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:

    Compact disc (CD) player
    ● Do not force a compact disc into the CD insert slot. This could damage the CD and/or CD player. ● Trying to load a CD with the CD door closed could damage the CD and/or CD p ...

    Starting the engine
    1. Apply the parking brake. 2. Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) model: Move the shift selector to P (Park) or N (Neutral). P (Park) is recommended. The starter is designed not to operate ...

    Uniform tire quality grading
    DOT (Department of Transportation) Quality Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to these grades. Quality grades can be found where applicable ...