The 2018 Nissan Versa sedan falls under the compact car segment and comes with three trim choices. The 2018 Versa trim levels include S, S Plus, and SV. The SL trim has been dropped and now the SV trim is the top-end trim for the Versa while the features offered on the SL trim are now offered in the form of SV's Special Edition package that includes fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 5-inch touchscreen interface, rearview camera, 15-inch alloy wheels, etc. 

There is one engine and two transmission choices on offer. The base trim is pretty barebones and thus has a starting price of as low as $12,110. The next in line is the S Plus trim that removes manual transmission with a CVT gearbox and is priced at $14,250. The top-end trim SV commands a price of $15,840 and looking at its features list is hard to digest as the top trim.

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The Nissan Versa is very spartan and thus we recommend SV trim with the SV's Special Edition package to make the Versa a bit more liveable for day-to-day driving. While if you can wait for some time then there is also an update on the way that will get you rearview camera and an updated infotainment system as standard while there are a bevy of other optional features too on the card.

"The Nissan Versa will be comfortable for many buyers, but not necessarily quick." – Carconnection

2018 Nissan Versa Engine and Transmission

The 2018 Nissan Versa gets a 1.6-liter inline-4 engine that puts out 109 hp and 107 lb-ft of torque. There are two transmission options, a 5-speed manual for the base trim while the higher trims only get a CVT gearbox. Irrespective of the transmission all the power is sent to the front wheels only.

The Versa gets an anemic engine that needs to be worked to coax out some punch but beyond a point, the groaning engine starts protesting. The slow and lethargic Versa is further plagued with the clunky manual transmission and the rubbery CVT gearbox. 

In this comparison, the Versa is the cheapest sedan on offer and even the Mirage G4 that gets an inline-3 engine is priced higher than it. In terms of power and torque figures, the Hyundai Accent puts out the best figures which are 21 hp and 12 lb-ft more than what the Versa puts out.

2018 Nissan Versa Acceleration

The 2018 Nissan Versa can do 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 17.5 seconds. These numbers aren't the best in the segment and as stated earlier the powertrain is the main culprit here.

The most powerful Hyundai Accent is the quickest in 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs. The Accent is 1.1 seconds quicker in 0-60 mph and 1.2 seconds quicker in covering the quarter-mile compared to the Versa.

2018 Nissan Versa Ride and Handling

The ride and handling of the 2018 Nissan Versa are its high points. The Versa has a comfortable ride courtesy of its soft suspension that soaks up bumps and bad roads with ease. A spacious cabin and comfortable suspension setup set it apart in the compact car segment.

The downside of soft suspension is that the Versa isn't sporty to drive. It lacks agility and the underpowered engine doesn't help the matter either. Although the steering has sufficient feedback and the car has a very small turning radius making it easy to drive in tight city traffic. That said, at high speed, the steering does feel over-boosted and requires frequent correction.

2018 Nissan Versa Braking

The 2018 Nissan Versa stops from 60-0 mph in 129 feet. It gets a 10-inch disc at the front and 8-inch drum brakes at the rear. 

The most powerful Accent again trumps this comparison with the lowest stopping distance of 119 feet which is 10 feet less than what the Versa took to stop.

The 2018 Nissan Versa has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 27 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. The Versa with the CVT gearbox is a mile-muncher with 31 mpg of gas mileage in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. As standard, the Versa gets a 10.8-gallon fuel tank and with the CVT gearbox, you can expect 420 plus miles of highway range from a tank full of gas.

The Mirage G4 having one cylinder less and a much lower curb weight returns the best gas mileage of 33/40/35 mpg in city/highway/combined respectively. Compared to the Versa, it returns 6 mpg more in the city, 4 mpg more on the highway, and 5 mpg combined.

"Nissan Versa is meant to be comfortable for wallets. That it’s also comfortable for rear-seat passengers is a pleasant surprise." – Carconnection

2018 Nissan Versa Seating and Comfort

With a starting price of as low as $12,110, the 2018 Nissan Versa's cabin is bound to have a lot of low-rent and hard-touch plastics even at prominent places. That said, the dashboard design is simple and functional with the center part of the dashboard having stereo and HVAC controls. The visibility outside the cabin is great but the spartan base trim lacks even height adjustment for seats and reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel. Further down the base trim doesn't even get power windows and door locks thus putting it at a disadvantage

The commodious cabin of the Versa offers the best amount of space in both the rows which can even put to shame cars from a segment above. The seats though lack a sufficient amount of cushion and support thus long drives in the Versa will tire you out very soon. All the trims get fabric-trimmed seats while the higher trims get upgraded fabric for the seats. Only the top trim SV gets height adjustment for seats with a driver-side armrest while the lower two trims are barebones in terms of creature comfort features.

The slightly longer length and wheelbase of the Nissan Versa have been cleverly utilized by its engineer to eke out a spacious cabin with a class-leading leg and headroom in both rows. The only one that comes close to offering a similar cabin space is the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 which is another marvel considering the fact that it gets smaller exterior dimensions compared to the Versa.

Interior Features:

• Fabric-trimmed seats
• Air conditioning
• Available 60/40-split folding rear seats
• Available leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Available height-adjustable driver's seat
• Available keyless entry
• Available power lock and windows

2018 Nissan Versa Infotainment System

The 2018 Nissan Versa gets a four-speaker stereo as its infotainment system that gets a backlit LCD with push-button audio controls. Standard features include AM/FM/CD Player, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB ports, and an auxiliary audio jack.

The top SV trim equipped with the Special Edition package gets a 5-inch touchscreen display along with a reverse camera. Other additions include satellite radio and Bluetooth audio streaming.

2018 Nissan Versa Cargo Capacity

The 2018 Nissan Versa offers 14.9 cubic feet of cargo space. The rear seats in the SV trim offer 60/40-split while in the rest of the trims the rear seats don't fold to liberate more cargo space.

The boot of the Versa is well proportioned although the boot lip is raised with the boot floor being slightly lower thus needing to lift the luggage to take out or put in the trunk. 

None of the rivals can match the cargo capacity of the Nissan Versa and the closest in terms of cargo capacity is the Accent with 13.7 cubic feet of space on offer.

"From some angles it’s easy to confuse the 2018 Nissan Versa with the larger and more expensive Nissan Sentra." – Kelley Blue Book

2018 Nissan Versa Dimension and Weight

The 2018 Nissan Versa has been fully redesigned last in 2012 and since then it has been carrying the same look with some minor nips and tucks. Thus with time the design now looks dated and bulky when the rivals like Hyundai Accent are coming up with a sharper and more fluidic design. The front fascia wears the famous V-motion grille from Nissan with swept-back headlights flanking from the sides. Being a subcompact sedan the Versa measuring 175.4-inches in length is considerably large and that shows in its cabin space.

Moving to the sides you will witness the massive 102.4-inches of wheelbase sitting between those small 15-inch wheels. Just like the interiors, the side profile of the Versa is plain-jane. Coming to the rear there is nothing much to talk about here except that you get swept-back tail lights that maintain the symmetry with the headlights. The S Plus and higher trims get a boot-mounted spoiler with integrated brake lights.

Except for the width, the 2018 Versa is dimensionally bigger than all the sedans in this comparison. While the Hyundai Accent is the widest measuring 68.1-inches which is 1.4-inches more than the Versa's width.  

Exterior Features:

• 15-inch steel wheels
• Power outside mirrors
• Available rear spoiler
• Available 15-inch alloy wheels
• Available fog lamps

Considering its low starting price there is hardly any doubt that the Versa lacks a lot in terms of advanced safety features while the basic ones are standard which does help it sail through the crash-tests. The NHTSA gave the 2018 Versa an overall safety rating of four out of five stars and a similar rating in front crash, side crash, and rollover mitigation tests. The IIHS gave the 2018 Versa the highest rating of 'Good' in four out of five parameters while the small overlap front test for the driver side was given the lowest rating of 'Poor'. 

Safety Features:

• Nissan Advanced Air Bag System
• Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones
• Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) w/ Traction Control System (TCS)
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

2018 Nissan Versa vs 2018 Toyota Yaris iA

The 2018 Toyota Yaris iA with a smaller displacement engine and lower power and torque figures still manages to beat the Nissan Versa in 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs. Doing all this with delivering 30 mpg gas mileage in the city which is 3 mpg more than what the Versa has to offer. The Yaris iA is inherently more entertaining to drive because it is a rebadged Mazda and Mazda cars are known for their superb handling. 

Another plus point of this is that the Yaris iA has a much better fit and finish level with better quality material used inside the cabin which is found lacking in the Versa. Although the one thing where Yaris iA falls short against the Versa is the cabin and boot space. Barring this fact, the Yaris iA is superior to Versa in all other aspects.

2018 Nissan Versa vs 2018 Hyundai Accent

The 2018 Hyundai Accent may command a slight premium over the 2018 Nissan Versa but for the price, it offers a more powerful engine that is capable of faster acceleration and better performance compared to the Versa. Not only this, the Accent's engine delivers slightly better gas mileage than the Versa thus making it a win-win as you get both the performance and better gas mileage.

In terms of material quality and overall fit and finish levels, the Accent is superior to the Versa in all respect. While coming to the exterior design again the Accent looks better and updated than the old-looking and bulky Versa. So if you are in the market for a compact sedan then the Hyundai Accent would be a better pick over the Versa.

The 2018 Nissan Versa despite falling under the subcompact sedan segment will impress you with its cabin space and overall practicality. The lower price tag is also a crowd-puller. But the weak engine and uninspiring handling is a bummer. Although the Versa does make up for that with comfortable ride quality and a spacious cabin. Also, the fuel economy of the Versa is a talking point, especially in the CVT guise. That said, on the flip side, the Versa is plagued with quality issues and a problematic gearbox. In the under $15,000 price range, there are much better cars and the Versa seriously needs some updates to keep the competitors at bay. Unless you are on a shoestring budget we recommend giving the Versa a skip.