Come 2025, the Nissan Versa will truly be the last mainstream subcompact car standing in America. The Mitsubishi Mirage is on its way out, the Chevrolet Spark and Kia Rio were discontinued years ago, and the Toyota Yaris is now merely a hushed whisper down the corridors of dealer service departments. As such, Nissan seems to be taking advantage of this unique position and adding a little bit of content while hiking prices.
See, new LED headlights are standard across the board, and three pre-paid oil changes mean prices rise between $1,060 and $1,190 depending on trim level. The top-ranking SR trim now retails for $22,330 including freight, the mid-range SV trim for $21,630, and the cheapest two-pedal S CVT trim for $20,130.
This means that the only Versa still under $20,000 is actually the one you want: the $18,330 Versa S, which loses the CVT transmission in favor of a five-speed manual. Not only do you now get better headlights, the base Versa comes with air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, three USB ports, and sensible 15-inch steel wheels. Oddly, neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto is available on the base model, but this thing would be fully loaded if the year was 2012.
It’s easy to poke a bit of fun at a basic vehicle like this and wonder why anyone would buy one over a used Corolla, but hang on a minute — this most basic Versa actually makes sense. For starters, there’s no Xtronic CVT to worry about, just a good old-fashioned five-speed manual. The 1.6-liter HR16DE four-cylinder engine is a proven unit that uses a timing chain and port injection, so you don’t have to worry about timing belt replacement intervals or direct injection carbon build-up. Simple drum brakes in the back should offer a huge lifespan, and a physical, mechanical parking brake reduces complexity compared to an electronic arrangement. The suspension’s simple too, struts up front and a torsion beam out back. If you want a car to keep for a very long time, the base Versa is made with some rather promising ingredients.
Add in the fact that financing a new car usually attracts better interest rates than financing a used car, and I could see the value proposition for someone with not a lot of cash to splash who just wants simple, honest transportation. The base Versa will get the job done, and deliver a tolerable 30 mpg combined while doing so.
However, even the Versa won’t be around forever. At the moment, there are doubts as to whether a new generation Versa will appear once this one reaches the end of its lifecycle. Sooner or later, the mainstream subcompact car could be dead in America for good. Enjoy it while you still have the chance to.
(Photo credits: Nissan)
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The Chinese are coming
Does it still have mandatory steelies with plastic covers?
That was the one drawback with last year’s model from my pov. Every year I play “what would I replace my Focus with if I had to?” and last year for the first time, the Versa appeared on the list simply b/c manual transmission in an everyday sedan.
“ three pre-paid oil changes mean prices rise between $1,060 and $1,190 depending on trim level.”
Geez, does that include steak and lobster dinners for the entire service team?
And LEDs! Don’t forget the LEDs!