When the Nissan Versa made its debut 15 years ago, it landed into competitive B-class, facing competition from other small machines like the Kia Rio, Mazda2, Mini Cooper, Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit.
That was then. Today those models have either gone away or grown up. And, likewise, the new-for-2020 Versa is bigger than before.
Maybe the bigger news: You can still order one with a five-speed manual. But, sadly, our tester was not so equipped.
If you got a Versa from the rental car agency, you knew that you could do better. It beat walking, for sure, but it wasn’t in the same class as a Kia K5. Basically, the Versa was the “manager’s special.”
And it felt it. It was basically an inexpensive car built to a budget.
Today's Versa feels nicer than before–the model has grown up–but it still has a tinny, inexpensive feel to it. When you close the door or let the sun visor flip into place, you can hear it.
Our rather loaded example came in right around $20,000–so less than any new Honda. (The Fit was dropped after 2020 with its sorta replacement, the HR-V, starting at $21,220.)
So, we’re back to again buying on price in a thinning market. If you’re one of our regulars, at this point you’re likely looking at something used. And maybe that’s not so bad.
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