"Vimto" (smudgey)
09/15/2014 at 11:06 • Filed to: OPPO REVIEW, NISSAN, VERSA
5
16|
"Vimto" (smudgey)
09/15/2014 at 11:06 • Filed to: OPPO REVIEW, NISSAN, VERSA | 5
| 16 |
2014 Nissan Versa Note - 1.6L S model - 5 speed transmission
Can you believe I've had my Note for an entire month already? No? Well, that's because I haven't. I bought it on the 25th of August, approximately 20 days ago. However, because I am impatient and felt that approximately 400 miles is enough seat time to construct a fairly accurate and hopefully somewhat entertaining review. As far as the specifics go, my Note had stickered at $13,990, the only option I added being carpeted floor mats.I purchased it with 23 miles.
(Full disclosure: Nissan wanted me to buy a Note so badly, they had Sandy Sansing stock 67 Nissan Versa sedans, with not a single one being stick shift. Then they put a bunch of discounts and incentives on the Note to get rid of this one, which had been sitting on the lot for 4 months.)
Exterior: 6/10
No bones about it, the Note is a narrow, short car, measuring only 163 inches long. However, I think the car's styling suits its silhouette. The sides are heavily scalloped, the grille is curved into a nice, happy smile (the grille is also painted a grey color, which is refreshing in today's world of unpainted black grilles...). I also like the door-mounted side mirrors, which looks more modern and less cluttered compared to DLO mounted mirrors (in my opinion). It's an econobox, not a Ferrari, but the look certainly isn't offensive.
Interior: 6/10
Hang on a second there! Before you take a gander at the photo following this paragraph and thinking to yourself, "There's more hard plastic in that interior than Nicki Minaj's breasts!" and "Wind up windows in 2014? Go kill yourself." After discounts and incentives me, this car cost me half as much as a V6 Mustang. The interior is rattle-free, utilitarian, and inoffensive. There is a tremendous amount of space for all five passengers, and quite a large area for cargo (especially with the rear seats down!). The electroluminescent gauges are nice and bright, and the steering wheel feels good in the hand.
I will say that the seats are probably only comfortable if you're on the slimmer side. I'm 5'7 and roughly 140 lbs, my broad shoulders fit perfectly between the seat bolsters, but I imagine someone wider would be uncomfortable.
( TPMS light is on because the car has slow leaking flat tire. Already.)
Acceleration: 5/10
The gearing in this car is quite strange. 1st gear is extremely short, which hampers acceleration somewhat because before you're through the intersection you're shifting into second. Other than that, the car has ample power from it's 106 horsepower 1.6L HR16DE engine. By the time you reach 40 mph, the car is already asking for 5th gear, but you can still get plenty of gumption out of the little motor.
Braking: 5/10
Front disc, rear drum brakes. They blow my Panther's brakes out of the water, but that isn't saying much. I would say they are about average, pedal feel is acceptable, but there is quite a long travel before you get a significant reaction.
Ride: 5/10
The Note has typical economy car stiffness, but the 65 profile tires and some clever chassis tuning mean the ride is quite comfortable. However, the short wheelbase causes significant disruption when driving at speed over bumps in the road, like highway expansion joints.
Handling: 6/10
The car feels nippy and agile, mostly thanks to its small size and short overhangs. Body roll is more severe than other subcompacts, but not exactly Buick LeSabre levels of bad. The 185/65R15 Continental ContiProContact tires have good all weather traction, but they just aren't wide enough to handle crazily spirited driving.
Gearbox: 5/10
I have a love-hate relationship with this gearbox. It has various 'moods' that depend on the temperature, time of day, and the last time the car ate. Sometimes, it will engage gears very crisply and smoothly, and brings me smiles when I shift. Others, however, the shifter is very notchy and attempts to rebel against you as you go from 1st into 2nd, or 2nd into 3rd. I know this will not change as the car gets older because I've had another vehicle with the exact same transmission before. It's just what they do. Still one thousand times better than a CVT equipped Versa, which is essentially satan on a budget.
Toys: 3/10
Electroluminescent gauges, 4-speaker stereo with aux input, and air conditioning. That is about the extent of the toys in this vehicle. I have no qualms with this.
Audio: 4/10
The stereo is all bass and nothing else, even with the bass turned down to zero. Songs like Iggly Azalea's 'Fancy' essentially get completely washed out by their own noise. The engine sounds quite healthy for being a small four cylinder; when you're listening to music that is more balanced, the 4-speakers work much more effectively.
( Hooray for dual glove boxes)
Value: 8/10
The Versa Note is one of the most affordable brand new cars you can purchase. For less than fifteen large, you get a spacious, amply powered subcompact that gets 35 mpg in most driving situations and doesn't look like a penalty box doing so. The Versa is old school, reminding me of cars from long ago that didn't try to woo you by cramming in thousands of dollars of features you didn't really need. I am confident that my Note will bring me years of happiness...once that damn flat tire is sorted out.
Total: 53/100
Engine: 1.6L I-4
Horsepower: 106
Torque: 104
0-60: 9-seconds (CVT model, zeroto60times.com)
Top Speed: probably 115-ish
Seating: 4 comfortably, 5 semi-comfortably
MSRP: $13,990
Shameless whoring of my Panther review !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Vicente Esteve
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 11:18 |
|
Pretty damn excellent review, enjoy the Note!
RazoE
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 11:22 |
|
I love bare-bones cheap (but good) motoring. Great review.
|
Vimto
> Vicente Esteve
09/15/2014 at 11:23 |
|
Thanks, have you reviewed your MK7 yet?
|
Vicente Esteve
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 11:28 |
|
I havent! But the break in period finally finished! I can really feel how quick it is, but now, I have to wait for the damn hurricane to leave.
bhardoin
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 11:39 |
|
I love these things. One of the last barebones cars you can get.
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 12:03 |
|
"Body roll is more severe than other subcompacts, but not exactly Buick LeSabre levels of bad"
I laughed and people stared at me.
Great writeup!
|
Vimto
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
09/15/2014 at 12:21 |
|
I was referencing you there, but since the Murdersofa has been, err, "tied down" I thought I'd go with a more ambiguous term.
Dusty Ventures
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 12:25 |
|
I feel like I can't get a fair and balanced review of the Versa Note from someone who calls himself "The Versa Note Guy" ;)
|
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 12:29 |
|
I actually undid the suspension mods after it proved to be a slightly less than workable idea than I had hoped.
|
Vimto
> Dusty Ventures
09/15/2014 at 12:29 |
|
Well, before I bought it, I asked Oppo for opinions on various subcompacts including the Versa and it was universally shat upon. I also own a Panther, but they have plenty of support from other Opponauts. Someone has to stick up for the poor Note.
|
Dusty Ventures
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 12:32 |
|
No worries, I'm just teasing
naallday
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 13:27 |
|
I like these a lot. I even thought about getting one. I'm a bare bones simple is better type of guy. So I enjoy this. This car is not trying to be anything besides what it is and I love it. * ( I also love the new honda fit!) good review.
|
Vimto
> naallday
09/15/2014 at 13:43 |
|
Yeah, the bare bones attitude is what I have. This is actually my second Versa, and most of my cars I've owned have been a similar base model mentality.
(also a 1.6 S 5-speed)
Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job...
> Vimto
09/15/2014 at 23:08 |
|
I had the mysterious TPMS light and slow leak a while back. It turned out to be a large metal staple in the tire's sidewall - lined up with the grooves in such a way that it was next to impossible to see. Good luck tracking down your leak.
ihatehumanity
> Vimto
12/15/2014 at 10:41 |
|
The name of this car makes me think its a phone. Every commercial confuses me.
|
Vimto
> ihatehumanity
12/15/2014 at 11:08 |
|
In the car's defense, it was called the Note overseas from 2004, predating the phone-tablet thing by several years.