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Comments
Another theory about ABS and safety in general - An overall review of new cars in a Boston paper several months ago said that American will generally not pay extra for safety features when they are optional (ABS, curtain airbags on some Toyotas, etc). Don't know if I believe that. Maybe Nissan under estimated how many people would want ABS
Actually the gray is not bad. Our brand new Quest is brilliant silver, so the two cars are almost twins sitting in our driveway.
Ben
I like the gray, it was my second choice. I won't own another red car (and my girlfriend would shoot me if I bought one.) The last red car I owned, an early 90's Plymouth Colt, was hit about 5 times. It met it's demise by being totalled by a jack knifing tractor trailer during high speed rush hour traffic. I walked away because all of the damage was done to the passenger side. That car attracted damage. With 300 miles on it, a pipe flew out of a truck in front of me and hit the side of the car. I used to get rear ended regularly at toll booths. No more red cars for me. Although I must admit Red Alert is a nice color.
touch wood
Remember Used Cars, the movie from about 1978? I vageuly recall someone wouldn't drive a red car, but it's been too many years I don't remember why.
Ben
Remember the concept of ABS is this, to slow the car down with traction, and on ICE there is none...
Tony :shades:
Up where it snows, ABS is definitely helpful. Any Canuck will testify to that. In fact, I bet that's where all the ABS cars are going.
The point of ABS is to keep the wheels from locking up so you can steer out of the accident. Steering stops when the wheels lock. It's not going to prevent every accident. A driver still has to drive withing the limits of road conditions and his/her abilities.
Up here in Iowa, every time we have a bad snow, the ditches fill up with cars and trucks. People just driving too fast for the icy roads. Funny thing is... most of the cars that wind up in the ditches are SUVs. People buy them cause they think they're great in the snow. Then they think they can just drive through anything and guess what, an SUV can't recover from a skid on ice at 60 MPH, 50MPH or even 40MPH. It doesn't matter what you drive, you just have to slow down.
ABS will do absolutely nothing to help a driver recover from a skid either BTW, but it can help avoid one. When you're driving down the street and a car backs out of a driveway in front of you, you can brake and steer. Try it without ABS and instant skid.
Ben
Funny, I thought those people only lived in Boston! I guess they are all over the place. We also see a certain amount of SUV's on their side in the ditches. With their higher center of gravity, they can roll if the conditions are right. Icy roads in New England do occur, but what is more common are those snow storms that start at 4 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon on a workday. By the time rush hour comes it's just hard to keep the roads clear. That is when ABS is worth it weight in gold.
ABS is USELESS if there is nothing the tires can grip on, if the car is on ICE, how are the tires going to 'steer' you out of a accident ?
Regarding ice in PHX, its snows here but doesn't stick, but up in flagstaff (elevation 7200') they get plenty of snow and ICE. Since I'm a flightNurse, I'm up in that area flying serious injuried patients to trauma hospitals in the Valley. During the winter months, you would be suprised the accidents I see. Talking to the DSP (highway patrol) speed and ICE are what happens.
So Ben, let me ask you this..... If you are traveling on a highway and you slam your brakes on, and the car keeps going and doesn't slow down because you are ICE, how are you going to steer yourself out of the accident ? Yes you have ABS on your car ?
Tony
Tony :shades:
I've been living in Iowa for 10 years and I had to learn to drive all over again in the winters here. The first winter I put my Aerostar in the ditch twice. That was the last RWD car I will ever own.
My Sable had antilocks and I tried them out a few times on the ice to "teach" myself what to expect if I ever got in a close scrape and needed them.
The mechanics are such that as long as the wheel is rolling, you can steer the vehicle. If the wheels lock, you will slide. Antilock brakes primarily save drivers from themselves.
Sure if you're on glare ice and you "throw" the wheel, you will spin out, so there's a threshold even on an icy road where you can control a vehicle. Problem is no one respects it. People drive too fast thinking 4WD and antilock brakes make them immune to snow and ice.
Ben
I remember my first accident. I was driving my Dad's '66 VW Fastback and it started snowing(I grew up in the Seattle area). The Fastback had a 3-speed tranny and I was attempting to show off for my friend who was riding with me(we were 16 years old). There was around 2 inches of snow and I pulled into a furniture store's parking lot. I remember saying "check this out!" I accelerated hard but made the mistake of slamming on my brakes when I realized we were sliding out of control. BAM! We hit a large landscaping boulder straight on. The '66 VW FB was toast in the front end.
Dad had it repaired, it was salvageable, but I felt bad about it. I didn't have to reimburse him but I learned a lot from that accident. Never again would I punch it in the snow and ice.
Incidentally, my '01 Kia Sportage 4x4 propelled me out of several slippery stuck spots last winter. The 4WD just worked great to grip on the ice and snow and get me out of bad predicaments. Hard to want to trade the Sportsman in when it's helped me out so many times. It's a keeper!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Tony :shades:
We will just drive a bit slower and love the car we're driving in.
The best idea is to cut your speed by 1/3 or 1/2 if possible in really bad weather.
I don't understand how someone can sacrifice the safety features because of mpg, styling, or some of the other more cosmetic features. I'm not sure your reasons for either wanting a Sentra or Versa, but I think that ABS is really imporant. Even if you do just slow down in bad weather, you can't always predict what will happen suddenly in front of you and then you'll rather have had the ABS versus the other features. Again, this is "you" in the generic sense of anyone making this sort of decision.
I don't understand how someone can sacrifice the safety features because of mpg, styling, or some of the other more cosmetic features. I'm not sure your reasons for either wanting a Sentra or Versa, but I think that ABS is really imporant. Even if you do just slow down in bad weather, you can't always predict what will happen suddenly in front of you and then you'll rather have had the ABS versus the other features, especially if this seemed such an important feature based on driving conditions. Again, this is "you" in the generic sense of anyone making this sort of decision.
GET THE ABS! I can't stress that enough. The importance of the ABS showed up in our tests of a non-ABS Versa 1.8S and a ABS-equipped 1.8SL.
This was written by Tom Mutchler who works for Consumer Reports.
FWIW, I was fortunate enough to observe first-hand a showing of the affects of ABS. A car drove straight toward a set of cones and at a marked point, slammed on the brakes.
The first time, no ABS, wheels locked up and car smashed right into cones and beyond. Second time, ABS on, car slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt in an AMAZINGLY short distance. No cones hit. My jaw dropped.
I bought a Versa with ABS and will insist it's on every car I own from here on out.
Had I not seen that demonstration, I don't know if I would have been so concerned with getting ABS. The stock brakes on the Versa might be very good, but ABS adds that extra amount of safety that I want.
Without ABS, from 60 mph, dry/wet (in feet):
163/187
With ABS:
145/163
Comment from the review:
Braking distances in the non-ABS Versa were some of the longest we have recently recorded. The model with ABS was much better, but it's still below par.
So I would definitely get ABS with the Versa.
Note that CR rated the Versa SL hatch with CVT the top "budget car" with an automatic, and rated the Versa S with MT behind the Fit Sport, Focus ZX3 S (now redesigned), and Scion xB (now redesigned) for budget cars with a stick.
mschmal's comments aren't really all that interesting. Nor should they be since it is a misreading/misinterpreting of the information. To say nothing of missing the point of what ABS is for.
It's not about braking, per se; and certainly it is not about changing driving behavior. It's about maintaining control in situations when wheels would otherwise lock up during braking.
The sited IIHS articles do not say ABS has no value. Instead, they say, along with many other things, that ABS may introduce a moral hazard, such that people (falsely) believe they can be less careful with ABS.
That is not a defect of ABS; nor does it say that ABS has no effect. It is merely a statement of human behavior.
Is ABS a wasted option? I don't think for people who want it. And maybe that is Nissan's thinking. That those who want it bad enough will have come to understand, appreciate and respect the technology and know how to properly use it.
Although, Nissan could make it easier to get.
The assumption is faulty regarding ice.
People can walk on ice. Cars can drive on ice. Granted, the physics have to be within certain bounds to work. But, to imply that ice provides zero traction/friction is not accurate.
ABS' electronics pumping works on the principle of repetitive instantaneous traction, which provides a narrow window for gripping but not too long a window to induce loss of traction (reducing steering control).
This successive on/off "braking" has more of a chance of achieving traction on ice than solid braking, or even manual pumping (since human response time is too long). It certainly won't always work. And it probably won't work at all if the user doesn't know how it works; and how to properly use it.
I was astonished at what I saw and subsequently made sure my Versa had ABS.
Hopefully I'll never need it, but I'm sure glad I have it. And no, it won't make me a less careful driver.
I’ve been looking at ’08 Versa SL with CVT. On top of my option list is ABS, with XM, Audio, Moonroof and Conv. Packages. I’m having problem with finding one with ABS and the rest. All the ones around here are either ABS and Conv package, or XM/Audio/Moon/Conv but no ABS. I’m around Pittsburgh, PA, searched inventory for pretty much everyone within 100 miles and found exactly 4 cars with ABS, and only 1 has all 5 options, but wrong color. I have never seen anything like this where certain option is so hard to come by, especially ABS which is pretty much a standard now. I can understand if I was looking for Manual tranny (found 2). Anyway, does anyone know why it’s so hard to get the ABS option?
It's been a couple years since the original comment, but I thought I'd chime in anyway! LOL
By the way, are you having any problems slowing down/stopping?
They claim that it was a built-up on the rotors - they cleaned it and it should be fine. Also the rotor alignment was off by a minimal degree.
Better to be safe than sorry. Have it checked, especially as long as you have the warranty.
Got a call back, mechanic is admonishing me not to make so many panic stops, it heats up the brakes and deforms the rotor. Hmpf. I have never had that problems on any of my other cars (not even on the honda which I had for 17 years). I don't think I drive it any differently than I drive other cars. Seems like a design issue to me.
So, I suppose you need to live in a flat, relatively traffic free part of the world, if you do not wish to have rotor problems on your Nissan Versa. Btw, I have no ABS brakes.
I had the same problem appear within a week of my purchase (2008 Versa HB SL). Dealer told me it was a common occurrence to have "hot spots" on the rotors which is usually caused by excessive breaking or hard braking. Considering the car had 100 miles on it - his explanation made total sense to me! I have owned many new cars and have never had this happen even one time!
They turned the rotors and upon reaching a mileage of 1200 - the problem happened again. I no longer own the Versa - went with a Honda Sport Fit with standard ABS and so far I am very pleased - but very disappointed in Nissan. The Versa had many other issues requiring service as well but I will keep to topic and spare everyone the details. I have owned 4 other Nissan cars and have had good experiences with each. Very surprised by the lack of apparent quality of the Versa.
Good luck with your brake issues!
This car now has 57,000+ miles on it and has not had a problem for the last 20,000 miles. It gets great gas mileage and has surprising performance with the 6 speed manual transmission.
Would I recommend this car? Absolutely!! I have several friends that bought later models of this vehicle and experienced none of my problems and love their cars. The only common complaint seems to be the cheap hubcaps. Look at any Nissan Versa and you will see at least one missing hubcap because the plastic retainers broke off when the hubcap was removed to change a flat tire. Quality look-alike hubcaps are available on-line for $55.00
Frank
09 Versa Sedan S 6-speed with 2900 mi
2007-2009 NISSAN VERSA; REAR BRAKE SQUEAL NOISE
The rear brakes squeal when you:
• Warm up the brakes by driving the vehicle under normal conditions for 10 minutes.
• Let the vehicle sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Drive the vehicle again and apply the brakes to check for the noise.
That seems to be a really specific set of conditions to get the noise. Kinda reminds me of the old joke where the guy goes to the doctor and says, "It hurts when I do this." And the doc says, "Well, don't do that"
I've had a bit of rotor warping, but everyone makes rotors so light now that I haven't had a vehicle that hasn't had rotors warp at some point.
I figured it was an exception, but from reading here, I am getting worried it will happen on my Versa any time now.
The pulsating braking is a problem that the dealership should fix before going out he door with a new rotor. Weird that you would have that, but a simple fix.