2012 Nissan Versa review

The 2012 Nissan Versa sedan is about as compelling as an old dishwasher, but its fuel efficiency, roominess and unrivaled value will get a lot of shoppers to overlook that.

Economy cars boast sharper looks and more features than ever, but they're inching up in price — frustrating anyone who wants cheap wheels above all else. There's still hope: Redesigned for 2012, the Versa sedan starts at $10,990, making it the least-expensive 2012 model in the U.S. For around $14,500, it's the least expensive car with an automatic transmission, air conditioning and power windows. If a low car payment matters most, mark your calendar. The Versa goes on sale in August.

The sedan comes in S, SV and SL trims. All but the S have an automatic transmission. At a media preview, I tested the SV and SL. The Versa hatchback carries over from the previous generation for 2012, with a redesign on the way. This review covers the sedan, but if you want to learn more about the hatchback, our 2011 Versa overview gives a closer look.

See also:

Giving voice commands
1. Press and release the switch located on the steering wheel. 2. A list of commands appears on the screen, and the system announces, “Please say a command from the displayed list or say ...

Speaker adaptation (SA) mode
Speaker Adaptation allows up to two out-ofdialect users to train the system to improve recognition accuracy. By repeating a number of commands, the users can create a voice model of their own ...

Engine compartment check locations
MR20DE engine 1. Engine coolant reservoir 2. Engine oil filler cap 3. Brake fluid reservoir/Clutch fluid reservoir (M/T model) 4. Battery 5. Air cleaner 6. Fuse/Fusible link box 7. R ...