2014 Nissan Versa Note initial impression/test drive

Z_ealot · 06-23-2013, 05:30 PM

ok everyone first off want to say that i have driven an older nissan versa hatchback before and will be the first to admit that the old hatchback was very odd looking and screamed cheaply made all over the exterior and interior before i get on with my initial impressions of the new versa note, that being said here are my initial impressions of the new versa note hatchback.

Looks: Much better by a long shot compared to the old versa hatchback, still a little odd looking when it comes to the front grille, but flows oh so much better with the rest of the car. back to front a very attractive hatchback although i would have to say without the add-on spoiler it looks a little incomplete, otherwise very good looking package.

Interior: Wasn't expecting much for the interior considering the class of vehicle that this car falls under, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the interior has gotten a HUGE upgrade from the old versa hatchback, aside from some hard plastics which are to be expected in this class of vehicle everything was put together very well, seats were VERY comfortable and as far as legroom there is tons of it both back and front. The back seats i was especially surprised with as i have sat in a comparable car (ford fiesta) and felt very squished in and with me being only 5'10" that wasnt a good thing, but the versa note had room to spare even with the front seat pushed back to my normal driving position. Aside from that i also noticed that the versa note has more cargo space than the ford fiesta, not by much, but the space that you do get is very useable and if you need more the back seats have a 60/40 splitting ability with the seats folding completely flat so they dont get in the way at all when you need that extra space. also one thing i'd like to mention is that when you close the doors on the versa note they make a nice solid "thunk" when closed just like a VW, another good sign of the overall solidness of this car.

Test drive: So now it's down to the test drive, i really wasnt expecting much seeing as all the complaints i've heard about nissans CVT transmissions and such which the car i test drove same equipped with, but this car had none of that, took it out on the road and first thing i noticed was how quiet it was, i mean i was flooring it and the only thing i could hear was the engine and even that wasn't that noticeable, the sound deadening was that good in this car. even when tooken on the freeway wind noise was almost completely non-existent and road noise was not existent at all. suspension setup on this car is very nimble, but absorbs bumps in the road so well you barely even notice them, i kept on thinking to myself the whole test drive "this is what nissan should have been doing all along with all their cars". Also i found that the get up and go that comes from the engine in this car is very suprising, it reminded me alot of the Honda Fit and although the honda has a little more power the power comes on a little earlier in the rev range on the nissan versa note which was a welcome suprise.

In summary the versa note is definitely worth a look for someone cross shopping the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, or any other hatchback on the market for that matter. I even found myself wanting to trade in my honda civic right then and there, but as i told the dealer, "if i didnt have a Z coming in next week, i would definitely trade in my civic for this right now". overall i came away very impressed with the job that nissan did on this new hatchback and would advise everyone to take a test drive if you already haven't, it's really that good

KERMIT · 06-23-2013, 06:19 PM

Too bad we don't get the DIG-S engine in the USA...

Z_ealot · 06-23-2013, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KERMIT

Too bad we don't get the DIG-S engine in the USA...

i will admit that would have been nice to see in this car, but even with the little 1.6 ltr it has in it, still pretty peppy for it's size

DEpointfive0 · 06-23-2013, 07:18 PM

I couldn't read your review while driving, but it's still the second WORST car I have driven besides the Cube at #1. And their improvements from '12 to '13 didn't do a damn thing

Z_ealot · 06-23-2013, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEpointfive0

I couldn't read your review while driving, but it's still the second WORST car I have driven besides the Cube at #1. And their improvements from '12 to '13 didn't do a damn thing

you mean the old versa hatchback or the new one? cause i can agree on the old one as being garbage, but the new one totally different story

kenchan · 06-23-2013, 09:12 PM

Wow. My review would be 2 words:

It sucks.

Z_ealot · 06-23-2013, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

Wow. My review would be 2 words:

It sucks.

only because the higher trim levels don't come with a manual transmission option in your case lol...other than that it's actually lighter than the honda fit to top it off

DEpointfive0 · 06-23-2013, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z_ealot

you mean the old versa hatchback or the new one? cause i can agree on the old one as being garbage, but the new one totally different story

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

Wow. My review would be 2 words:

It sucks.

they both BLOW, the new one at best went from shít to crap

Z_ealot · 06-23-2013, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEpointfive0

they both BLOW, the new one at best went from shít to crap

screw you both, at least it's better than the dodge dart lol

UNKNOWN_370 · 06-24-2013, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z_ealot

screw you both, at least it's better than the dodge dart lol

Kewl review. I looked at some photos of the versa note. The interior was impressive for the price range. Definitely above it's class... I think Nissan should pass the manual throughout the range on this model. Losers that buy fits and fiestas really need manuals to keep frugality up.

takjak2 · 06-27-2013, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z_ealot

Also i found that the get up and go that comes from the engine in this car is very suprising, it reminded me alot of the Honda Fit...

The Honda fit is super practical, and I'm glad to hear the Versa Note is good, but that kinda of anemic engine is undrivable to me. Needs more power just to get out of my its own way.

kenchan · 06-27-2013, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z_ealot

screw you both, at least it's better than the dodge dart lol

hahaha. well, if you like that versa that much, it must be for you then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by takjak2

The Honda fit is super practical, and I'm glad to hear the Versa Note is good, but that kinda of anemic engine is undrivable to me. Needs more power just to get out of my its own way.

honda fit is super practical and it does everything my wife and i need it to do for our daily tasks. and the MT is actually fun to drive. the price is right too. i just paid cash for both of them. yep, i own 2 fits under my name. one for me, one for her.

UNKNOWN_370 · 06-27-2013, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

hahaha. well, if you like that versa that much, it must be for you then.

honda fit is super practical and it does everything my wife and i need it to do for our daily tasks. and the MT is actually fun to drive. the price is right too. i just paid cash for both of them. yep, i own 2 fits under my name. one for me, one for her.

Your hip hop street name is now "2Fitz"

Z_ealot · 06-27-2013, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

hahaha. well, if you like that versa that much, it must be for you then.

honda fit is super practical and it does everything my wife and i need it to do for our daily tasks. and the MT is actually fun to drive. the price is right too. i just paid cash for both of them. yep, i own 2 fits under my name. one for me, one for her.

i dont know, i guess im just looking at it from a practicality standpoint more than a "fun to drive" type of viewpoint...i will admit that the fit is fun to drive, but i think i'm one of those that would rather have better fuel efficiency for a day to day commute econo-box car. the note is not totally devoid of the "fun to drive" factor, but it's not really it's major selling point either when you consider there is no "sport" version of it like there is when it comes to the Honda Fit. about the only other thing the Note has on the Fit is the cheaper selling price and some technology bits that the fit doesnt have.

kenchan · 06-27-2013, 10:00 PM

i didnt buy the fit for mpg although the AT gets about 34mpg and with my MT driving, i get about 31mpg on regular gas..and i dont drive slow at all. that is more than plenty for me. i dont really care about mpg.

my G does only about 15mpg on premium for the congested commute...not that i have trouble paying for the fuel or anything. driving the G to work has its own greatness for me.

im not here to sell you the fit. but i can tell you that the fit is the benchmark of this segment and has good reasons why it is.

06-23-2013, 05:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Z_ealot A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 2,045 Drives: 09 370Z Touring/Sprt Rep Power: 10091	2014 Nissan Versa Note initial impression/test drive ok everyone first off want to say that i have driven an older nissan versa hatchback before and will be the first to admit that the old hatchback was very odd looking and screamed cheaply made all over the exterior and interior before i get on with my initial impressions of the new versa note, that being said here are my initial impressions of the new versa note hatchback. Looks: Much better by a long shot compared to the old versa hatchback, still a little odd looking when it comes to the front grille, but flows oh so much better with the rest of the car. back to front a very attractive hatchback although i would have to say without the add-on spoiler it looks a little incomplete, otherwise very good looking package. Interior: Wasn't expecting much for the interior considering the class of vehicle that this car falls under, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the interior has gotten a HUGE upgrade from the old versa hatchback, aside from some hard plastics which are to be expected in this class of vehicle everything was put together very well, seats were VERY comfortable and as far as legroom there is tons of it both back and front. The back seats i was especially surprised with as i have sat in a comparable car (ford fiesta) and felt very squished in and with me being only 5'10" that wasnt a good thing, but the versa note had room to spare even with the front seat pushed back to my normal driving position. Aside from that i also noticed that the versa note has more cargo space than the ford fiesta, not by much, but the space that you do get is very useable and if you need more the back seats have a 60/40 splitting ability with the seats folding completely flat so they dont get in the way at all when you need that extra space. also one thing i'd like to mention is that when you close the doors on the versa note they make a nice solid "thunk" when closed just like a VW, another good sign of the overall solidness of this car. Test drive: So now it's down to the test drive, i really wasnt expecting much seeing as all the complaints i've heard about nissans CVT transmissions and such which the car i test drove same equipped with, but this car had none of that, took it out on the road and first thing i noticed was how quiet it was, i mean i was flooring it and the only thing i could hear was the engine and even that wasn't that noticeable, the sound deadening was that good in this car. even when tooken on the freeway wind noise was almost completely non-existent and road noise was not existent at all. suspension setup on this car is very nimble, but absorbs bumps in the road so well you barely even notice them, i kept on thinking to myself the whole test drive "this is what nissan should have been doing all along with all their cars". Also i found that the get up and go that comes from the engine in this car is very suprising, it reminded me alot of the Honda Fit and although the honda has a little more power the power comes on a little earlier in the rev range on the nissan versa note which was a welcome suprise. In summary the versa note is definitely worth a look for someone cross shopping the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, or any other hatchback on the market for that matter. I even found myself wanting to trade in my honda civic right then and there, but as i told the dealer, "if i didnt have a Z coming in next week, i would definitely trade in my civic for this right now". overall i came away very impressed with the job that nissan did on this new hatchback and would advise everyone to take a test drive if you already haven't, it's really that good UNKNOWN_370 likes this.

06-23-2013, 06:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
KERMIT Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Republic of Wadiya Posts: 301 Drives: Ms. Daisy Rep Power: 13	Too bad we don't get the DIG-S engine in the USA... __________________ Steering wheel with Z emblem, keyless entry, 3.7L with dual overhead cams, am/fm radio, ABS brakes, windshield, air in tires

06-23-2013, 07:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
DEpointfive0 Premium Member Bitches Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,824 Drives: a lot Rep Power: 17151	I couldn't read your review while driving, but it's still the second WORST car I have driven besides the Cube at #1. And their improvements from '12 to '13 didn't do a damn thing 2xtreme1 likes this. __________________ Do YOU want to know what/where I got my username from? ( Click to show/hide ) NSFW due to language:

06-23-2013, 09:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	Wow. My review would be 2 words: It sucks. DEpointfive0 likes this.

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06-27-2013, 10:00 PM	#15 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	i didnt buy the fit for mpg although the AT gets about 34mpg and with my MT driving, i get about 31mpg on regular gas..and i dont drive slow at all. that is more than plenty for me. i dont really care about mpg. my G does only about 15mpg on premium for the congested commute...not that i have trouble paying for the fuel or anything. driving the G to work has its own greatness for me. im not here to sell you the fit. but i can tell you that the fit is the benchmark of this segment and has good reasons why it is.