High Points

Though it has cheaper rear drum brakes — the norm for this class — the Versa stops confidently, with strong, linear pedal feel. Ride comfort is another plus. The last Versa was a soft car, and I'm glad Nissan didn't change the formula. The suspension picks up some highway rhythms, but for an economy car it isolates major bumps well. On broken pavement the Versa stays connected to the road, despite its low-tech semi-independent rear suspension. In a segment characterized by firm-riding cars such as the Fit Sport and Fiat 500, the Versa's comfort stands out.

At 30/38 mpg city/highway with the automatic, the Versa's highway gas mileage falls just short of the vaunted 40 mpg boasted by the Fiesta, Accent, Rio and Sonic. But EPA combined mileage is 33 mpg, which matches the Fiesta and automatic Accent. (As of this writing, combined EPA figures for the Rio and Sonic are still pending.) The EPA rates the stick-shift Versa S at 30 mpg overall.

    See also:

    Seat belts
    The seat belts can be cleaned by wiping them with a sponge dampened in a mild soap solution. Allow the belts to dry completely in the shade before using them. See “Seat belt maintenance” in th ...

    Turn signal switch
    Turn signal switch Turn signal 1 Move the lever up or down to signal the turning direction. When the turn is completed, the turn signals cancel automatically. Lane change signal 2 To signal ...

    Fog light switch (if so equipped)
    To turn the fog lights on, turn the headlight switch to the position, then turn the fog light switch to the position. To turn the fog lights on with the headlight switch in the AUTOpositi ...