Versa in the Market

Extreme bargains are scarce these days, and Nissan deserves credit for keeping the Versa wallet-friendly. But the new Accent, Fit and Fiesta are cars you actually want to own — brand emissaries that leave a good enough impression for first-time buyers to stay in the family when it's time to buy the next car. If the new Versa is anyone's first Nissan, it imparts a brand that's big on value and practicality but short on drivability and perceived quality — far from Nissan's reality, but the Versa's flavor all the same.

Among entry-level cars, value is crucial. But, increasingly, so is overall appeal. Nissan hit a bulls-eye with one of those. I just wish it had hit the board at all with the other.

    See also:

    Engine block heater (if so equipped)
    Engine block heaters are used to assist in cold temperature starting. The engine block heater should be used when the outside temperature is 208F (−78C) or lower. To use the engine block h ...

    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 ...

    Using the system
    The NISSAN Voice Recognition system allows hands-free operation of the Bluetooth Phone System. If the vehicle is in motion, some commands may not be available so full attention may be given t ...