Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
30MPG is a struggle in a little 4 cylinder Versa hatchback?!! It may not get the same mileage as smaller lighter cars like the Yaris and Fit, but it should at least be close to its lower EPA estimates as the Yaris is to its higher EPA estimates.
I see people posting similar highway mileage in V6 Malibus and even Impalas and 269HP huge Avalons and that is just so sad.
As to a related post, I don't generally buy the high 20-odd MPG people with large cars are touting. Again, I question whether they truly average (over the course of time) that mileage or just hit that on the digital gauge in a single point in time. I also know we would not get that type of mileage. For example, I have heard rave reviews of the GM 3.8 V6 for highway mileage. I drove one at work for two years and it never went over 22 on the highway and my overall average was 18.6. That is not to say that it can't be done. Moreso, it can't be done with us driving (LOL!)
Tony, you are absolutely right about that. Our old 1994 Nissan Maxima that the Versa replaces....gets better MPG than our 2007 Versa!
Consumer reports has the best real world gas mileage tests. They are consistant between cars and are repeatable. They got 36 mpg highway with the V-6 Malibu. To compare apples to apples they got the Versa at 34. The Accord V-6 also got 34 on the highway.
There is a lot to like about the Versa, and I wish more companies made similar vehicles, but the mpg is not very good for a 4-cylinder.
The 150 hp 2.0 liter 4-cyl Mazda 3 got 38 mpg for CR on the highway and 42 with the manual transmission. That is about where the Versa should be - especially with the advantage of a CVT automatic and a 6 speed manual.
We, at the various Caliber websites, have been argueing about MPG just like you, only our MPG are 15 to 20% lower than your mileages...just about the difference between EPA estimates for the Caliber & Versa. Also, like you, we have a wide spread of MPG reported. The CVTs for both the Caliber & Versa often give dramatically sub-EPA MPG. Some Caliber MPG are RRREEEAAAALLLLYYYY LLLOOOWWWW.
Fortunately, I've been blessed with a good Caliber. Good solid structure, no repairs, creaks, squeaks or rattles, & good MPG. I adore the CVT which is similar to the Versa CVT & average 28.5MPG thru the cold winter with a high of 35MPG. If I'd gotten a good Versa, I probably would have beaten my Caliber MPG.
As I recall, didn't the '94 Maxima come with a 3.0 liter V6?
In the last six vehicles I have owned, including the two that we currently have, I have exceeded the EPA ratings in every single one of them. As unrealistic as EPA ratings may be, at least in some vehicles in certain applications, they may not be an impossible dream.
My theory is that the EPA ratings in some cars are harder to attain or exceed than in others. The Versa may be in the former category (the Prius is definitely in this category). The Corolla is an example in the latter category, as it is easy to get the EPA ratings driving a Corolla.
36 is really not terrible - just not what it could be. I wonder if the CVT is to blame. Maybe the CVT "cheats" the EPA test somehow (kinda like the hybrids). It is curious that the manual which rated 2 mpg worse by the EPA got the same highway numbers.
BTW - I think a more dissapointing small car is the Chevy Aveo. Tiny little thing that also gets 36 mpg highway.
Nothing scientfic about that..
Tony
9000 miles and counting
What I would really like to know, tho, is what were the circumstances of the trips that got nasty MPG's and also exceptional numbers...like the one trip that recorded a little over 40 mpg.
Maybe the Sopwith likes the open road with a good strong tail wind!?
As for your constant scrutiny for your V's mpg's, as long as you top up to the same spot each time and divide the gallons into the re-set miles on the speedo, It doesn't matter how often, or at what interval you do it.
This way you can check for any unusual road conditions, wind factors, different fuel brands or traffic issues.
I imagine there is also a very strong 'curiousity factor' driving your MPG system as well.
So ...keep up with your research, we are all looking for MPG answers we are not getting from the Nissan "question lines'
Longo32: With Versa and Caliber owners reporting less than stellar gas mileage, I wonder if the CVT is not as efficient as everyone thinks?
I asked him the question everyone on this forum is asking, "what is your MPG on the Versa?"
His answer...
"The best I have ever seen was about 36 when driving on the freeway, but the worst that I had ever had was 12 when I was delivering newspapers in a apartment complex. I usually see around 25 mpg. thanx"
Good thing for Nissan, the EPA dosn't post a "Delivering newspapers" rating!
But I keep saying this, people is MPG is your main concern get a Hybrid... The Versa is so much more then a Economy car, and I'm very happy with the car..
Tony
Someday perhaps, the Versa will go the Hybrid route too, that would be great! The sooner the Better.
Tony, unfortunately that is not entirely true. I have the newest Versa catalog that I have just received in the mail. And it reads, among others, as I quote from it:
"Be a high roller. Go up to 420 miles between fill-ups. Stay in the green with up to 36 mpg."
I think this line was in the old catalog prior to the release of the sedan as well.
I understand that the Versa is a very nice car, and on that basis, we nearly bought one, even though we knew that MPG was not going to be the greatest (we did not in the end because we could not locate a Versa with ABS). But I have to say that people do have a point when they say that the Versa is expected to be economical in fuel consumption. Take an extreme case, and let's suppose that the Versa were sold with the exactly the same equipment, standard or optional, at the exact same pricing as today, with everything equal, but instead could get only 20 MPG. No one would buy this car. Why not? Because there is an expectation on a car like this to be economical. If the comfort and equipment alone mattered, then people could find any number of other cars that get that kind of mileage or better, albeit paying a little more than with the Versa.
The Versa is a good car that gets a decent, if not great, mileage. But I would not subscribe to an idea that therefore people should drop the expections of economy from the Versa because economy is a huge part of any car in this segment. I think that the Versa could have done better with MPG, and personally, the mistake that Nissan made was not to bring it to North America with the HR15DE 1.5 L engine that gets at least 10% mileage than MR18DE with little sacrifice in performance.
The only reason why you didn't buy a Versa was because you couldn't find one with ABS. So MPG wasn't a issue to not buy one.. So my point again is MPG isn't stopping people from buying one. I haven't read a single post that says, "If I knew that the Versa wouldn't get the kind of mileage that the window sticker says, I wouldn't have bought the car."
I am getting 330 to 340 miles per tank, which is by far much better then my Contour had gotten. The EPA well be revision how they calculate the MPG it posts on cars very soon, ALL cars MPG (On the window sticker) will go down.
The new tests will start with the car at 20°F. The old tests started at 75°F. Why? A cold vehicle uses more energy than a warm one. Cold temperatures are especially hard on batteries so expect hybrid mpg ratings to drop too.
The new tests will use a real-world maximum highway speed of 80mph instead of 60mph. At that higher speed, more engine rpm's are needed to overcome drag than to actually keep the vehicle moving at speed.
The new test will includes hard acceleration. The old EPA test used gentle acceleration. This one is also going to affect hybrids because hard acceleration relies on the regular gasoline engine.
The new test now assumes that air conditioning is used at least 13% of the time. The old test didn't use air conditioning at all! 13% is the mean average for all major cities across all times of year for the US.
On this they should also add, "your air conditioning use will vary"
The MPG WAS a big issue for us when we were looking around at cars in the last round - it was not the only issue, however, and for the Versa, we were willing to let MPG not be the decisive issue, but rather, be one of the factors to be weighed. In our car shopping weighting system, we assigned a "veto" score on any car on which we could not have the ABS equipped. We also assigned a cut-off point for MGP below which no vehicles would be considered. As I said in my earlier post, if the Versa were to get something like 20 MPG, it would not have been on our list at all even if it had come with ABS. We were willing to say that, if the Versa can get the kind of numbers that people were generally reporting, we could probably live with it, assuming that ABS was readily available (which was not the case for us). That did not mean, though, we had no reservations about the Versa MPG.
Different people weigh the MPG variable differently in their car consideration. However, I personally know more than a few people who have said to me, in person, that they would not consider the Versa at all because of what they have heard and read about its MPG characteristics. You also wrote that you had not seen a single post from anyone who said, "If I knew that the Versa wouldn't get the kind of mileage that the window sticker says, I wouldn't have bought the car." However, if you look at the Versa Real-World MPG thread in this forum, you will find that more than a few posters have said something to the extent that "Had we known that's all the mileage the Versa would get, we would not have bought one." I have also seen the same kind of sentiment expressed over at NICO Forum's Versa thread.
My ultimate point is that the MPG is always a factor, especially for a car like the Versa. To say that it is not an issue at all for the Versa, that if one cared about MPG, he or she should just get a hybrid, is too radical a statement for many to take, including myself. It IS and has been a factor for me and for many people, and a car like the Versa cannot help but invite a higher weighting in the MPG category than cars in other, larger segments. It's just the nature of the game.
Today my wife and I took our new Versa SL CVT on a nice easy 120 mile round trip to 'town'.
Did a little shopping and returned home with the cruise set at about 65 mph. (100 miles Highway driving, 20 miles in town)
Topped up the tank, did the numbers (120 miles, divide by 5.5 gals) and got a ghastly round trip reading of 21.8 MPG.
Think we would take this $22,000 car back if we could?
You Betcha!
Tony
and link title
NOW YOU HAVE HEARD SOMEONE SAY IT .
I need the fuel mileage I want Nissan to post a better number on the window. I was told by Nissan the range was 30 to 40 MPG for this car so they picked a "mid range number" but no one seems to be able to get close to that estimate. I also own a Hyundia Elantra also rated on the window at 36 MPG I am now driving it and my wife has the Versa and I am BEATING the window estimate 41.9, 37.6 and 38.2MPG on the same highway at the same speed. Nissan needs to get thier act together.
BTW, Nissan isn't the one who "posts" those numbers, its the US Government. What is so funny is, this has been happening for years, and for the life of me, can't figure out why people are so upset, the Pirus was rated at 60 in the city and we all know that isn't right, so why is it such a supirse to people that thier Versa aren't getting what the EPA says its supose to get...
I wonder what the local Hyundai dealer would give me on a Versa trade in, one month old?
That car is rated 34 on the highway - the 36 rated versa should be able to match that.
I think part of the problem is that the CVT "cheats" the EPA a little. CR got both the CVT and manual at 36 mpg even though the cvt is rated 36 and the manual is rated 34 (EPA).
The Versa is a nice package and Nissan can do efficient vehicles (the new Altima is best in class at 26/35), but the Versa certainly could be more efficient.
BTW CR got the 2.0 liter Mazda 3 at 42 mpg with the stick shift on the highway - that is with a 150 hp 2.0 liter engine. 36 mpg (also from CR)from a smaller vehicle with a 1.8 is far from where is could/should be.
They have been getting away with posting the results of a dynamometer test in a closed building, no vehicle air conditioning on, no hard acceleration, 75 degrees F, and a brief top test speed of barely 60 mph. and then, for legal reasons, adding the fine print..."your mileage will vary"
New car buyers gaze longingly at these unworldly numbers and nervously hope their mileage doesn't vary. It wouldn't, of course, if you just gently ran it in the garage on a dynamometer.
In Canada, to make the numbers look even more impressive to the new car buyer, they print the 'Buyers Hope List' in "Imperial Units". (20% more MPG's than U.S. gallons)
EPA numbers on my VERSA SL still show 36 mpg in town, and 46 mpg highway on the window sticker!
When was the last time you were able to fill up with "Imperial Gallons"? We have had the Metric System for nearly 35 years, but boy, do those inflated U.K. gallons and miles numbers look great on the window sticker, compared to the Metric readings (for which we still don't even have a word for (liters per hundred kilometers)... 'Kilamidge?'... 'LiphKers'? much less a practical application without converting back to MPG's. Sorry, LiphKer Lovers, the rest of North America is still measured in miles, not Kilamidges.
In 2008 the EPA numbers are grudgingly backed off a little, due to new EPA testing regulations in effect for all cars. In the U.S., for the Versa, it's now 26 and 33...still too high, by the way, but a small concession to the angry Hybrid Owner mobs with burning torches at the EPA doors.
Consumer Reports are the only ones doing any honest testing. They secretly BUY all the cars they test, to avoid any Manufacturer's "Hanky Panky" or Car/Auto/GearHead Magazine affiliations with the Manufacturers, at the first stage of testing. Then Consumer Reports drives them like the rest of us do every day on the way to work, cold starts, Mad Max conditions in rush hour "stop and go" driving, with the a/c on from time to time.
Under those Real-World Conditions, THE VERSA GETS 20 MPG!
Some cars easily achieve their EPA numbers and beyond. Others (like the Versa) don't.
Tony: umm not sure what to say to that other than this: according to the manual, 3 gallons should always be left in the tank, so I try to catch my Versa when it reads ¾ because that is where I get a 10 gallon fill up. The small fill ups usually have more to do with if I’m about to enter Louisville or want to make it to a certain destination before filling up or if the prices are about to jump here (when they jump where I live they jump 10-20 cents and stay for a few days before coming back down). Oh, and my name is Kimber if you don’t mind. I have a bit of an issue about that.
Longo: Since I’m staying in town now and just going to and from work, I’m going to try to get to ¾ every time I fill. So far I have only put BP gas into my Versa and after I get 6 to 8 fills in a row I’m going to try only filling at the ¼ mark (which is where I get 2.5 to 3 gallons) and see what happens. After that I’ll see what happens with other brands of gas (avoiding Marathon like the plague, but Shell and Speedway are fairly large where I live).
Curiosity is a big part of it, as is a slightly OCD tendency My usual driving consists of driving through town to the highway (approx 12 miles) then a highway sprint (another 10 miles) then a short hop off the highway to the P&P office (2 miles, absolute tops). Part of my highway jaunt is open area between what Kentucky deems hills and it can get fairly windy, but from the west (so no tail wind there since I’m driving N-S).
dtownfb: I fill my tank till the pump stops every time and verify that the marker reaches F before driving away from the pump. Does that answer your question? I’m going to do some stints filling from the ¾ mark and then jump to the ¼ mark to see if maybe there’s an internal problem making the mileage crappy on those longer stints it’s a long shot, but worth investigating. It’ll take at least four months till there’s any preliminary data, but I’m holding off on doing the ¼ because of the time it’ll take to do
And I’ve had to move my cardomain site about, so the mileage tracker has moved to page 3->Mileage Tracker
Um... I think I'm going to try to keep a more detailed "events" diary for the mileage tracker so that we can see more than just the numbers. If you're not interested, you can disregard, but if you are interested, well, I'm interested so it'll be up there. I just need to run down this tank of gas first. I think I've got two or three days of fuel left (unless I take a trip to Lex or Lou).
That is exactly what I was asking about. I just thought it was odd that your great mileage was followed by poor MPG fill-ups. It's nice to see real data like this. I keep a similar mileage log in my glove compartment. great way of tracking the affects of maintenance as well.
I do mostly city/suburban driving with short highway stints, and I drive a lot for work. Most of the day is start and go. I do, however, have a long-held habit of trying not to accellerate much/driving very slow and steady. I hope the numbers continue to hold up.
"I do mostly city/suburban driving with short highway stints, and I drive a lot for work. Most of the day is start and go." and you are averaging "almost 40 mpg" !!?
Pardon me if I reach for a Barf Bag.
Maybe that Versa got a hybrid motor installed by mistake.
Either than or the gas pumps had Canadian gallons.
I don't ever expect to get close to 40. That's a third more than I'm getting now. Maybe I can figure a way to drive downhill to everything :P My '96 Sentra with 235,000 miles on it is getting 35 around town here, and still hits 40 on long highway runs. But it's 300# lighter than the Versa and has a 1.6 vs the 1.8 engine. I wouldn't expect the Versa to match that mileage
GOTO www.fueleconomy.gov look up th 07 Versa ??
We have 4075 miles on the car and just two days ago the SES light came on , I had my local autozone check the code for me (because they do it for free and in about 2 minutes) both banks of the O2 sensors are bad. So the Versa goes into the shop for warranty.
We have been tracking the gas mileage for the last 2k and we avg 20.1 mpg . Mostly city driving and now in the cold we are getting 18.5 , 17.5, 17.7 mpg , in the fall we were getting 22.8, 23.16, 20.99 mpg.
I have been in contact the salesperson that sold us the car and his best advice was to take a road trip.
If I could I would return it for a full refund.
I have played with the car in changing my driving habits, I got as low as 23, but that was nailing the throttle from a standing start and lefting the RPMs rev to about 5K. But in normal driving, there really isn't no reason to do that, the CVT really makes the most of the torque the engine makes if the RPM are around 3K.
I suggest you start at the being thread on the Versa MPG and just go through what people have posted. You will see that 28 is about average for this board, and its a good sampling of people..
Tony
Be that as it may, while O2 sensors going bad after only 4,000 miles may explain a poor MPG average, it does not exactly make a good case for the car's reliability.
WOW russvagt, I hope you told HIM about sex and travel.
If the O2 Sensors in your Versa are both bad, driving like a Nascar Racer will not suddenly make it all better.
A couple of other symptoms might be evident as well if the O2's are shot, you might notice some black smoke from the tailpipe, and/or a 'rotten egg' smell to the exhaust.
If the O2's are gone in any vehicle tho, bad MPG is always the result, as the engine is running too rich a mixture.
My Versa sucks gas like a gravel truck too, so, if it's just bad OEM O2 sensors, you might be on the way to solving the Bad MPG mystery...please, don't forget to keep the rest of us Versa Gas Guzzler owners up to date on the outcome.
Actually, bad O2 sensors can act like early phases of cancer. They may not cause any physical symptoms, but the car's appetite changes. I had an experience with O2 sensors going bad once. Nothing like smoke or smell. The gas mileage just dropped like a cliff (it helps to know what you are usually getting), and sure enough, it was those sensors.
We are in southern MN and a couple weeks in FEB temps were in the -10 to -20 , we keep our Versa in our garage (it's not a heated garage) and several times the car would not start, it just cranked and cranked and cranked.....tried a few seconds later and it started right up. HMMMM....
Like I posted before "if I could I would return it."
This is my wife's car and to have her stranded or the possibility of it leaving her stranded make me nervous.
If you are stopped going up a hill (or in your case, a Mt.) the car will roll backwards. So a little fancy footwork on the brake is needed to keep your Versa out of the grill of the guy behind you.
Niels