Comments on: [Updated] Nissan announces $9,990 Versa 1.6 specs for least expensive car on sale in U.S.

By: Catiadesigner

Catiadesigner — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:58:52 +0000

One of the most enjoyable, but probably the slowest, periods of motoring in my life was whizzing around in a 1986 Fiat Panda 1000, the motor was a gem that span round to 8000rpm like a turbine and begged to be thrashed to within an inch of its life all the time. It had nothing in the way of mod-cons, it didn’t even have a dash of any description, tiny little 135 section tires meant you could slide it around in the wet at thirty miles an hour, and I even got nearly 90mph out of it going downhill on a freeway once.
I don’t know what the mpg was like but I didn’t care, it was a massive amount less than my beemer 530i.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:29:29 +0000

Ozyran, hell yeah! I totally agree. That’s a raw sports car right there. Just an engine, transmission, seats and a shell. Maybe leave the airbags in just for the safety rating, but get rid of the other unnecessary stuff. The only time power steering is useful is in large trucks or vans, or when you are turning the wheel while not moving. But I prefer not having it.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:46:42 +0000

I find it strange though that they chose the sedan over the hatchback…

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:45:18 +0000

Wow, no radio? Most stripped down vehicles 10-12 years ago came with radio. That goes to show how far Nissan is going with this thing!

Funny I’m already seeing it advertised. More or less, it’s a ploy to bring people into their showrooms.

By: ozyran

ozyran — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:37:47 +0000

Beatus,
A stripped out 370Z would be awesome! Call it the 370Z Autocross edition or something similar.

Speaker/radio delete, optional soundproofing material, manual windows and door locks, manual trans *only*, and even go so far as to make power steering optional but with a good manual steering setup. Shoot, go one step further and make carpeting optional, with just a coated floorpan.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:49:36 +0000

Borat, I know. I’ve been around for a long time. It amazes me (and quite honestly makes me smile) how Nissan took everything back to basics. I find this very cool.

I do indeed know how to downshift in bad weather. I’d love to get a manual again. The reason I say “dangerous” to “no ABS” is partly because of the locking factor, but mostly because of the NHTSA Safety Rating factor. Because of a lack of ABS, this car will get low safety ratings, and you know people are going to say, “Yeah, but your car got a safety rating of poor or two stars”. That’s dangerous to sales.

However, this is back to basics, and I love it. Now, if they could just do the same with the 370Z…

By: Borat

Borat — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:51:22 +0000

beatusmongous, no A/C was common on basic cars only 10-15 years ago. A/C cost additional 1K, you may or may not need ABS (depends on your skill) this models comes manual. If you drove manual tranny cars, you probably know how to downshift in bad weather. If not ask johnnycanuck to give you lesson. So 12K (including delivery) this is good deal.

By: doctrsnoop

doctrsnoop — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:12:34 +0000

I welcome the de-contenting of vehicles, even if I think this one is a bit homely.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:53:01 +0000

Yeah, but the base Altima isn’t under $10,000.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:49:41 +0000

Well, it’s no different than a base Altima, the 2.5 doesn’t come with a stereo or speakers either. Go figure.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:52:29 +0000

Woah! No AC (I can live with that during the winter), no ABS (dangerous), and no stereo! But the stereo wiring is all there. THAT’s cool. A trip to Wal-Mart will fix that problem.

By: Got Handling?

Got Handling? — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:24:16 +0000

maybe jonny, but the hatchbacks of old weren’t undertyred or underpowered on their 14″ rims and 1.6l motors. In fact a heyday Ford Fiesta or Pug 205 (Euro not US) was a looker on 14′s and the 1.6′s were the performance versions.

This modern-day bloater may be a bargain, but its ugly, ill proportioned, overweight and top-heavy. It won’t be anything like as much fun as the cars you’re fondly remembering. This is no 205 GTi…

By: zoomzoomer

zoomzoomer — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:51:31 +0000

Bimmer.. are those 2009 models? Because Chevy has just repackaged the Aveo to start at $11,995 in the US. Something tells me this Nissan move will force Chevy to repackage it again…

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:13:19 +0000

You guys always talk about how underpowered these little cars are…

I thought I’d never see LLN users talk like this.

By: Bimmer

Bimmer — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:43:37 +0000

In Canada we only have three cars for $9,995: Hyundai Accent and Chevy Aveo (both being hatchbacks) and Kia Rio sedan. But warranty for Rio and Accent only 5 years, compare to 10 in US.

By: rms492

rms492 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:37:54 +0000

Great news, now let’s take a Yaris and offer a 1.4 (instead of a 1.6), and cut that price by $3000.
Same thing with a Civic, how about instead of the current 1.8, they use the old 1.6 from the 1996-2000 generation. Cut another $3000.
Bring back the Geo/Chevy Metro with a 1.0 3-cyl, for about $8000.
Surely, others are going to take notice and start offering even cheaper versions of their entry-level models.
I don’t care for PW, PDL, PS, CD, ABS, SRS, ESC, EPS, LAD, TRAC, ALR, ELR, DRL, VSC, TPS, LEV, ULEV, SULEV, and all other abbreviations we have come to know. I shouldn’t have to pay for stuff that our government mandates.

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:11:20 +0000

And it’s 100 times better than the stupid Smart car, for $6k less.

By: ozyran

ozyran — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:50:53 +0000

I agree Johnny! This is definitely a throwback to Nissan’s cheap, yet utterly reliable cars.

Maybe Nissan should even resurrect the Datsun nameplate once more!

Okay, maybe not.

This car definitely got my curiosity piqued when I saw the price tag. A car from a company like Nissan undercutting even Hyundai? Pretty impressive, IMHO.

Now, as for that price calculation called for above…

It’ll be more than $10,000. We’re probably talking more like $11,000-$12,000, so I’ll cut it down the middle at $11,500. Figure fuel prices at $2.75/gallon, unless by some weird fluke gas prices actually drop below $2.00/gallon.

At 10 gallons on average for a full tank of gas in a Prius, one tank of gas costs $27.50. Average driving will obtain around 55 mpg if you have a good mix of city and highway driving (I’m speaking from experience) and drive decently.

The Versa has a 13-gallon fuel tank, and most drivers will probably fill it up around the 1/4-tank mark, so I’ll estimate 10 gallons for the Versa as well. So we’re even there, $27.50 for the Versa and $27.50 for the Prius per tank of gas. I’ll estimate about 26 mpg combined for the Versa, which equates to 260 miles per tank. $11,500 divides out to 418 tanks of gas at $27.50 per tank. Those 418 tanks of gas will get you roughly 108,690 miles using the average figures I’ve come up with. Average 14,000 miles per year and you’ll get about 7.8 years worth of driving from that $11,500.00 difference.

(Sidenote: That’s just the initial purchase price of both, and on top of that initial purchase price, the Prius is fatally flawed in one area: it can only get any real service at a dealership. A good, trusty mechanic *might* have the equipment to tap into the Prius computer system, but trust me on this, I’ve been burned by the fact that a Prius *requires* servicing at a dealership.)

Ok, for the Prius, we’ll figure that you can manage 550 miles per tank with a good driver (55 mpg * 10 gallons of fuel). We’ll use the 108,690 miles that I used for the Versa. That only requires 198 tanks of gas for the Prius. To go that same distance, it only costs you $5,435 for those 198 tanks of gas.

However, we’re still stuck with the initial purchase price of both. $22,000 for the Prius, $9,990 for the Versa. The Versa will get you 7.8 years worth of driving, on top of the initial purchase price, by the time it equals what the original price of the Prius is.

So, you can buy a Prius and theoretically save the environment, or you can buy a Versa and save some money.

Or, do what I did and buy a bike that cost $6300, gets 50 mpg, and can go from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and run a 12.9-second 1/4 mile time. Maybe I’m cold when the temp is 40* and below, but I still have a lot more fun than I ever had in the Prius I used to own.

By: Borat

Borat — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:30:58 +0000

Well, even in Europe majority of cars are around 1.6L in engine displacement; not all have power windows and locks and A/C. Since our nation (US) desires social niceties of Europe (socialized medicine, banking, education and bailout for failed enterprises) we might as well learn to live on the same level. Kudos for Nissan/Renault for shedding the light on what future holds. BTW, Europe is collection of relatively wealthy countries. Asia, Pacific rim, Africa – most of them are driving bicycles and donkeys without roof!

By: global_lightning

global_lightning — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:28:38 +0000

If they offer it in hatchback trim, it will undercut the Honda Fit and its other competitors by $5000. This will badly hurt Suzuki, Kia, and the Aveo. Since this body style has been available overseas for a while, it will be very cheap for Nissan to bring it here and still make a profit.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:30:26 +0000

I’m almost shedding a tear. 14 inch wheels, roll up windows, tiny little hamster motor just begging to be thrashed- that’s what small cars used to about. And best of all now you can crash ‘em and probably walk away.

By: angelo

angelo — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:19:30 +0000

wow. that’s a great price for a fine vehicle.

The Versa won 2nd place in Car & Driver’s comparison that inlcuded the winning Honda Fit, and the Rio, Yaris, Accent, Caliber and Reno. Motor Trend also places if 2nd behind a Honda Fit, with the Toyota Yaris in 3rd place. In a nutshell, a very competent car just became ultra-affordable. Good job Nissan.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:14:07 +0000

That must be pretty bare bones….

Such options like power windows/locks/drivers side arm rest aren’t even available on it per Nissan…

By: elviososa

elviososa — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:12:54 +0000

good news for us!!!

By: MikeFX

MikeFX — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:54:36 +0000

This is great, allowing a nice new safe reliable car to come in under $10K.
Wonder how stripped out it is?

By: A4

A4 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:58:36 +0000

im glad a car like this is able to be this affordable on our shores, especially with shaky exchange rates on the table. good for nissan to be able to offer this to us, lets see someone work out the numbers on how long itll take to recoup the extra $10k cost of a prius in fuel economy…

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:41:03 +0000

Damn. That’s cheap. 3k for 0.2 liters? Tough to justify for budget shoppers. Ugly as this thing is, we are gonna see a lot more of them now.