bought a 2023 Versa SR is electirc blue. It stickered for $21,565. It has so much more than the S or SV, inclusing blind-spot monitoring, intelligent cruise control, automatic climate control, 17 inch alloy wheels, and more. It's such a great little car and packed with so many safety and convenience featues for the money.
@@REDGTA this saddens me. I got a 1 year old altima SL with with almost every option for 18k lol. During covid. Best decision I ever made. Carnote is low and put 5k down added an unlimited miles warranty and I'm good to go. I'm at 163k miles on my 19 altima. Don't have to worry since I have that warranty lol.
Everything seems so bad until you realize that this is $16,000! My mother had a chevy aveo hatchback, she drove that thing into the ground. Best car she ever owned. She loves this car. once i get my own car in a year or two, she is buying one of these.
Had a 21 Versa SR, It was a very economical car. I could squeeze out 50 mpg. I loved that car but it was just gutless, so I traded up. Other than that it was a terrific car. Had all the bells and whistles including fog lights which is not offered anymore in the USA models.
I'm just one guy. But I really haven't seen many of these on the road. I see older Versas and Versa notes. But not many new subcompacts. Probably will be axed after this gen. People looking for cheapness will probably move to the use market and dont even look or consider new. New car buyers automatically ignore this segment in mass and move upmarket. These cars really don't seem appealing brand new. Buyers find it hard to justify going for such a barebones, weird looking car. The deisgns are honestly the issue I think. Subcompacts are obviously not deisgned for modern tastes North Americans have. Also the size. Tons of people are terrified of the outcome of getting in a wreck in one of these. I'm about to buy a Honda Fit. But I really do worry about dying in it. I just need cheapness currently as it will be a work car and nothing else. There is a market for small cars but automakers don't see the worth in such low profits.
Need a first car for myself especially since I'm going to college next month and this is the cheapest option I have. You'd think used cars, but not anymore when a used car costs almost as much as a brand new Versa but with insane mileage. Although, the Nissan Versa I checked in my entire state of Florida brand new cost no less than $18,910, this isn't Nissan Official website price, this is the actual dealer price you are expected to pay.
And..... that's why we can't buy a car. Because it's not under $16k, nobody can drive a manual, and the final price literally jumped to tack on 15% percent of the car not to include Tax, Title, Destination, and bs dealer charges. What a joke. *TLDR : There are no new cars under $20k bought from a dealer in the United States today.*
I just bought a 2024 Versa Manual for $19,600, out the door price. I'm not a negotiator, so I paid sticker with the only dealer add-on a $200 DOC fee. I'm happy with a no hassle, low pressure buying experience. The dealership even delivered my current vehicle back to me the next day. 200 mile round trip for them, no additional charge to me. I call that service like you used to get from dealers who wanted to keep your business long term. So far, I'm very happy with the car and the dealer. Edit: Just thought I should give a shout-out to the dealer: Tony Serra Highland Nissan in Michigan.
A great value with a lot of extras, America has got soft over the years cars of 20 + years ago with this many extras on it was considered loaded and now it's considered a base car
3:43 Crazy how big cars have gotten, the 98 Sentra (manual transmission model so it is actually fun) that I bought a couple of months ago is only around 170 inches in length.
It's not great inside, but still manages to be better than the Mirage. And on the outside it's a clear winner over the mirage as well. Just wish they'd bring back the hatchback Versa.
Not enough corners cut. I would like to see a $10,000 new car that's even more basic. I'm talking about stuff like manual windows, one single dome light, 2 speaker audio system, no emergency braking/parking sensors, even more plain and basic plastic trim, etc.
Probably not economically feasible for a manufacturer to design and tool an assembly line for the very few manual windows that they would build in today's market. Standardization is key to economy. I have no problem including safety features in a basic economy car.
Amazing review, however, in the city I’m in, that 16k becomes 22k after unnecessary dealer markups (they REFUSE to remove) along with applicable taxes and registration fees.
Here is what makes the Nissan manual five speed a fun car. With only 110ish hp, you can drive the car hard and have fun, but no one will notice because 110 hp is not going to give you arrest me now speed or acceleration. Fun is drive slow car fast. Trouble is driving a fast car fast. That gets noticed and costs a ton more.
Agreed. People bag on the car for being slow but it's perfectly fine for the streets and highways. And with the 5 speed it's fun to drive. I don't need my everyday car to be my fast car. But in it's own way it actually feels zippy just because it's super light and handles pretty darn well, and I don't feel as concerned about throwing it around in between red lights as opposed to some big SUV where it might be more fast and more powerful but it feels irresponsible (in terms of gas and wear and tear) to try to gun it much in everyday driving.
In the under 20k club I like Versa, Soul, and Forte. I don't like the Rio, Mirage, or Venue. If you can go just above $20k the Jetta Sport (not to be confused with the Jetta S) is quite good as well.
@@HelenFire420 Let's be honest, no one is driving this car past 6 years or 60,000 miles, which is when CVTs typically start having issues. Folks would've saved up enough to upgrade by the time they do reach those milestones
@@TheHuskyK9 on top of all this the 60k miles issue thing was very early versions of cvts. in the early 2010s late 00s they blew up consistently 80-120k miles but anything 2015 and new for the most part will hit 200k. they have a bad rap because early ones had so much trouble. same thing goes for most companys dct first few years major problems after the first few years they last a long time. regular torque converted transmissions had similar issues at launch 100k miles 120k was good on those early ones now a days 200-300k is easily attainable. everyone is judging cvts by the first few year models even though most of those issues have been worked out almost 10 years ago now
We have a combination of these and the Kicks at work, they are decent cars when new, but they are also 100,000-130,000 mile cars, we've never had one go over 150,000 miles. The features routinely malfunction. The transmission is what kills these, and they are not a cheap one to replace or fix. Our 2021's are already dying out. Our cars are driven about 10,000 miles a month, not a bit of trouble until the transmission starts acting up.
Nice little car for the money! Actually looks nice too! I appreciate a nice sedan style instead of having the hatchback / SUV thrown in my face all the time.
@williamwyrmshard Hatchbacks always look better than their sedan counterparts, just look at Imprezzas, Civics, and especially Focuses. I'll agree that SUVs flood the market too much, but hatchbacks aren't crazy common in the states and look far better and less generic than most sedans.
@@BlueOvals24 sedans are now associated with youth, hatchbacks with the late 1970s to early 1980s and SUVs with aging uptight soccer moms rapidly becoming old hags.
With the current Nissan design language, I always can't tell what car is driving down the road, they all look the same. I will think it's an Altima but then it's a Sentra. And I thought it was an Altima from far, but it was a Versa. Not sure if it's a good thing or not.
3.5 years ago you could've gotten a chevy spark for $6250 brand new. It had Apple carplay Android auto and reverse camera with touch screen infotainment. But it didn't have automatic windows. Now the used version of this car costs more then what it was new 😂.
But, in 2023, no keyless entry or carplay/android auto capabilities, not even an armrest, and I'm so disappointed I bought this car because the dealer ended up making it up to the 20,000 dollar mark, I thought I was going to be getting so much more out of this car, I really want to pay this car off quick and get a car that actually is worth the money.
As someone who went from a Kia Sportage to a Versa SR, I don't feel I'm pushing myself at all. The Sportage was just too big and too bad on gas for my taste. The Versa is the right size for me. It's so tossable, fun to drive, and so much better on gas, plus it's so cheap I got a 3 year loan. It's a great car for around town. Not everyone needs a huge car, myself included. Oh, and the SR isn't 2K more than the cat they were testing. It's $1,300 more.
@@RedNekLvr22 Small light weight cars are always way more fun to drive than big heavy vehicles. Especially sedans with low center of gravity compared to crossovers with high center of gravity.
In a major reliability Poli did on the Versa they said with proper maintenance it would run 200- 300,000 miles easily, Nissan was ranked number 9 in the world in reliability and quality and safety behind only Toyota Honda and Kia and Lexus and a few more of the most expensive cars
@@HanabiiiUwU Yes and if you get a straight shift you don't have to worry about that because standard shifts are some of the most reliable transmission in the world
@idontgiveasheet It takes years to repair a destroyed reputation. It makes complete since to me that Nissan would fix CVT issues. But I wouldnt ever consider one currently. Probably ever. Honda and Toyota just make more sense.
Really excellent review. However, it's still going to be surpassed by what you can get in the United Kingdom for the equivalent of $5.53k the Dacia Sandero, which is £4.32k to £12.9k considering the fact that there are £1=$1.27-1.3 using the current exchange between the pound sterling and the u.s. dollar mid-market rate
poor people need android auto and apple car play so they can find their job. this car is a pretty good value just beware the loan departments might prey on people with bad credit with outrageous interest.
even the mitsubishi is a better option. please do not buy cheap nissan junk, spend an extra 4k on a honda civic and its much faster and reliable with better materials.
As much as I know I’ll never buy one myself, I feel happy knowing it’s here. It’s a. Car. It’s got 4 doors, an engine and a steering wheel. It’ll get me to places. But most importantly, it’s available new from factory at that price.
Fuel economy in the manual could have been better if they offered a 6 speed gearbox. I think the gimped it on purpose, especially when you consider all the other missing features on the s trim.
Really needs to be lifted up a bit and to become a hatchback. Then it would be extremely practical. Sedans and typical cars have gotten way too low. Trunks are useless. I would rather just get the Kicks crossover for more usage. But then again both are Nissans. Not worth risking because of reliability concerns.
I notice that for the 2023 refresh, it looks pretty similar to the leaf in the front design. Thats the only attribute that looks similar to the leaf which isn’t a bad trait. And for 16,000 usually i would have a lot of negatives but considering this is one of the cheapest new cars in America its for of a you get what you get type deal with this versa. As long as it gets you front point A to B sometimes C you wouldn’t have any trouble…. Except maybe getting up to speed in the slowest manner possible. However i dont think its gonna sell to well at 16k since thats for the base S manual. Not a lot of people know how to drive a manual transmission, so its kind of shocking to see that Nissan has stuck with the kind of transmission despite the low sales that manual cars get. I also agree with you guys on the airball as well the slam dunk. Cost cutting comes at a large risk. You have to know what features are needed and what features are wanted. However, eliminating the center console to cheap out is a little far, considering people store values in areas that nobody can see unless its open. Not to mention comfortability. I dont think anyone wants to fall inside their car.
Manual transmissions don't sell because car makers don't want to sell them. I wanted mt versa but it turned out that all mt versions in Ontario sold out back in May and no more are coming. Same with Mazda 3 mt base.
If manual transmissions were a high take feature, more cars would have them. But sales of manual transmissions is almost nothing in the United States except for a few speciality market vehicles. Bunches of people say they want manual transmissions, but at the end of the day, they choose the automatic. A manual is fun to play around in, but gets real annoying real quick in an hour long stop and go heavy traffic commute that is a major portion of real life for a whole lot of people. And the older go ka-plooy Nissan JATCO CVT transmissions of old are now long gone. They are significantly better now.
I mean, this is one of two cars in its class. Honda no longer sells the Fit, and Toyota has no subcompact, Ford has nothing, GM has nothing, nothing from Chrysler, only the Mitsubishi Mirage is left and that’s dog water compared to the Versa
Only way this thing lasts to 100k miles is a manual transmission. The CVT on this will blow up and I'm sure mechanically the car will be a complete disaster if you intend to keep this more than 3 years.
ya your completely wrong. i hate cvts but now a days they are are as reliable as almost any auto transmission 200k is easy for them. the kinks from the early models blowing up in late 00s early 2010s has long passed and problems have been fixed but everyone judges it by the first 4-5 years cvts were sold comercially even though almost every non luxury brand uses them except mazda
It’s 18,000 for the cheapest in my area and my state charges all kinds of taxes and fees so you’re looking at 20,000 after all the BS fees. Might as well spend an extra 5k and get the base Corolla and it will last longer. If it wasn’t for all the BS fees this would have been a good deal. Taxation is theft!
IKYFL!!!!! I think they forgot to give you guys the key fob!!! I know you don't have to put the key in the door to open it with power door locks!!!! THATS WILD IN 2023!!!!! 4:46
Going to be picking mine up this week hopefully. The only thing I didnt like was how close the steering wheel was to my knees and how my right leg seemd a bit trapped in by the center console but.. after waiting 6 months for an elantra only for them to keep saying i'm in line, I cancelled and went with this. I assume this will last longer too.
This vehicle is a big step down from the Kia Rio. For one its CVT tranny is belt (not chain) driven. Its also a full second slower than the Rio from 0-60.
Don't forget to add an additional $4,000 to that $16,000 for the replacement Jatco CVT transmission the car will need after approximately 30-40 thousand miles on the odometer. Maybe more, maybe fewer miles. Is this Versa good-looking inside and out? Yes! Does it scream "Penalty Box"? No! Nissan designers did a great job making the Versa look like a great option for those on tight budgets. And, it has the most horsepower out of its limited competition in the same price range. But as long as Nissan is forced to use Jatco CVT transmissions by its parent company that also owns Jatco, Nissans will continue to be an unreliable choice. And, Jatco seems perfectly happy making these things with zero effort in fixing the problem. Then again, why bother when you know you're going to be supplying Nissan and other car brands with it, anyway. _Oh! Apologies. My math is off. That's $4K JUST for the trans. itself. Not including the cost to remove the old one, and install a new one. So, about half the cost of a new Versa._ I'd honestly rather have a used Civic or Corolla. Heck, this is one time when I'd advise someone put themselves into debt in order to get a new one of the above mentioned two models. And, as someone who learned the hard way how credit cards work.... That's a heck of a thing for someone to say.
The CVT's have changed since the lawsuits. It is fairly well accepted that most of the horror stories were due to lack of maintenance and trying to drive a cheap economy car like it was a race car. Also, most of the failed transmissions were in vehicles with much more powerful engines that were a poor match for the original CVTs. This mis-match isn't as much as a problem with the Versa today. I bet you still believe that Pintos were fireballs too. LOL
@@LyleBialk Lack of maintenance?? No, no, that's a crock. You know it. Here's why.... CVTs were a brand new concept just a few short years ago. Meaning, no one knew you had to get them flushed every roughly 20K miles for them to last 100K miles. Owners didn't know, Nissan dealers didn't tell them. Guess what? Traditional automatic transmissions don't need to get flushed! So, customers just assumed the same thing about CVTs. Oddly, in your previous comment you claimed I was just spreading idle gossip and innuendo. But you just admitted there was a massive lawsuit regarding the unreliability of Jatco transmissions and that afterwards, Jatco started making better ones?! So you literally admitted I was right! If I wasn't, why would they bother making them better? Think about it. So, okay, thank you for admitting I was right. yeah, we're done here. Have a great day. 🙂
@@NGMonocrom Actually, very wrong again. Not sure where you did your "research". The following is a Quote from the AMCO Transmission website: "Believe it or not, the first continuously variable transmission was designed in 1490 by Leonardo DaVinci. Then it was patented in 1886 and became somewhat more widely-known in 1910. Around the 1980s, CVTs became much more mainstream and most manufacturers have at least one model with a CVT in their lineup."
Nissans way of measuring and sizing just doesn’t make sense to me at all. Why do the smaller vehicles have more room than the larger counterpart. Because its the same thing with the Altima and maxima. The maxima is full size, the Altima is midsized but has more interior room than the maxima. Idk if thats coincidental or just a mistake on Nissans part.
The new Sentra is more for a sporty look, but not feel. I know that I liked the sentra back in the day because it was a sporty looking car and I drove it fast. I didn't care that it was slow. Now with the Maxima, its just a very outdated platform and model. They discontinued it shortly after introducing the newer redesigned Altima.
I've got this as a rental & it's ok 🙄! I don't see this holding up the way Toyota's from the early 90's, 2000's probably would. I do like the acceleration
@@llcross04 Well, they call it a manufacturer's SUGGESTED Retail Price for a reason. It's just a suggestion 🤷🏻♂️ Unfortunately, a lot of dealers have taken that to mean they can charge whatever they want. I've seen Kia's get marked up for over $10k, absolutely insane.
Real question with a car like this is do you want this or spend 20k on really nice used Honda, it won’t be new but most likely mid tear trim but that’s still huge comparatively
The unnecessary cost cut in this car is the lack of at least remote entry. In 2023 its bad enough you dont have smart entry, but you have the disgrace of having to open your car with the key?! Otherwise its a pretty decent car with good features, the lack of remote entry just seems mean.
Thank you so much for reviewing affordable new cars! As a working class American with a low income, these are the reviews that are the most relevant to my life!
No problem! We like to cover cars for everyone!
Exactly!!! I'm a big guy, been driving used cars for YEARS. My current vehicle is costing me A LOT of money to repair and maintain and thought it time to purchase my first NEW vehicle... and my gosh, new cars are SO EXPENSIVE! Thanks for this review Car Confections!
Why are u buying a new car with low income
@@Scythe_Voltage when you have low income, you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars in repairs. when you have low income, you can't afford to lose your job because your crappy old beater of a car broke down and so you arrived at work an hour late. That's why you buy a new car with a low income.
@@braetonwilson4296 makes sense but also sounds like how u get stuck in a trap
Before COVID the base Versa sold for $10k ($14k-$4k in factory incentives and dealer discounts) Now they sell for $16k and no discounts.
So this is 60% inflation over 4 years. ☹
Well no you can take incentives as inflation lol. It's a whole new generation of versa so it got more expensive also. This car was never 10k. The previous generation and it showed by the way it looked lol.
@@occckid123 look at used ones...the prices sure have gone up that much on old ones for sure...way out of my budget, i just bought a 98 Sentra with manual transmission
@@fortheloveofnoise oh wow lol. My mom had 1.
@@occckid12310k is a bit of a non factual stretch. In 2014 it start at 12k and had manual Everything. If you added in the standard features from a decade ago you would be in the 15-16k ballpark
@@llcross04 plus inflation. The base manual is same price as my 2008 Honda fit sport was brand new. Good job nissan keeping affordable options
For that price this is actually a good deal. The interior isn’t amazing but you get what you pay for. This would be a great commuter car or high schoolers first car
No more like a college. High schooler should get a used/reliable car.
@@carapapenfuss2663 agreed.
@@carapapenfuss2663high school is fine also
Anyone who can't pay cash for a new car should just use cash to pay for a used car. That applies to 90% or more for people below 25.
@@carapapenfuss2663 I had a new 2011 Versa as a highschooler. It was perfect, and it being brand new had me taking care of it like crazy.
My husband has an hour commute every day. He has 8 years left until he can retire and is getting a new Versa next week in the hopes that he will be able to use it until retirement. Cheap cars that are good on gas are needed for the working people.
Unless you want a manual, there is no reason to go with any other Versa except the SR trim. You get so many more features for so little more money comparatively.
I just bought a 2023 Versa SR is electirc blue. It stickered for $21,565. It has so much more than the S or SV, inclusing blind-spot monitoring, intelligent cruise control, automatic climate control, 17 inch alloy wheels, and more.
It's such a great little car and packed with so many safety and convenience featues for the money.
Congrats on your new Versa! We agree that the SR is the way to go for value and features
Its it viable on the highway ?
@@josiahjensen9418 It's been just fine. It's not fast, but it keeps up with city traffic just fine.
only reason for me to buy a versa is for the manual otherwise i would buy a sentra.
17 inch wheels are a disadvantage. IMO
Not sure why, but I actually like this car. It reminds me of what cars used to be before all the electronic stuff.
Me too. I actually like the absence of "keyless entry", for instance.
@@bobaldo2339 only problem is keys bend and this car may not have a key entry on any door aside from the driver's door.
The perfect first car/college car. I like the fact that you do get some bells and whistles at that price point, even if it's as basic as it can get.
Good luck finding a dealer that will sell you one for under $16K. I paid $16994 for mine with a small dealer discount.
Most of dealers will mark them up $2000 on top of destination because they are hard to get. Just bought an S model manual trans and had to pay $21,000
@@REDGTA There are dealers out there that will sell for MSRP, but you have to do what I show in my "how to find a Versa" video.
@@REDGTA this saddens me. I got a 1 year old altima SL with with almost every option for 18k lol. During covid. Best decision I ever made. Carnote is low and put 5k down added an unlimited miles warranty and I'm good to go. I'm at 163k miles on my 19 altima. Don't have to worry since I have that warranty lol.
@REDGTA you got scammed. There is just no other way to say it.
Blame the local dealers and put them on blast....... refuse to pay markups
Everything seems so bad until you realize that this is $16,000! My mother had a chevy aveo hatchback, she drove that thing into the ground. Best car she ever owned. She loves this car. once i get my own car in a year or two, she is buying one of these.
Lol, under 16k my ass... the dealer just quoted me $19,500 for a Versa S 😂😂😂
Love the affordable car reviews! 👌
Glad you like them!
Great to see you guys this week in Austin! Love the cheap Versa!
Yeah great hanging out with ya!
Kirk you're awesome!! Love yr content!!!
Stick to the manual . A friend has a cvt Versa sitting in the driveway , not moving ...
What year is that versa
“What’s going on, TH-cam?”
I subscribed today and im already tired of this sound 😖
It's annoying and cringe.
I Bought a 08 Versa used in 2010. Still going strong.
Had a 21 Versa SR, It was a very economical car. I could squeeze out 50 mpg. I loved that car but it was just gutless, so I traded up. Other than that it was a terrific car. Had all the bells and whistles including fog lights which is not offered anymore in the USA models.
I'm just one guy. But I really haven't seen many of these on the road. I see older Versas and Versa notes. But not many new subcompacts. Probably will be axed after this gen. People looking for cheapness will probably move to the use market and dont even look or consider new. New car buyers automatically ignore this segment in mass and move upmarket.
These cars really don't seem appealing brand new. Buyers find it hard to justify going for such a barebones, weird looking car. The deisgns are honestly the issue I think. Subcompacts are obviously not deisgned for modern tastes North Americans have. Also the size. Tons of people are terrified of the outcome of getting in a wreck in one of these. I'm about to buy a Honda Fit. But I really do worry about dying in it. I just need cheapness currently as it will be a work car and nothing else. There is a market for small cars but automakers don't see the worth in such low profits.
Need a first car for myself especially since I'm going to college next month and this is the cheapest option I have. You'd think used cars, but not anymore when a used car costs almost as much as a brand new Versa but with insane mileage. Although, the Nissan Versa I checked in my entire state of Florida brand new cost no less than $18,910, this isn't Nissan Official website price, this is the actual dealer price you are expected to pay.
And..... that's why we can't buy a car. Because it's not under $16k, nobody can drive a manual, and the final price literally jumped to tack on 15% percent of the car not to include Tax, Title, Destination, and bs dealer charges. What a joke.
*TLDR : There are no new cars under $20k bought from a dealer in the United States today.*
I just bought a 2024 Versa Manual for $19,600, out the door price. I'm not a negotiator, so I paid sticker with the only dealer add-on a $200 DOC fee. I'm happy with a no hassle, low pressure buying experience. The dealership even delivered my current vehicle back to me the next day. 200 mile round trip for them, no additional charge to me. I call that service like you used to get from dealers who wanted to keep your business long term. So far, I'm very happy with the car and the dealer.
Edit: Just thought I should give a shout-out to the dealer: Tony Serra Highland Nissan in Michigan.
A great value with a lot of extras, America has got soft over the years cars of 20 + years ago with this many extras on it was considered loaded and now it's considered a base car
3:43 Crazy how big cars have gotten, the 98 Sentra (manual transmission model so it is actually fun) that I bought a couple of months ago is only around 170 inches in length.
the 2023 Kia Soul is 165 inches...
It's not great inside, but still manages to be better than the Mirage. And on the outside it's a clear winner over the mirage as well. Just wish they'd bring back the hatchback Versa.
Not just cheapest in pricing but also in build quality, performance and reliability. Enjoy!
?
Not enough corners cut. I would like to see a $10,000 new car that's even more basic. I'm talking about stuff like manual windows, one single dome light, 2 speaker audio system, no emergency braking/parking sensors, even more plain and basic plastic trim, etc.
You're describing the Versa of a few years ago
I think car manufacturers have to comply with certain safety regulations and need to have it included
Probably not economically feasible for a manufacturer to design and tool an assembly line for the very few manual windows that they would build in today's market. Standardization is key to economy. I have no problem including safety features in a basic economy car.
Amazing review, however, in the city I’m in, that 16k becomes 22k after unnecessary dealer markups (they REFUSE to remove) along with applicable taxes and registration fees.
Here is what makes the Nissan manual five speed a fun car. With only 110ish hp, you can drive the car hard and have fun, but no one will notice because 110 hp is not going to give you arrest me now speed or acceleration. Fun is drive slow car fast. Trouble is driving a fast car fast. That gets noticed and costs a ton more.
Agreed. People bag on the car for being slow but it's perfectly fine for the streets and highways. And with the 5 speed it's fun to drive. I don't need my everyday car to be my fast car. But in it's own way it actually feels zippy just because it's super light and handles pretty darn well, and I don't feel as concerned about throwing it around in between red lights as opposed to some big SUV where it might be more fast and more powerful but it feels irresponsible (in terms of gas and wear and tear) to try to gun it much in everyday driving.
In the under 20k club I like Versa, Soul, and Forte. I don't like the Rio, Mirage, or Venue. If you can go just above $20k the Jetta Sport (not to be confused with the Jetta S) is quite good as well.
Just don’t get a versa with a CVT! Then it’s going to cost more than the car is worth to fix!
@@HelenFire420 Let's be honest, no one is driving this car past 6 years or 60,000 miles, which is when CVTs typically start having issues. Folks would've saved up enough to upgrade by the time they do reach those milestones
@@TheHuskyK9and on top of that, brands like Toyota and Honda are using the CVTs.
@@TheHuskyK9 on top of all this the 60k miles issue thing was very early versions of cvts. in the early 2010s late 00s they blew up consistently 80-120k miles but anything 2015 and new for the most part will hit 200k. they have a bad rap because early ones had so much trouble. same thing goes for most companys dct first few years major problems after the first few years they last a long time. regular torque converted transmissions had similar issues at launch 100k miles 120k was good on those early ones now a days 200-300k is easily attainable. everyone is judging cvts by the first few year models even though most of those issues have been worked out almost 10 years ago now
Above $20K slightly, get the new 2024 Chevrolet Trax LS instead.
We have a combination of these and the Kicks at work, they are decent cars when new, but they are also 100,000-130,000 mile cars, we've never had one go over 150,000 miles. The features routinely malfunction. The transmission is what kills these, and they are not a cheap one to replace or fix. Our 2021's are already dying out. Our cars are driven about 10,000 miles a month, not a bit of trouble until the transmission starts acting up.
Nice little car for the money! Actually looks nice too! I appreciate a nice sedan style instead of having the hatchback / SUV thrown in my face all the time.
No, they need to make a hatchback for this car. They are objectively better than sedans and sedans need to just die out already.
@@BlueOvals24I could almost agree with you if hatchbacks and SUV’s weren’t hideous.
@williamwyrmshard Hatchbacks always look better than their sedan counterparts, just look at Imprezzas, Civics, and especially Focuses. I'll agree that SUVs flood the market too much, but hatchbacks aren't crazy common in the states and look far better and less generic than most sedans.
sedans are now for the young while suvs are for aging uptight soccer moms who are grandmas now.
@@BlueOvals24 sedans are now associated with youth, hatchbacks with the late 1970s to early 1980s and SUVs with aging uptight soccer moms rapidly becoming old hags.
With the current Nissan design language, I always can't tell what car is driving down the road, they all look the same. I will think it's an Altima but then it's a Sentra. And I thought it was an Altima from far, but it was a Versa. Not sure if it's a good thing or not.
I NEED THIS CAR!!!!!!! I really hope Nissan keeps making it.
They will, since it sells a lot in Mexico.
the styling would be helped a lot,
and the cargo too, by just stretching that roof line and building a hatchback. no crushing your luggage either
Good job Nissan by keeping the price down & improving the front grill look from the previous model ❤❤❤
I think the back is an even bigger improvement.
3.5 years ago you could've gotten a chevy spark for $6250 brand new. It had Apple carplay Android auto and reverse camera with touch screen infotainment. But it didn't have automatic windows. Now the used version of this car costs more then what it was new 😂.
That’s not true at all, the 2021 Chevy spark MSRP was $14,595. Please for the love of god do some research
6:03 just couldn’t resist 😂😂😂
Great video of the 2023 Nissan Versa!! You guys are THE BEST!!
It’s a good deal especially when used cars don’t have warranties and add about $1500 to the price. It’s a doable car. I wish it offered an arm rest
But, in 2023, no keyless entry or carplay/android auto capabilities, not even an armrest, and I'm so disappointed I bought this car because the dealer ended up making it up to the 20,000 dollar mark, I thought I was going to be getting so much more out of this car, I really want to pay this car off quick and get a car that actually is worth the money.
"Nissan cheapest new car in America"
Past Nissan CVT owners have entered the chat.
Nissan knows they are making that money up by the amounts of cvt transmission replacement over the years. 😂
If you are going to punish yourself by buying one of these, do yourself a favor and splurge an extra 2K for a fully loaded SR. It's worth it.
As someone who went from a Kia Sportage to a Versa SR, I don't feel I'm pushing myself at all. The Sportage was just too big and too bad on gas for my taste. The Versa is the right size for me. It's so tossable, fun to drive, and so much better on gas, plus it's so cheap I got a 3 year loan. It's a great car for around town.
Not everyone needs a huge car, myself included.
Oh, and the SR isn't 2K more than the cat they were testing. It's $1,300 more.
@@RedNekLvr22 Small light weight cars are always way more fun to drive than big heavy vehicles. Especially sedans with low center of gravity compared to crossovers with high center of gravity.
@@RedNekLvr22 I'm glad it worked out so well for you!
@@RedNekLvr22how much the price of your car out of the dealer please 🙏🏻 I’m looking to see
@@braetonwilson4296totally agree it's a major factor no one talks about
In this day in age when people just want simple car this is the one to purchase! Since Hondas are loaded with electronics similar to Benz
In a major reliability Poli did on the Versa they said with proper maintenance it would run 200- 300,000 miles easily, Nissan was ranked number 9 in the world in reliability and quality and safety behind only Toyota Honda and Kia and Lexus and a few more of the most expensive cars
What people don't realize is that the CVT issues they had have been fixed by now, you just have to take care of it, like any other car.
@@HanabiiiUwU Yes and if you get a straight shift you don't have to worry about that because standard shifts are some of the most reliable transmission in the world
@idontgiveasheet It takes years to repair a destroyed reputation. It makes complete since to me that Nissan would fix CVT issues. But I wouldnt ever consider one currently. Probably ever. Honda and Toyota just make more sense.
Yea right, maybe during the 80s or 90s.
Not so interested in the CVT models. The manual should be a good long term car!
"This part here looks like it is soft, but it is actually still hard"
Really excellent review. However, it's still going to be surpassed by what you can get in the United Kingdom for the equivalent of $5.53k the Dacia Sandero, which is £4.32k to £12.9k considering the fact that there are £1=$1.27-1.3 using the current exchange between the pound sterling and the u.s. dollar mid-market rate
The new sandero starts from £13k. Not sure where you got your numbers from?
I just want to know if the CVT is still iffy on long term durability because I understand they are very pricey to fix when they go bad.
Stay away from Nissan CVT
Excellent content 👌🏾
We appreciate that!
Excellent review, my only complaint is I feel remote keyless entry should at least be part of the S Plus package!😸
Only if you add a few hundred dollars more
poor people need android auto and apple car play so they can find their job.
this car is a pretty good value just beware the loan departments might prey on people with bad credit with outrageous interest.
even the mitsubishi is a better option. please do not buy cheap nissan junk, spend an extra 4k on a honda civic and its much faster and reliable with better materials.
As much as I know I’ll never buy one myself, I feel happy knowing it’s here. It’s a. Car. It’s got 4 doors, an engine and a steering wheel. It’ll get me to places. But most importantly, it’s available new from factory at that price.
the only reason this is interesting is that it is one of the last cars in the US to come standard with a manual :(
Fuel economy in the manual could have been better if they offered a 6 speed gearbox. I think the gimped it on purpose, especially when you consider all the other missing features on the s trim.
This is not true, with dealer mark up it's like $20k.
If they had a hatchback with a stickshift I'd probably buy it. Everyone makes fun of Versas, but I respect that these cars are no b.s.
Nice video keep up the good work
My first car for sure!
Those MPG estimates are extremely conservative. I'm averaging 42.5 - 43 MPG, mixed in my 2024 manual Versa.
Keep up the good work
Really needs to be lifted up a bit and to become a hatchback. Then it would be extremely practical. Sedans and typical cars have gotten way too low. Trunks are useless. I would rather just get the Kicks crossover for more usage. But then again both are Nissans. Not worth risking because of reliability concerns.
Very thorough review
Good review. But you forgot about Sport Mode (the little button on the gear shifter). That would have given you some more pep.
You could get them sub 10k. Big jump to start at 16k.
A lot changes in 15 years😢
I notice that for the 2023 refresh, it looks pretty similar to the leaf in the front design. Thats the only attribute that looks similar to the leaf which isn’t a bad trait. And for 16,000 usually i would have a lot of negatives but considering this is one of the cheapest new cars in America its for of a you get what you get type deal with this versa. As long as it gets you front point A to B sometimes C you wouldn’t have any trouble…. Except maybe getting up to speed in the slowest manner possible. However i dont think its gonna sell to well at 16k since thats for the base S manual. Not a lot of people know how to drive a manual transmission, so its kind of shocking to see that Nissan has stuck with the kind of transmission despite the low sales that manual cars get. I also agree with you guys on the airball as well the slam dunk. Cost cutting comes at a large risk. You have to know what features are needed and what features are wanted. However, eliminating the center console to cheap out is a little far, considering people store values in areas that nobody can see unless its open. Not to mention comfortability. I dont think anyone wants to fall inside their car.
the auto transmission is the nissans Achilles heal, a manual will make it much more reliable. Im shocked at how good this car is for the price.
Manual transmissions don't sell because car makers don't want to sell them. I wanted mt versa but it turned out that all mt versions in Ontario sold out back in May and no more are coming. Same with Mazda 3 mt base.
If manual transmissions were a high take feature, more cars would have them. But sales of manual transmissions is almost nothing in the United States except for a few speciality market vehicles. Bunches of people say they want manual transmissions, but at the end of the day, they choose the automatic. A manual is fun to play around in, but gets real annoying real quick in an hour long stop and go heavy traffic commute that is a major portion of real life for a whole lot of people.
And the older go ka-plooy Nissan JATCO CVT transmissions of old are now long gone. They are significantly better now.
I mean, this is one of two cars in its class. Honda no longer sells the Fit, and Toyota has no subcompact, Ford has nothing, GM has nothing, nothing from Chrysler, only the Mitsubishi Mirage is left and that’s dog water compared to the Versa
Still a good first car for me to buy one guys.
Only way this thing lasts to 100k miles is a manual transmission. The CVT on this will blow up and I'm sure mechanically the car will be a complete disaster if you intend to keep this more than 3 years.
Not true, you just have to maintain it every 30-40k miles. It will cost more in maintenance that a manual but it’ll last 100k+ miles
ya your completely wrong. i hate cvts but now a days they are are as reliable as almost any auto transmission 200k is easy for them. the kinks from the early models blowing up in late 00s early 2010s has long passed and problems have been fixed but everyone judges it by the first 4-5 years cvts were sold comercially even though almost every non luxury brand uses them except mazda
It’s 18,000 for the cheapest in my area and my state charges all kinds of taxes and fees so you’re looking at 20,000 after all the BS fees. Might as well spend an extra 5k and get the base Corolla and it will last longer. If it wasn’t for all the BS fees this would have been a good deal.
Taxation is theft!
Man I would rather buy something a few years old with way more features and equipment. Great car for a 1st time buyer.
Great video
Super content.
Here in Brazil, we paid the equivalent of more than 100,000 dollars. Comparing with the minimum wage. Can you imagine paying that much for this car?
It's a FANTASTIC 16-18k car, but not so much over that. I'm looking at a base Sentra for 20k
All fun and games til the CVT shits itself as soon as you pull out the lot 😂😂.
JFC, they are really removing keyless entry at the base trim level? What year is it?
This will keep many teenage daughters safe. That cvt though…
IKYFL!!!!! I think they forgot to give you guys the key fob!!! I know you don't have to put the key in the door to open it with power door locks!!!! THATS WILD IN 2023!!!!! 4:46
I have power locks and no fob...but i own a 98 sentra
Good value but I’m worried about its safety rating.
dont worry, that wont change anything
You guys laughing cracked me up 😂
“It is actually still hard” 😂
Going to be picking mine up this week hopefully. The only thing I didnt like was how close the steering wheel was to my knees and how my right leg seemd a bit trapped in by the center console but.. after waiting 6 months for an elantra only for them to keep saying i'm in line, I cancelled and went with this. I assume this will last longer too.
The CVT is probably the weak point of this car
This car has the best warranty in the game! Especially for the drivetrain. 💯
This vehicle is a big step down from the Kia Rio. For one its CVT tranny is belt (not chain) driven. Its also a full second slower than the Rio from 0-60.
Thank you. This might be my next car.
why they dont make the hatchback anymore? i prefer the hatchback for having more flexible cargo space
The most sensible car of 2023.
Don't forget to add an additional $4,000 to that $16,000 for the replacement Jatco CVT transmission the car will need after approximately 30-40 thousand miles on the odometer. Maybe more, maybe fewer miles. Is this Versa good-looking inside and out? Yes! Does it scream "Penalty Box"? No! Nissan designers did a great job making the Versa look like a great option for those on tight budgets. And, it has the most horsepower out of its limited competition in the same price range. But as long as Nissan is forced to use Jatco CVT transmissions by its parent company that also owns Jatco, Nissans will continue to be an unreliable choice. And, Jatco seems perfectly happy making these things with zero effort in fixing the problem.
Then again, why bother when you know you're going to be supplying Nissan and other car brands with it, anyway. _Oh! Apologies. My math is off. That's $4K JUST for the trans. itself. Not including the cost to remove the old one, and install a new one. So, about half the cost of a new Versa._ I'd honestly rather have a used Civic or Corolla. Heck, this is one time when I'd advise someone put themselves into debt in order to get a new one of the above mentioned two models. And, as someone who learned the hard way how credit cards work.... That's a heck of a thing for someone to say.
Repeating horror stories without doing any actual research.
@@LyleBialk
Being in denial when someone is telling the blatant, honest truth. I did my research. You clearly did not.
The CVT's have changed since the lawsuits. It is fairly well accepted that most of the horror stories were due to lack of maintenance and trying to drive a cheap economy car like it was a race car. Also, most of the failed transmissions were in vehicles with much more powerful engines that were a poor match for the original CVTs. This mis-match isn't as much as a problem with the Versa today. I bet you still believe that Pintos were fireballs too. LOL
@@LyleBialk
Lack of maintenance?? No, no, that's a crock. You know it. Here's why.... CVTs were a brand new concept just a few short years ago. Meaning, no one knew you had to get them flushed every roughly 20K miles for them to last 100K miles. Owners didn't know, Nissan dealers didn't tell them. Guess what? Traditional automatic transmissions don't need to get flushed! So, customers just assumed the same thing about CVTs.
Oddly, in your previous comment you claimed I was just spreading idle gossip and innuendo. But you just admitted there was a massive lawsuit regarding the unreliability of Jatco transmissions and that afterwards, Jatco started making better ones?! So you literally admitted I was right! If I wasn't, why would they bother making them better? Think about it. So, okay, thank you for admitting I was right. yeah, we're done here. Have a great day. 🙂
@@NGMonocrom Actually, very wrong again. Not sure where you did your "research".
The following is a Quote from the AMCO Transmission website: "Believe it or not, the first continuously variable transmission was designed in 1490 by Leonardo DaVinci. Then it was patented in 1886 and became somewhat more widely-known in 1910. Around the 1980s, CVTs became much more mainstream and most manufacturers have at least one model with a CVT in their lineup."
Nissans way of measuring and sizing just doesn’t make sense to me at all. Why do the smaller vehicles have more room than the larger counterpart. Because its the same thing with the Altima and maxima. The maxima is full size, the Altima is midsized but has more interior room than the maxima. Idk if thats coincidental or just a mistake on Nissans part.
The new Sentra is more for a sporty look, but not feel. I know that I liked the sentra back in the day because it was a sporty looking car and I drove it fast. I didn't care that it was slow. Now with the Maxima, its just a very outdated platform and model. They discontinued it shortly after introducing the newer redesigned Altima.
I've got this as a rental & it's ok 🙄! I don't see this holding up the way Toyota's from the early 90's, 2000's probably would. I do like the acceleration
Under a 16K lol not here in Texas, 16K will get you a used 2019 versa'
I really hate that the tachometer skips 1, and the marking is what would normally be the 500 rpm increment.
I can't find a manual for less than $18,500.
$16k...yeah, before the stupid add-ons and $5k dealer markup.
The price is accurate. Blame your local dealers for trying to screw you.... don’t pay the markup
@@llcross04 Well, they call it a manufacturer's SUGGESTED Retail Price for a reason. It's just a suggestion 🤷🏻♂️
Unfortunately, a lot of dealers have taken that to mean they can charge whatever they want. I've seen Kia's get marked up for over $10k, absolutely insane.
6:00 not this part 😭😭 Lmao
😂😂
I would HAVE to have the manual!
but is the CVT reliable...
The lights are more then fine
Hey guys, new to your channel and loved this review! That really is a lot of new car for the $$. I'm a fan now and keep up the great work!
Thanks, James! Welcome to the Car Confections family!
@@CarConfections Thank you! So glad to have found you guys!
I had a Versa as a rental and it was shittier to be in than my 20 year old economy car.
I had one as a rental and it sold me on the car.
Real question with a car like this is do you want this or spend 20k on really nice used Honda, it won’t be new but most likely mid tear trim but that’s still huge comparatively
You are better off going with a Toyota. They last longer than Honda
The unnecessary cost cut in this car is the lack of at least remote entry. In 2023 its bad enough you dont have smart entry, but you have the disgrace of having to open your car with the key?! Otherwise its a pretty decent car with good features, the lack of remote entry just seems mean.