This Is The Cheapest Car In America! | 2023 Nissan Versa Review

Aug 3, 2023

This Is The Cheapest Car In America! | 2023 Nissan Versa Review

Well, almost. Sort of. You see, the cheapest car in America is indeed the Versa, but not the one most folks buy. Nissan still offers a 5-speed manual transmission that is the cheapest, but most buyers are likely to get the CVT which puts the Versa third, just after the Mirage and Rio. So which inexpensive car is right for you? Let’s find out.

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Content

0.24 -> I am being 100 serious when I tell you that today we're taking a look at one of my favorite cars on

5.82 -> sale in North America this is the cheapest car in North America the 2023 Nissan Versa well okay this

13.32 -> specific model isn't the cheapest version this one is 22 460. still less than half of the average new

19.8 -> car in America but if I were to buy a versa I would probably buy the base model which comes

25.38 -> in at 16 925 including destination of course you're on your own for tax title and license

32.04 -> it is not particularly fast it is not the biggest car but bearing in mind that you can get a brand

38.58 -> new car with a brand new car warranty for under seventeen thousand dollars this Versa is all kinds

44.46 -> of fantastic and yes in case you're wondering I do have a seriously cheap side sometimes

53.46 -> thank you

60.48 -> internally we've been talking a great deal about what our next long-term test vehicle should be and

65.7 -> the Versa has been at the top of my list not the top of everybody's list but it certainly has been

70.2 -> at the top of mind and enough of you like share and subscribe this video maybe I could afford to

74.58 -> buy a base Nissan Versa now again this is the SR trim so we have LED headlights with LED accents

80.46 -> the SR badging right there a slightly different treatment to the front grille but the entire rest

85.56 -> of the Versa lineup looks essentially like this up front it was refreshed for 2023 and the Rumor

91.02 -> Mill says we may get another refresh for 2024 but that rumor mill also says that the price

96.66 -> tag might go up because it's entirely possible we could lose the five-speed manual transmission

101.52 -> if you're someone like my dad you're probably thinking to yourself back in my day I could have

106.5 -> bought a whole lot for seventeen thousand dollars and my answer would be yes but the dinosaurs were

111.42 -> also roaming the Earth at the time and the Nissan Versa is a good example of why new car costs have

117.3 -> escalated as far as a baseline goes because we find a lot standard feature content on here we

122.76 -> find LCD screens on the inside two of them on the inside even though we do have a five-speed manual

128.34 -> transmission we have standard autonomous emergency braking with standard pedestrian detection airbags

133.26 -> all that active safety Tech and of course more optional safety Tech if you get the upper end

137.76 -> trims things that were not even imaginable 40 years ago it's also worth noting that if you're

142.74 -> waxing poetic about sub ten thousand dollar cars they didn't have standard features like

147.78 -> air conditioning power locks power windows Etc all of which are going to happen on every Nissan

153.6 -> Versa logically the other way we get to the low sticker price is by having less car this is 177

159.72 -> inches long so it's about five inches shorter than a Toyota Corolla although on the inside we only

164.82 -> have about one inch less leg room this is half a foot shorter than a Nissan Sentra but it's still

170.28 -> a sedan so if you're after an affordable Crossover with a bit more cargo practicality you're going to

175.26 -> be paying a lot more this sedan format happens to be fairly inexpensive because in other

180.48 -> regions around the world the Nissan Versa is sold under a variety of different names and its fairly

185.76 -> popular worldwide we just happen to benefit from that popularity in North America if you listen to

191.34 -> the rumor Mills then the Versa is likely going to get a rear end refresh for 2024 probably a

196.14 -> new bumper design the tail lights are definitely in keeping with the current Nissan lineup though

200.46 -> with the Chevron theme in there we of course have incandescent turn signals because this is a pretty

204.9 -> inexpensive vehicle but they are Amber which is certainly my preference since this is the

209.22 -> SR trim we have a tiny little spoiler on top of the trunk lid a little bit of carbon fiber effect

213.6 -> black trim going on back here and rear parking sensors a nice touch is that if you get the rear

218.76 -> parking sensors you also have rear autonomous emergency braking which will hit the brakes to

223.44 -> keep you from backing into whatever it might be in your yard when you pop the hood it's important

227.82 -> to keep your expectations in check under here we find a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine producing

232.92 -> 122 horsepower 114 pound-feet of torque again the base model uses a five-speed manual transmission

239.16 -> but it continuously very automatic is what you'll probably find in most versas on the lot and this

244.98 -> is where we should talk about the price tag sixteen thousand nine twenty five including

249.42 -> destination is the manual transmission version but the automatic transmission version is nearly

254.52 -> two thousand dollars more expensive eighteen thousand five hundred ninety five dollars for

259.26 -> the base version with the CVT that means that the Versa is the least expensive car in North

264.6 -> America but not the least expensive car with an automatic transmission that would actually be

270.6 -> the Mitsubishi Mirage at seventeen thousand six fifty almost a thousand dollars less

275.34 -> expensive than this but it's not a great car you only get about 78 horsepower out of that

279.84 -> engine aboard direct competitor with the CVT would be the Kia Rio we now have the Hyundai

285.18 -> Accent sailing off into the sunset so down here in this category it's really just a two-way race

290.52 -> between the Rio and the Versa as far as good cheap cars in America go that one will be 17

295.98 -> 875 dollars base with the CVT versus 8 18 595 base with the CVT for this fuel economy in the

304.5 -> real world is pretty similar between the Rio and the Versa you'll get 40 miles per gallon on the

309.06 -> highway and 35 combined if you choose the CVT and that's going to go down 5 miles per gallon

314.22 -> to 30 miles per gallon combined if you get the five-speed manual remember it's a five speed not

319.38 -> a six-speed over the years Nissan has gained a well-deserved reputation for creating very

323.58 -> comfortable seats now the Versa seats are not as comfortable as the ones in the Sentra but I do

329.34 -> think these are more comfortable than the seats that we find in the Kia Rio they're a little bit

333.24 -> more supportive especially in the lumbar region this does not have adjustable lumbar support but

338.22 -> it's certainly more supportive of my back than the seat that we find in the Rio this of course is a

342.66 -> manual design it only adjusts for height the seat bottom cushion does not adjust for tilt

346.92 -> so if you're shorter or taller than I am you might want to keep some of these dimensions in

351.3 -> mind and it goes without saying that there's no power passenger seat bearing in mind that

355.32 -> this is a subcompact sedan so one size category theoretically below the Civic and the Corolla

360.42 -> in the back we find actually legroom figures that are pretty similar to the Corolla you

365.04 -> can see over here I have about three inches of leg room left behind this front seat adjusted

368.64 -> for me at six feet tall Headroom however it is a bit more limited than we find in

372.78 -> the Corolla still definitely comfortable for at least a short trip away from the office

377.88 -> since this is a subcompact vehicle though you'll notice that the rear bench is definitely narrower

382.8 -> than something like the Civic especially also no air vents going on in this center console although

388.2 -> in this model we do have a USBC charge port back there also that center console is optional moving

394.32 -> over to this side this front seat's a little bit further back in its tracks it's also a little bit

398.16 -> lower to the ground because it does not adjust for height but I have about an inch and a half

401.82 -> of clearance left although it would be a tight fit you could put a rear-facing child seat in here if

406.86 -> you needed to the person in this front seat would probably need to be a little bit shorter than I

411 -> am so maybe about 5 10 or so then there would be enough clearance to be a passenger on the driver's

416.28 -> side however I don't think that would work unless you're a great deal shorter forward-facing child

420.84 -> seats no problem at all however helping improve cargo practicality we find a 60 40 folding rear

426.24 -> seat but as you'd expect no arm rest in the middle it may sound weird to talk about the Versa this

431.52 -> way but remember that outside of the United States it's really thought of as a bigger vehicle than we

436.08 -> as Americans would normally think of it I think more mid-sized family sedan than itty bitty sedan

441.78 -> and that's why it's so practically arranged we have a pretty big cargo area back here

446.64 -> it's nearly 15 cubic feet and there are a decent number of mid-size and even full-size sedans in

452.7 -> North America that don't have trunks quite this large I was able to squeeze four 24-inch roller

458.16 -> bags back here but the Rio does have a trick up its sleeve compared to the Versa you can actually

462.84 -> put a 22 inch roller bag in this position in the Kia and still close the trunk lid something that

467.46 -> you could do in the previous generation of the Versa but this generation's cargo area has become

472.68 -> just a little bit shorter trunk mats and floor mats are optional in the Versa we have kind of

477.42 -> a floppy floor to the trunk there with big foam feet on it because we have a temporary spare tire

482.94 -> and a spare tire well that was clearly designed for a full-size spare so if you wanted to pop one

487.68 -> in there yourself aftermarket you could but no additional foam dividers or anything like that

491.88 -> we just have the Jack going on there in the back as we look around the interior keep in mind the

496.68 -> versa's price tag since this is the SR trim we get the telematics button right there in the middle of

502.08 -> the ceiling it's the only trim level that will get that particular feature we have sun visors

506.58 -> with slide out extensions that's actually kind of a nice touch grab handles for all four seating

511.14 -> positions as you might imagine the ceiling fabric is not the most luxurious in the world but it's

515.34 -> honestly not far off what we see in a Corolla or a Civic we have high adjustable shoulder belts for

520.02 -> the driver and front passenger two-way adjustable head restraints and this may surprise you but we

525.24 -> get about the same percentage of hard and soft touch Plastics on the rear doors as on the front

530.04 -> obviously things will change based on the trim that you get but in this Sr trim we have a squishy

534.3 -> armrest back there sort of a carbon fiber-esque plastic around that power window switch and then a

539.76 -> little bottle holder right there next to the seat cushion you can really see how narrow the Versa is

544.14 -> from this angle because that door panel and that bottle holder are really close to the seat bottom

548.82 -> cushion which is probably why in addition to the side curtain airbags we also get thorax airbags

553.44 -> for the rear passenger moving up front we get Unique Upholstery in the SR trim up pull straight

557.82 -> actually changes a little bit as you work your way on up definitely lots of patterns and textures

562.5 -> going on with these front seats moving over the front doors again the same number of hard and soft

567.18 -> touch materials that we find in the back so soft touch squishy armrest section right there in the

571.98 -> middle this is sort of a door closed area and a little storage cubby we then get a bottle holder

576.9 -> down there at the bottom of the door lots of hard plastics above that just as you might assume but

581.94 -> something you might not assume is that we actually get a soft touch insert in this Trim in the middle

586.2 -> of the dashboard with some actual stitching so in the Mazda cx-30 that we're driving it's dashboard

591.9 -> stitching is stitched over an injection molded piece this is actually two pieces of material

596.1 -> stitched together but then of course we do get harder Plastics on the top of the dashboard the

600.72 -> glove compartment is fairly generously sized for a small vehicle like this I was barely able to fit

606.54 -> a 10 inch tablet computer inside an 11 inch tablet computer likely would not fit in the middle of the

612 -> dashboard there are two different infotainment systems there's a larger and a smaller touch

616.44 -> screen there's only one inch difference between between the two this is the eight inch version

619.62 -> It's the optional one if you get the base model it doesn't come with standard Apple car plate but

624.66 -> it is available via an option package you can see that we have a few physical buttons on either side

629.82 -> including a camera button over there over here we have the predictive chorus lines because this

635.4 -> is not a 360 degree camera setup it's just a rear camera but we do have those predictive lines when

640.26 -> you're in reverse the software behind the screen is not the most recent in the Nissan lineup but

644.58 -> it is still fairly attractive and easy to use down here we have single zone automatic climate

648.96 -> control obviously this is not standard but on the other hand air conditioning is standard in the

653.88 -> Versa this particular model also has heated front seats down here we have two USB inputs for the

659.82 -> multimedia system one USBC and one usba we also have a two wireless charging mat which honestly

666.12 -> surprises me a little bit I hadn't expected that in the Versa keyless go right there pretty

670.86 -> standard console shifter drive and low back there we have a handbrake in the middle of everything

675.78 -> two pretty decently sized cup holders and then the center armrest is optional as well you won't

681.24 -> find that in the base model but in the base model you can get a factory accessory that would just

685.2 -> sort of dock in there as if it was an armrest it looks kind of like this and that's probably

690.12 -> the way that I would go because if you wanted the extra space you could remove it and this one is

694.08 -> fixed into place if I pop open that lid we have a single USBC charge only Port there decent amount

699.6 -> of storage space for such a small vehicle and then again we have that other USBC charge port

703.98 -> behind over on the driver's side we find a partial LCD instrument cluster this is not standard either

708.66 -> but you're going to find it on SV and Sr trims I do think it dresses up the interior quite nicely

713.7 -> for an otherwise inexpensive vehicle you can rotate through a bunch of different settings

717.84 -> and the software in this smaller display looks very similar to the larger LCDs that we find

722.94 -> in the Nissan lineup now rather unfortunately this trim is the only one that gets the leather wrapped

727.98 -> steering wheel and I wish this was an option in the regular s trim and SV trim because it feels

734.04 -> an awful lot nicer in your hand and I would be willing to give up a few options or just have

738.9 -> this as a standalone maybe 200 option to just get the leather wrapped wheel over here on this side

743.64 -> we find the controls that multi-function LCD along with some infotainment controls tracked forward

747.72 -> backward volume control Etc over here on this side we have the controls for the cruise control

752.4 -> system and it is adaptive cruise control in this model that's actually a distance button there also

757.86 -> surprising this Versa has the updated Nissan key it's not quite a suppository shaped as the

762.66 -> previous key it also has remote start but just as you'd expect in an inexpensive vehicle you still

768.18 -> have this large blank over there for where the key would go now it's time to get the Versa out

772.74 -> on the road obviously not a great deal of powers going on under the hood and you'll certainly hear

777.42 -> the engine a bit more than the average compact stance cabin 0-60 in this model 9.7 seconds you

784.62 -> might think that that's going to be about the same as the Kia Rio since they have about the

788.34 -> same amount of power and this is actually a little bit lighter but you would be wrong the Rio has a

793.08 -> more aggressive starting ratio its CVT also tends to shift faster than this it'll actually get you

798.3 -> 0-60 about 1.1 seconds faster around 8.6 seconds so closer to a Nissan Rogue than the Nissan Versa

805.62 -> when it comes to the acceleration score you'll also notice the difference between the cvts when

811.02 -> you need the downshift this takes a while and it doesn't go quite as aggressively down as far as

816.54 -> ratios Go versus the one that we find in the Kia I think the big reason for that is that the Kia uses

822.06 -> a push style chain rather than a belt driven CVT a metal belt driven CVT like we find here in this

828.36 -> Nissan on the other hand fuel economy is excellent but I'll get to that in a moment in my 60 stopping

833.82 -> test this managed 120 feet the tires aren't overly wide in the Versa even though the curb weight is

840 -> pretty low this weighs 2678 pounds it is one of the lightest new vehicles you can get in

845.64 -> North America and that definitely helps things out when it comes to the handling ability I'm going to

850.62 -> go ahead and give this a B plus when it comes to handling we do have relatively skinny tires but we

855.72 -> also have a fairly light curb weight so you can have a bit more fun than you might think in the

860.7 -> Versa out on your favorite winding Mountain Road now keep in mind it is still a pretty inexpensive

865.8 -> vehicle so the rear suspension is not fully independent now that's not too unusual when

870.72 -> we're talk talking about inexpensive vehicles in North America but it does mean that versus

875.04 -> certain versions of the Hyundai Elantra or some versions of the Honda Civic Etc that they're going

879.84 -> to come across as more polished especially when you're driving around corners on broken pavement

884.7 -> washboard pavement Etc this is definitely very solid for a semi-independent various suspension

890.1 -> but it's not that next level of smoothness that you'd get in a more expensive vehicle out on a

895.32 -> rougher Road like the gravel road that I'm on here I give the ride quality in a this is just

900.12 -> about as well composed as some of the larger compact stands and definitely I think a bit

904.62 -> more polished as far as the ride goes versus the Rio I do think that the handling is more

909.6 -> engaging in the Rio the suspension seems to be just a little bit more sporty tuned and that

914.4 -> sort of works with the personality of the Versa versus the Rio if you want something that's better

919.02 -> performing quicker braking that's clearly going to be the Kia if you want something that's a little

923.58 -> bit more comfortable and definitely kind of a subcompact Highway Cruiser then you certainly

928.44 -> want to take a look at the Versa but perhaps the most important thing for me as far as ride

933.06 -> quality and I guess I would call this driver's seat comfort as well is that even on a longer

938.76 -> two or three hour journey I found the driver's seat to be surprisingly comfortable especially

943.86 -> given the price tag of the vehicle I actually find this driver's seat to be more comfortable

948.54 -> for longer Journeys than what we see in the Honda Civic or in the Toyota Corolla but keep in mind

954.3 -> again because of the lack of adjustability in this seat you want to make sure it fits you

959.1 -> before you buy the car back out on the paved Road Capa noise was surprisingly low actually it's a

963.9 -> little bit quieter than the Rio in here 72 and a half decibels one thing that's surprising is

969 -> every version of the Versa gets acoustic laminated windshield glass obviously not acoustic laminated

974.94 -> Side Glass but there is a little bit of extra attention to detail when it comes to wind noise

978.84 -> in the cabin you do get a decent amount of road noise and cabin noise from the engine though

984.84 -> spool up the engine you'll definitely hear it and of course road noise comes definitely

989.22 -> through those wheel wells the flip side to that is fantastic fuel economy this is EPA rated for

994.8 -> 35 miles per gallon combined we've been averaging 40 and a half miles per gallon over a week of

1000.32 -> mixed driving keep in mind it's not a terribly powerful engine but I do go up and over a 2200

1005.9 -> foot Mountain Pass and usually that drops things down to right around the EPA average this actually

1011.3 -> manages to Beat It by quite a bit the high fuel economy number is one of the reasons that the

1015.74 -> Versa is frequently on the charts for being one of the least expensive vehicles to own and operate in

1020.36 -> North America it's inexpensive to buy inexpensive to insure and relatively inexpensive to repair and

1026.42 -> keep around if you're shopping for the average compact stand in America and you're taking a

1030.98 -> look at one of those base trims of Elantra Civic Corolla whatever you would do well to take a look

1036.26 -> at one of the upper end trims of the Versa this is going to be significantly less expensive it's

1041.06 -> also going to be less expensive to keep around and I think that the way that it drives might actually

1045.44 -> surprise you clearly some of those options are going to be intrinsically better than this the

1050.78 -> question is are they 25 better than this because most of them are sure going to cost at least 25

1057.26 -> percent more than this and they may not have all the features that you do find in the top end versa

1063.92 -> the first thing we should do is roll through the pricing really quickly again sixteen thousand nine

1068.66 -> twenty five includes destination that'll get you the five speed manual transmission but it won't

1073.46 -> get you Apple carplay or Android auto you can get those as an option on the S trim with the CVT but

1082.4 -> that's a pretty big jump that's 18 595 and you still need to add an 1190 option package in order

1090.2 -> to get carplay and Android auto that weird package also bundles with it a 60 40 folding

1095.54 -> receipt back and 16 inch Alloys if you don't choose that option package you still get the

1099.98 -> steelies and you still get a 100 folding receipt back that's certainly a lot less cargo practical

1105.08 -> than the 60 40 folding model that most folks are familiar with the next step up from there is the

1110.42 -> SV trim which is another reasonable jump twenty thousand two hundred fifteen dollars that gets

1115.82 -> you the alloy wheel standard of course the 60 40 seat Apple carplay and Android auto yada yada yada

1121.04 -> but you also get front seat back pockets you don't find those on the other trims you actually get the

1125.66 -> center console with an armrest rather than just the blank center console you get the seven inch

1130.46 -> LCD cluster on the dashboard wireless charging blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic

1135.98 -> detection as I said at the beginning of the video unfortunately Nissan did not send us the

1140.42 -> least expensive version that's the one I really really wanted to try instead they sent us the

1144.44 -> most expensive model which admittedly is still not that expensive at just under twenty one thousand

1149.42 -> dollars this model gives you the adaptive cruise control system push button start the six speaker

1153.92 -> audio and the 8-inch LCD infotainment system you also get the Nissan connected telematic service

1159.26 -> so if you're interested in a first new car for say your teenager or your college kid something like

1165.26 -> that this is not going to be a bad option because you do get the connected telematics you can have

1170.3 -> them have the ability to call for help if they need it you also have a brand new car with a brand

1174.86 -> new car warranty and decent crash test performance both the Versa and its closest direct competitor

1180.14 -> the Rio score relatively well on Nitza or the IA HS tests but we actually can't make a direct

1186.74 -> comparison between the two because they haven't been tested on the same generation of Nitsa and

1191.78 -> the iahs test for some reason so hopefully that will happen in the future they've actually both

1196.28 -> done fairly well now let's talk about that closest direct competitor which would be the Kia Rio the

1202.4 -> Rio is also a sedan it's a little bit more cargo practical tiny bit roomier on the inside in real

1207.8 -> world testing the Rio is also going to be a little bit less expensive if you want the continuously

1212.72 -> variable automatic transmission now that is a key thing to remember the Versa gets a little

1217.46 -> bit more expensive if you want the automatic so it starts at seventeen thousand dollars approximately

1222.68 -> jumps up to eighteen thousand six hundred dollars approximately if you want the CVT and the Rio it

1228.14 -> starts at seventeen thousand eight seventy five so a little bit less expensive and it includes Apple

1232.88 -> carplay and Android auto both of them include the basics like power door locks power windows

1239.06 -> Etc very similar to the Versa the Rio is going to have that 100 folding rear bench seat it's not

1244.46 -> going to have cruise control in the base version Etc you also have to work your way up to the S

1248.96 -> trim and add an option package to get autonomous emergency braking which I think is a bummer and

1253.64 -> that's a feature that is standard on the Versa you also won't get adaptive cruise control in

1258.14 -> any model on the other hand the Kia does give you a longer standard warranty 10 years 100

1263.24 -> 000 miles on the powertrain 5 years 60 000 miles Bumper to Bumper the Nissan on the other hand is

1268.94 -> three years 36 Bumper to Bumper 5 years 60 000 miles for the powertrain so again if you're

1274.46 -> looking for a first car or a car to send your college kid off with and you don't want them to

1279.08 -> have to worry about anything really until they have graduated the Kia will definitely take you

1284.42 -> all the way through that time period even if they're on The Five-Year Plan not trying to get

1288.68 -> their bachelors in just four years very clearly the main thing to remember with the Versa is you

1293.6 -> have to want an inexpensive vehicle you have to be willing to go down this low it's going to save

1298.16 -> you money in the long run because it's one of the least expensive vehicles to operate it's also one

1302 -> of the least expensive vehicles to ensure and to buy Etc remember that if your Versa gets totaled

1307.28 -> the day that it drives off the lot it's going to cost half of what the average Camry will cost to

1312.74 -> replace when it drives off the dealer lot on the other hand it is worth noting that you will find

1317.48 -> a more comfortable interior a more roomy interior and I think a slightly more stylish interior in

1322.4 -> the Nissan Sentra and the Sentra is not that much more expensive than the top end trims of the Versa

1328.22 -> if you are out there going no you should just buy the Sentra well that's lovely you clearly have

1333.62 -> more money than the Target shopper for the versa so you should just go ahead and get that Sentra

1338.3 -> it's important remember that a Sentra a Corolla or a Civic are going to be about 20 percent more

1343.22 -> expensive when comparably equipped to the Nissan Versa if you don't want to comparably equip them

1348.8 -> they're still going to be at least about 10 percent more expensive and that's a pretty

1352.76 -> big deal if you're really scratching your head trying to decide should I get a used car with no

1357.26 -> warranty what's that future going to be like how how are the repairs going to be what are

1361.64 -> they going to cost Etc or do I buy this new car that's Factory fresh and actually has a factory

1366.98 -> warranty let me know what you think about all that down there and what would you cross Shop with a

1371.66 -> versa would you truly be Cross Shopping something like I don't know a two-year-old Toyota Camry or

1377.36 -> something along those lines you would obviously have a bigger interior but you'd have a vehicle

1382.16 -> without any sort of warranty at all if you're shopping for something that's about three years

1386.06 -> old let me know be sure and find us over Facebook Twitter Instagram all the social places and check

1391.04 -> out some other discount vehicle videos coming up soon see all of you later [Music] foreign [Music]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW1lSz1OVN8