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Vehicle crash and safety data is provided by NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA testing was established by Congress to reduce highway deaths and injuries.
The 2020 Nissan Versa is a subcompact sedan that seats five passengers. It competes with the Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, and Mazda 3. The Versa Note is the hatchback version, which will be covered in a separate overview.
Three trims are available: S, SV, and SR.
Under the hood, the Versa is powered by a standard 122-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. A more efficient, continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is also available. Fuel economy for the Versa with the CVT is an EPA-estimated rating of 32/40 mpg city/highway.
92% of consumers (26 of 28) said they would recommend this vehicle to a friend.
by Kady from Tucson,AZ | December 21, 2020
High dollar performance and appearance. Has all the bells and whistles without that luxury price tag. Fun to drive and it just looks so nice.
by pwernich from Houma, LA | November 25, 2020
I purchased the new 2020 Versa because I wanted a car with safety tech and a low monthly payment. It is definitely a step up from the previous model but far from heavenly. The side mirrors are bulky and look like they were left over from the 1970's parts bin. The driver's side door does not line up evenly and the passenger seat has a hard piece sticking up which irritates your leg. I know this thing is made in Mexico but can't Nissan afford quality control inspections??? The rear seat does not fold down so how are you suppose to carry larger items??? The interior does have attractive seat fabric and an appealing interior for the price point. Fuel economy averages about 35 mpg which is okay for a vehicle this size. It comes with an actual spare tire which is a plus for me. Overall I am pleased with my decision to own this car but time will tell if it holds up or ends up in the shop too often.
by Adorable from Los Angeles, CA | November 07, 2020
Most brands killed their small cars (Yaris, Fit..) for compact suvs. Tested the slew of new and used - Cruze, Fit, Yaris, Accent, etc. At $15k~18k, nothing could match the Versa. Large trunk, good back seat space, clear front view, zero gravity front seats, tons of safety features, auto temperature, advanced cvt with very good mpg, ample soundproofing, fingertip easy steering for long commutes and easy parking, no key or fob needed in hand - just press the button on the handle to lock and unlock, remote engine start with cabin cooling/heating to preset temperature, usb charging ports, android/iphone integration, and a very compliant suspension for the weight class (2600lbs~). Yaris hatch and sedan - years old design, noisier, fewer safety features. Fit - ditto, small trunk. Accent - seats can't adjust high enough for short drivers, harder/tougher buttons and controls. Civic - too low, bump head getting in, ugly. Etc. Basically, the Versa is the 2020 small car benchmark for Los Angeles commutes and families. More than enough trunk space for groceries and strollers with the kids strapped in the back. None of that silly hatchback must-fold-down-the-seats to fit a grocery cart's worth of bags. Some may want sporty German luxury car steering feel and acceleration, then complain. Sorry??... Cvt!! That gives you a big hint this is a 20-50 miles per day freeway commuter, not a racy 300+hp 3-series. Fingertip light steering, some may say numb, has enough feel to know where the car is, and electric steering drops the resistance at slow speeds to make super super easy turning lock to lock parking in tight spaces. You'd have to wrestle the wheel on other cars. At speed, steering tightens up and the lane detection, forward collision, side collision, and such keeps you heading home after a long day in rush hour without much effort. It's not the tight direct steering of the 92 era Sentra, but that's back in an era where OC to LA was never more than 45 minutes away in rush hour, whereas the Versa is for today's reality where it can take 2-3 hours for the same commute. Ie. The Sport mode and button are best left forgotten because you're driving a small car, long distance commuter and the cvt label should have told you that before buying it. That said, the built in instantaneous and average mpg is really nice for trying to ecomodder . com a 50+mpg commute. Distance in miles remaining in gas is another nice feature. That cvt is really nicely tuned for high mpg as long as you accelerate sensibly like those auto insurance commercials tell you to. Kick it down, no big issues merging on the freeway etc although you'll hear the engine roar a bit. Expected since it's not a big V6. Not an Altima in zoom, but nothing so slow you'll be overrun or worried about merging. Sound dampening is very good. At the level of the Altima from a few years ago, noticeably quieter versus other small cars. Now, if you're going to compare vs bigger, higher grade sedans, you might have complaints. Reset your ears. It's better than some large sedans from years ago, and sound levels never an issue at freeway cruising. Well-muffled is what I'd call the experience. Competitive for the small to mid sized sedan market. Led headlights and fog are bright. Surprising is auto off/on. Little things like this and the button door handle lock/unlock and auto temperature really put this into the mid sized sedans for features. Radio like all modern touch systems are more complex than the old analog two dial radios, but thankfully, nowhere as painful to use as the C300 Mercedes mess. Wish it did have an integrated gps map option because you do tie up your phone to do that. Because the Versa is a new 2020 design, it's nicer than everything else I the same range that were designed years ago. Even the cross-traffic alert that isn't normally found is included. Of course, if you look at the Thailand/Malaysian version, it doesn't have the leather seat or 360 surround camera options. Still, it feels like a mid sized sedan from one generation back, meaning instead of compromising buying a starter small car, dad might just take the new Versa and give you the mid sized sedan instead because it's so nice and well designed. Happily, because people don't think "Versa" right away for the under $20k car, they might miss it. Most uber, rentals, or beginners go for the more popular "Sentra". Thus, it'll sit long on the lots, which makes your offer of a lower purchase price more tempting.
*MSRP and Invoice prices displayed are for educational purposes only, do not reflect the actual selling price of a particular vehicle, and do not include applicable gas taxes or destination charges.
