2012 Nissan Versa Sedan (Review)

Recently, the popularity of fuel-efficient, compact sedans has been growing exponentially and Nissan has responded to the call with the new 2012 Versa Sedan. Nissan is a company that has been making high quality vehicles for many years that are beneficial, affordable, and fun to drive, with unique features.

The subcompact vehicle has a stylish exterior, sleek lines, and a bold trapezoidal specially designed grille. The style is similar to the Maxima and Altima sedans, but with a unique look all its own. The Versa is also the first to wear Nissan's new Puredrive label, which will be put on cars with the brand's most fuel-efficient technologies.

The Nissan Versa is spacious both in the front cabin and rear seating areas, is comfortable, has a variety of features, a large trunk, and unlike the old Versa that had a basic roof with more of a flat appearance, the new model has smooth lines, sweeping taillights, and the roofline gently inclines toward the trunk, giving a modern and sleek look to the vehicle's exterior.

The Versa's rear seating area offer more legroom than a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and is very spacious, comfortable, with plenty of room to accommodate at least three or four passengers. The dashboard has circular, delineated controls, and a restyled steering wheel.

The Versa is available in three trim levels and each level comes with one optional package. The basic 1.6 S model has a starting MSRP of only $10,990 and comes equipped with AM/FM/CD player, two speakers, air bags, stability control, side and curtain airbags, 15-inch steel wheels, defroster, air conditioning, 6-way manual driver's seat, and 5-speed manual transmission. The optional Cruise Control Package adds a trunk light, 2 rear speakers, and cruise control.

The 1.6 SV has a starting MSRP of $14,560 and is equipped with cruise control, AM/FM/CD audio system, four speakers, chrome grille trim, power windows, power mirrors, air conditioning, and better seats. The optional Convenience Package provides Bluetooth connectivity, a premium audio system with MP3 CD playback capability, a passenger visor vanity mirror, steering-wheel audio controls, map lights, and an iPod interface system.

The top of the line Nissan Versa 1.6 SL Sedan comes with a premium AM/FM/CD audio system, four speakers, MP3/WMA CD playback capability, radio data system, alloy wheels, fog lights, a split-folding rear seat, chrome door pulls, and all of the features that the SV Convenience Package has. The SV can be upgraded with the Technology Package, which includes a Nissan Touch screen Navigation System, XM Satellite Radio, and USB connection port.

The base model is equipped with a manual transmission, but the SV and SL models have a continuously variable transmission. All three trims yield a remarkable 30 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway.

With gas prices on the rise, many Americans, including myself, are very interested in saving money on fuel as much as possible, that is why I was so excited when I was given the wonderful opportunity to test drive the new Nissan Versa Sedan.

When I first set my eyes on the Nissan Versa, I immediately noticed its unique appearance. The vehicle actually looks like some luxury Infiniti models, because of its stylish grille and sleek lines. I was impressed with the Versa's overall driving performance, spacious interior and roomy trunk.

The base model does not have a navigation system, but for an additional charge, one can be added. I do not like where the fuel panel is located on the dashboard, because it is placed right in the middle, between two grooves over the steering wheel, which make it difficult to see and my sun visor did not have a mirror for me to see how I looked (most women like this feature), however the passenger's side did have a mirror on the sun visor.

The cooling and heating system work amazingly well, the stereo system has good sound quality, and the Versa drives well in the city and on freeways.

The best thing that I like about the Nissan Versa is that it truly is a fuel efficient vehicle and has the potential to save consumers hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars a year on fuel costs. I tested the vehicle's fuel efficiency, and have found it to be one of, if not the best, fuel efficient vehicles available.

To sum it all up, the new 2012 Nissan Versa is a fuel efficient sedan, with a lot of style, appeal, a spacious front and rear cabin, and will get you to where you want to go easily, comfortably, and is perfect for daily commuting to work, school, running errands, or going to the beach.

If you are looking for a vehicle that is comfortable, fuel efficient, spacious, reliable, and affordable, then I highly recommend the Nissan Versa. It is simply the best commute vehicle on the road today!