"MLGCarGuy" (thejdmguy)
03/08/2016 at 10:00 • Filed to: None
2
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"MLGCarGuy" (thejdmguy)
03/08/2016 at 10:00 • Filed to: None | 2
| 13 |
Many people tend to overlook the awesome ride that is the Nissan Versa Note when searching for a subcompact hatchback nowadays. This means that there are many things left undiscovered about this marvelous piece of transportation. Do you know your Versas?
1. The US market got scammed when it came to features
The US market Versa Note comes with basic halogen headlights. But did you know that the Japanese Nismo trim comes with projector headlights?
Image courtesy of autoevolution
In addition, the European market Note gets cool features ranging from blind spot monitoring to a self-cleaning back-up camera. How unfair.
2. The engine
The 1.6 liter, 4 cylinder engine in the Versa Note produces 109 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. That doesn’t even sound powerful enough to power a washing machine. But fear not. The Versa Note, in its heaviest SL trim, weighs just 2,521 pounds. That’s light enough to help the Versa Note feel somewhat peppy. In addition, the Versa Note has a surprisingly decent exhaust note . A quick Google search reveals that the HR16DE engine used can be turbocharged as well.
3. Manual everything
Image courtesy of Valencia Auto Center
Are you one of those people who thinks that they didn’t make cars like they used to? Have no worries! The Versa Note S caters to all of your needs, including a manual transmission, locks, windows, and seats. It’s sure to trigger your retro car flashbacks.
4. Aerodynamic trickery
The Nissan Versa Note is advertised by Nissan as having an active grille shutter from the S Plus trim and up. But what isn’t advertised as often is the inclusion of small slats in the tail lights in order to reduce air turbulence, which helps the Note achieve a drag coefficient of just 0.29.
5. That blue badge
You might have noticed a small blue badge on the lower part of the hatch in the lead image. That badge is a Pure Drive badge, which is Nissan’s equivalent to Mazda’s SkyActiv. However, due to presumably poor marketing, and the fact that Pure Drive badges went on engines that were not originally designed to be efficient, the name was scrapped.
6. An 4WD hatchback
In this incredibly poor image, you might be able to discern the 4WD light outline in the gauge cluster above the center of the tachometer needle. This is not a mistake; the Japanese market Note offers 4WD as an option. The US does not get 4WD as an option, which is a shame, because the Versa Note would be one hell of a rally car.
7. The little things
The Versa Note has little cutouts in the side for the ends of the seat belts, which helps so that the belt doesn’t interfere when you fold the seats. How clever.
8. The smart key
The smart key on the SL is the same as the one that you get in a GT-R, or in any smart key equipped Nissan for that matter. So does that make my Versa a GT-R by that reasoning?
I hope you enjoyed my highly non-informational article about the Versa Note, and that you might view the Note as a better car after this. I would have included more pictures, but Kinja doesn’t play nice with a high-resolution photo dump.
Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 10:11 |
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Don’t you just love it when companies leave warning lights in your car for options that you don’t have.
MultiplaOrgasms
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 10:29 |
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Why don’t you give any mention to how they drive? Because I actually do drive a first gen Note (mostly the same but with yellowed headlights and built in britain) and want to hear what other people think of them.
CALUSA
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 10:33 |
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What does the speaker icon on the key mean? More bass when ya chilling with the mates?
Stapleface
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 10:37 |
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So the moral of the story is that to get all the good stuff on a Note, one must be in Japan. Bummer.
I'd consider owning a Versa Note if it wasn't for the CVT. I can't have the manual, so I'm stuck with the lousy choice. Not all CVTs are bad, but Nissan's is.
Funktheduck
> CALUSA
03/08/2016 at 10:39 |
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Alarm
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MLGCarGuy
> MultiplaOrgasms
03/08/2016 at 10:53 |
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It’s a merely ok car. Acceleration is adequate, but begins to struggle up hills, or when you have more than two people in the car. The car is quite bouncy on bumpy roads, and the handling isn’t notable at all, but the seats hold you in place.
gin-san - shitpost specialist
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 10:58 |
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It sounds like Nissan just needs to make a few tweaks to this formula and they could have a hot version of the Versa. They have that partnership with Renault, so maybe borrow a few of their chassis engineers that did the Clio and Megane hot hatches and you have yourself a turbo, 4WD Versa GT-R.
Probenja
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 11:13 |
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My mom has an equivalent Versa Note SL too, although it’s called the “Advance” trim level, same color but hers is a 2015 so it has more Fiesta-like mirrors, different gauges and a piano black interior which makes it look much nicer, especially the gauges which do a nice sweep when you start it up:
Also, did you know that the line that has on the side it’s called a “squash line” and it has an two tier glovebox!
And some cars came with a cabin air filter from the factory so check if yours has one.
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Probenja
> Stapleface
03/08/2016 at 11:17 |
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Have you driven one? I’d say it’s bad but it’s not that bad, the versa note has the newer cvt (Xtronic 2) so you might want to try it out. At least I would choose it over the optional 4 speed automatic.
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Stapleface
> Probenja
03/08/2016 at 11:21 |
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I used to own a 2010 cube, which is basically just the Versa with a different body. Has Nissan updated the CVT since 2010?
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Probenja
> Stapleface
03/08/2016 at 11:29 |
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I think the cube had the 1.8l from the old versa hatchback, the versa note has a 1.6l which i’m pretty sure has an upgraded CVT too.
If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> MLGCarGuy
03/08/2016 at 12:23 |
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Those are some fuckin’ loooong intake runners.
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MLGCarGuy
> Probenja
03/08/2016 at 19:24 |
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The two-tier glovebox is the greatest thing ever.