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Honda has the LX that has what the majority of buyers want and it sells more LXs than any other model for that reason.
If Honda only made the DX and EX it would be different.
You seem really obsessed with the fact that Nissan doesn't plan to offer cruise on its base Versa trim line. If you really want a Versa S and cruise is important to you, it can be added aftermarket quite easily. Just as it can be on the base trim line for the Civic.
People would complain if cruise only came on the Civic EX with Nav, that car costs $20,310 which is $5200 more than a base Civic DX. Going from the base Versa S to the SL is only an increase of $2000 and for that you get cruise, power everything, keyless entry, alloy wheels and a few other items.
Basically, going from the Versa S to the SL model is the same as upgrading from a Civic DX to an LX, not an EX.
As mentioned earlier, some cars in this class don't have cruise on any model- Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent. Many others don't have cruise on the base model- Honda Civic DX, Mazda3 i, Ford Focus S to name a few.
The Versa represents a solid value in the sub-Civic range. It's not really a competitor and doubt there will be much cross shopping between the two, so comparisons of the cars aren't really that valid.
Cruise control cannot be installed aftermarket in some modern cars, so it remains to be seen if an aftermarket cruise control will ever be available for the Versa.
I think the majority of sales will be the SL. The S, without the available features that you can get on the SL, is a way to advertise a bargain basement price.
Then again, you can always get Cruise on a Hyundai Elantra GLS, but an Elantra doesn't get 38MPG combined.
As several have said before, once you load up an SL with options it really gets too expensive when compared to similar cars. After the $17k mark or so, you're moving into a different class of car. Unless of course the Versa proves to be as good as more expensive cars like Civic and Mazda3. Who knows, that could be the case!
I just can't wait to get behind the wheel of a 6-speed manual to see for myself. I just hope this 1.8L is stronger than the one in Sentra. Anyone know hp estimate for it yet?
But sometimes there is something fun about inexpensive sub-compacts. Maybe I'm just a dork for thinking that, but there are some out there that are fun to drive. The Kia Spectra 5-speed comes to mind.
I'm just thinking that the 6-speed manual will help in the acceleration department and that could make this car fun to drive. Also, pretty much every car Nissan makes is fun to drive (Sentra SE/SE-R, Altima, Maxima, 350Z, even the Murano). Maybe this little car will follow in those footsteps. Or maybe it'll drive like a Chevette. :P Guess we'll see...
You seem to mind a base car with no cruise control, and yet you dont mind that the Civic DX has no A/C. What kind of car is that? And yet its price at $14.5K.
You could get a Versa for 15K and get everything that a Civic LX has and more.
Imagine what you could get for a $550.
Yes you could say theyre not competing on the same class, so the difference in the price.
I'd say thats incorrect. The Versa while its a subcompact has more interior passenger and cargo space than the compact Civic. Its has all the equipment and safety features that the Honda Civic have, and its cheaper.
Now thats a reason for consumer to do cross shopping.
Lets talk about performance. A lot of people posting here on Edmunds could'nt get into their thick skull that not all cars are made so that you could race each guy you find on the street. The Versa is too nerdy, the Corolla looks boring, what did they do to the Civic, Mazda 3 rocks and so on and so forth.
there is no Japanese car company more commited to performance and motorsports than Toyota, Nissan,Honda and Mitsubishi in that order. If you need performance, your in the wrong place. If you want performance check out their other cars.
Have you check the 2004 Renault Clio ? What about the Clio of the 1990's? What about the new 2005 Renault Clio? What year is it now? 1990's Euro styling, why?
The Versa isn't the prettiest car I've seen, but given
the 1.8 engine, with an "honest" (new SAE test) 120 hp;
a 6 speed manual (!!!) or CVT (and Nissan has a lot of CVT experience)
I cannot NOT look at it when it comes out.
Let's hope the crash test results are more modern (better) than rhe horribly outdated Sentra....
I didnt like the new Yaris based on what I see from the picture. In person, it looks good, well proportioned and bigger. The Jazz/Fit looks good in the picture but not in person. It looks so ordinary more like a miniaturize Odyssey .
The Chevrolet Kalos looks better han the Jazz/Fit. I thought its a new subcomapact from Chevy but when I look at the back its the same as Aveo. In fact its an Aveo, except for the headlights and grill.
So $17K MSRP realistically means something like $15,500 after a few hours of bargaining.
Of course, they are going to TRY to get MSRP!
Nissan won't be exploring new territory by the time they launch the Versa.
So a basic S with power package model should be right around $13K-$14Kish if you bargain. (correct me if I'm wrong, I forgot the list price of the S model w/ power package)
Isn't the fit going to be built in Japan? If so, I wonder if that will make it more endearing to some shoppers since Japan-built Japanese cars are become more and more rare?
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Production
Here's a pic of Versa 1.8L.
Not bad. I wouldn't mind being seen in this car.
Nissan is the best car company out there and will leave Toyota in the dust.
The Corolla isn't anywhere near the car the M35 is.... They do not compete at all. The Corolla is an economy car for consumers on a budget, while the M35 is for those people who can afford a performance luxury car.
So granted, it costs less than half than the M35.
The Corolla is an efficient car. 40MPG. Can't say that about your M.
Then again, the M is a REALLY cool car. I see them when I bring my I35 by the local dealer for service appointments. And a few are driving around town. Some M45s, but mostly M35s.
The Corolla doesn't look too bad, but the new Civic blows it away, IMO
When is the Corolla up for a redesign anyways?
So back to the Versa...
The Corolla has better fuel economy than most competitors. The Corolla has comparable acceleration to other compacts, 0-60 in 9.5 seconds with automatic.
It is also priced comparably to its competitors (Mazda3 and Honda Civic) when you add the options to the Corolla that are standard on the others. Making them optional just gives consumers the opportunity to pick and choose which ones they want
Infinit M35? What have you been smoking??? Why not get freaked out because the Honda Civic doesn't have all the equipment that is standard on the Acura RL?
Your argument doesn't hold water.
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~alpha
How will this affect public perception for the Versa?
Your opinions please...
Anyways, my take is that Nissans quality as a whole sits below where Toyota and Honda are.
The question is , will they polish their manufacturing processes in Agualientes Mexico so as not to have the same quality problems they have in Canton Miss?
2000 - Average
2001 - Average
2002 - Below Average
2003 - Below Average
2004 - Average
The reliability of other Nissans, e.g. Maxima, Murano, and Pathfinder, are much better--all of those have solid "Above Average" marks from CR.
So if the Versa is going to come from the same plant as the Sentra, that is a bit worrisome for me.
Thats the reason why car manufacturer shouldnt forget about the small or affordable cars. Its where they can build loyalty.
The defect rate, in absolute numbers, is quite low for toyonda. The defect rate, in absolute numbers, for American cars is great....
But on these forums, a single defect in a toyonda is ignored as a forgiveable sin, while two defects in an American car is a sign the thing is falling apart. (I simplify; some owners of both categories of cars have no defects at all, and some get lemons.)
In my own experience, there isn't a statistically significant variation between Japanese and American cars to make a difference (except for one worrisome 2001 Focus, which was due to Ford's utter stupidity in treating a major assembly line change to a new model as though it was just a minor annual refreshening of an existing model - as reported in Detroit newspapers).
SO I don't think we have to particularly worry about the Sentra or Versa being "lemons."
Still, the Versa will sell like hotcakes. At Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio prices, who wouldn't prefer a Nissan? Especially with higher fuel economy numbers and 6-speed manual.
I tend to believe it was Automobile Magazine that made the mistake, because I saw the "38 mpg combined" figure in multiple places following the pre-launch announcement, including Nissan's press release.