I haven't rented from my HLE in a couple of months and thought I'd say hello while taking the opportunity do do some errands and more sightseeing. Although they gave me the lowest-mileage car I've ever rented, I'd just as soon have walked

www.nissanusa.com/cars/versa-sedan

Car Description: 13 VERSA 1.6 N (2013 Nissan Versa 1.6L SV sedan)
Class: YB (special compact 4dr)

This Versa sedan was in the SV trim, which is third of four trims (S, S Plus, SV, and SL). The MSRP of this Versa as equipped was $16,200. When I picked it up, there were only 545 miles on it (fantastic for a car from an HLE!), and I added just under 350 miles to it in a day and a half.


Note: I brought my camera to take photos, but forgot the memory card in my room! Then I took photos on my phone but it appears the folder got deleted I did have some photos on Instagram so I've posted those at least.

Powertrain: All trims of the 2013 Versa sedan are now powered by the "HR16DE" 1.6L inline 4-cylinder engine, which produces a measly 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque. The Versa also carries a blue and chrome "PURE DRIVE" badge, which highlights Nissan's commitment to the environment which involves improving fuel economy and reducing carbon dioxide emmissions. The Versa exceeded [I]2016[I] federal CAFE fuel economy standards as of the 2012 model, four years in advance; the 2013 model has improved fuel economy with 31 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. I actually averaged just under 38 mpg ^


This all sounds great, but it doesn't make up for the fact that on a straight line, a Corolla would outrun this thing. The continuously-variable transmission (CVT) doesn't help, either; it struggles to find the right gear ratio which results in a very jerky ride. Climbing hills or passing other vehicles is a huge undertaking, and it's tough to keep the tachometer in one place at any given moment.

Ride/Handling: The situation does not improve here, either. In town it does as fine as any car would. On the highway, your direction is at the wind's discretion, whether it be from the weather or from a truck passing you. Steering is overly-light and the only sense of road feel is how you feel every bump in the road. Although this would normally highlight a stiff suspension, think about how a Crown Vic or an SUV takes corners: lots of body roll; it's the same story with the Versa, which is shocking considering its size. You might get some understeer if it had any power, but for now you don't need to worry about that.

Interior: The moment you open the door, you are greeted with cheap "Charcoal upgraded cloth" and cheap, hard plastics. The steering wheel is too small for comfort; although it does tilt, there's not enough range for it to make a difference, and it does not telescope either. The wheel-mounted cruise controls look ugly and feel especially cheap since there's wiggle room on their edges. The dashboard and center stack are all swaths of dark plastics. The HVAC controls consist of three cheap-feeling, tough-to-use dials which feel like they belong on a toy of some sort, not in a motor vehicle.

The radio simply shows the time and radio station (the number), no other information;t has 6 memory buttons for AM and FM stations (no FM2 from what I can tell), but why would you want to even have the radio on? The sound quality is simply awful. Perhaps you'd want to use the radio to drown out the road noise, but unless you crank up the volume it won't help. It seems like Nissan made no effort at all to mute road or wind noise; the engine itself isn't that loud except when you really step on it, probably since it's so small. There's also a noise that sounds like something swishing around in front of the glove compartment

Other basic features are missing; calling the interior "spartan" would be a compliment. There are no reading lights (other than a center dome light, which barely even works!) or vanity mirrors on the sun visors. There's a single DC power outlet and there's an aux-in jack on the radio; that's it! Storage space is severely lacking; although the glove compartment is huge, there's no center storage console or any other hidden/closeable compartments, and door slots are tiny. The trunk is also sort of big, but note that the only way to open it is via the floor-mounted switch in the driver's footwell. The driver's seat does get an armrest which is actually pretty comfortable, but your back will still ache after a long drive. This Versa has the carpeted floor and trunk mats, which apparently is a $170 option!

Exterior/Design: Along with fuel economy, I think the only other redeeming feature of the Versa is its very cool styling. I like the Red Brick paint a lot. In my opinion it's one of the better-looking compact cars in the fleet, at least from the outside. The old Versa, if anyone recalls, seemed very tall and ungainly, and although it keeps some of the tall stature it appears that the problem is generally fixed. I do have two issues: the lower portion of the C-pillars are huge and (depending on how tall you are) could create blind spots; also, the side-view mirrors, while tall, are not wide enough (I do like that their casings are painted though).


Features: Ha! Power windows and door locks, tilting steering wheel with mounted cruise control, AM/FM radio with auxiliary outlet, one DC power outlet, driver's seat armrest, seatbelts, etc. Amazingly, Hertz must have felt bad for potential renters and splurged on the Carpeted Floor and Trunk Mats ($170).

Value: I paid right around $30 for two days on an ECAR reservation. If I was paying any more than that, I would have flat-out refused this car. The only reason I didn't swap it is because of its good fuel economy, the very low mileage, and in an attempt to stay on the new manager's good side


Summary

• 1.6L inline 4-cyl. (109 hp, 107 lb-ft)
• CVT
• 31/40 mpg (city/hwy), averaged 38
• SV trim

PROS:

• Excellent fuel economy
• Large glove compartment
• Looks lightyears better than the last-generation (2011) Versa
• Decent amount of rear legroom

CONS:

• Extremely weak engine with an inhibitive CVT
• Overly-light steering
• Easily pushed around by wind on highways
• Excessive body roll
• No apparent efforts made to mute road/wind/any noise
• Very limited in-cabin storage space
• Lack of basic features (reading lamps, vanity mirrors)
• Hard, cheap plastics galore
• Overly basic radio unit could be from the 90s
• Abysmal stereo quality
• Awkward placement of switch-screen button for info screen
• Floor-mounted trunk release switch is the only way to open the trunk
• 

I was so sick of this thing that I dropped it off 18 hours early. The '13 Versa sedan easily ties with the '11 Corolla as the worst car I've ever driven. Even with its exceptional fuel economy, the so-called updated Versa has a long way to go before it becomes comparable to other CCARs. Its MSRP is low compared to others, although that is truly reflected in the final product. Unless it's all that one could afford, I see no reason why anyone in their right mind would purchase one of these. Unfortunately, there were three of these on the lot at my HLE

Final Verdict: Guilty as charged; something to be avoided at all costs.

Photo info: the photos in this report were taken last weekend at Castle Rock, UT; Echo Reservoir, UT; and on East Big Cottonwood Canyon Road just south of Salt Lake City. The final photo was taken on the lot at my HLE.

-J.