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:

    Too High to Handle
    The numbers quantify the Spec V's main disappointments, but there was something fundamentally wrong with the driving experience, and after days and miles I finally concluded that the car is just t ...

    Rear-facing child restraint installation using LATCH
    Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child safety” and “Child restraints” sections before installing a child restraint. Follow these steps to install a rear-facing child restraint ...

    FM/AM radio with compact disc (CD) changer (if so equipped)
    For all operation precautions, see "Audio operation precautions" in this section. VOL/ON·OFF control: Place the ignition switch in the ACC or ON position and push the VOL/ON·OFF cont ...