2008 Nissan Versa 1.8S Sedan

2008 Nissan Versa 1.8S Sedan - This particular author, for instance, recalls terrorizing the streets of West L.A. in a gray ’88 Sentra two-door throughout his college years. With its 70-hp, 1.6-liter four-banger, five-speed stick, and wobbly tires, it was no Corvette, but the indestructible stripper Sentra lived for high revs, yielded 35 mpg, and showed me, a muscle-car guy in high school, the indescribable joys of driving a slow car fast.

Perhaps more important—for Nissan anyway—the Sentra’s growth spurt left the company without a car in the very market segment—i.e., the cheap car—on which the company relied so heavily two decades ago. Enter the Versa sedan, the original Sentra’s successor.

The Versa was brought to the States in sedan and hatchback forms in mid-2006 as a 2007 model, although it has been sold as the Tiida in other markets since 2004. Indeed, it is in those other markets that the little econocar may be best suited, at least from a styling standpoint. Taking a page from the book of urban planners in congested metropolises around the world, the Versa builds up, not out.

That’s about it for the luxury-car comparisons, though. If any part of the Versa says “budget,” it’s the interior. Hard plastics are omnipresent, the seat fabric looks as if it belonged in a $15,000 car, and we’re not sure what the headliner is made of, but it ain’t suede. And the nontelescoping steering wheel is positioned too far forward and requires a bit of a reach. Much of that is forgivable, though, considering that even with the Power Accessories package, ABS, and cruise control, the Versa is still well under $15,000.

From a character standpoint, however, the Versa is not a Sentra. The ride quality is firm enough for sporty distractions, with enough Buick Lucerne in the mix to keep average highway commuting comfortable, and the steering is modestly communicative. But for all-out on-ramp strafing, it needs a clearer connection between the front wheels and the steering wheel, and stiffer suspenders down below.

The six-speed manual transmission offers one more cog than is offered by most of the Versa’s classmates, it features an ideally located shifter, and it does a respectable job delivering what little power and torque the buzzy-at-the-limit 1.8-liter four-pot has to offer.

If you are among those who have owned some of the great cheap cars in Nissan’s past, you might expect more willingness from the Versa. For pure driving fun in this segment, we like Honda’s Fit—a comparo and 10Best winner—much better. But the Versa comes closer than anything else in the class to the Fit’s moves, with more interior space for four or five and a comfortable commuter side to satisfy mainstream demands.