What’s one of the most common misconceptions in the automotive industry? It’s that purchasing a new vehicle means you’ll be spending a hefty price––or worse, your vehicle will be the bottom-of-the-barrel in regards to features, performance, and so on. Years ago, this may have been accurate, but the 2022 Nissan Versa, Nissan’s most affordable car, shows this couldn’t be further from the truth. For a while now, the Versa has been the least expensive vehicle in Nissan’s lineup, but what’s most impressive is just how much you get for the price. If you are searching for the most affordable car available at a “Nissan dealer near me,” the Versa is it.
Why would you want the Versa? Aside from the obvious fact that you won’t find a less expensive new vehicle from Nissan, the Versa is quite feature-packed. How low is the price of the 2022 Versa? The 2022 Versa has a starting price of just $16,898.[a] The base-level Versa S is available with either a manual transmission or an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and comes equipped with a modern touchscreen infotainment system and tons of advanced safety features standard. You won’t find better value in any other car on the market.
Spending some extra money allows you to upgrade to a higher-tier trim, such as the SV and SR, which each have exclusive benefits. For example, the SV includes an enhanced infotainment center and 16-inch alloy wheels, while the SR includes even-larger 17-inch wheels, an upgraded audio system, and comfortable premium sport cloth seats. With the Versa, every customer will be satisfied with their experience––whether they purchased the base S trim or the priciest (but still affordable) SR trim.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
As we’ve established, the first advantage of purchasing the Versa is its unbeatable price. Something that many shoppers may not realize, however, is that the Versa will continuously save you money long after your purchase. How will it save you money, you may be wondering? It’s the 1.6L I-4 engine that comes standard with all three trims that helps the Versa achieve its excellent fuel-saving capabilities. As we mentioned before, this engine can be linked to either a 5-speed manual or a CVT, with the latter offering the most fuel efficiency. Regardless of which transmission your Versa’s engine is linked to, the output is 122 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque.
Let’s discuss fuel efficiency. Starting with the manual transmission, you’ll get 8.6 L/100 km in the city and 6.7 L/100 km on the highway, both highly respectable. Swapping out the manual transmission for a CVT will make your Versa far more efficient––this time getting 7.4 L/100 km in the city and 5.9 L/100 km on the highway. Fewer stops at the fuel pump mean you can get where you’re going faster and for less money.
An Impressive Showing
It wasn’t too long ago when you would see a touchscreen in a vehicle and think to yourself, “Wow, now that’s futuristic.” Nowadays, however, you can find a sizable touchscreen in a variety of vehicles––including the value-oriented Versa. Compared to the SV or SR trims, the base model is rather simplistic. Nevertheless, the Versa will give every customer a multimedia experience worth having. Starting with the base Versa, an 18 cm touchscreen is paired with Bluetooth connectivity, an auxiliary port, a trio of USB ports, steering wheel-mounted controls for your radio, and a surprisingly decent four-speaker audio setup.
Stepping up a trim level, you’ll find another 18 cm touchscreen. However, this touchscreen includes the NissanConnect system. What’s the difference? The NissanConnect infotainment center adds a host of additional tech, most notably Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A whole new world of capabilities is opened to you once you’ve linked your smartphone through these handy pieces of technology. To activate these two features, simply plug your phone into one of the three USB ports. If you’re looking for someone else to shuffle your music for you, a 3-month SiriusXM trial subscription comes with both the SV and SR trims. It’s also worth noting that the SR trim comes with a six-speaker audio system instead of the standard four-speaker setup.
Protecting Yourself and Your Investment
What we find to be the most impressive part about the Versa is how it tackles safety. Like Nissan’s far pricier vehicle, the Versa is equipped with Nissan SafetyShield 360 standard. This safety suite includes six advanced driver-assist features, and each one can save your vehicle, your money, or even your life. No matter how good of a driver you are, accidents have a sneaky way of showing up. What can manufacturers do to prevent these from occurring? The answer is advanced safety suites such as Nissan SafetyShield 360, filled with features specially designed to protect you, your passengers, your vehicle, and the other drivers and pedestrians on the road.
Perhaps the most valuable features of SafetyShield 360 are Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, and Rear Automatic Braking. These systems protect you from both forward-facing and rear-facing collisions. Before the autonomous braking system activates, the warning will trigger. The goal is to bring your vehicle to a stop as quickly as possible to reduce an impact with a person or vehicle outright.
High Beam Assist also comes standard for allowing the vehicle to adjust its high and low beams without your input, preventing you from accidentally blinding oncoming traffic at night. With the added benefit of the RearView Monitor, you can ease yourself into the parking space with a crystal clear view from the camera feed located on the back of your Versa. Then there’s Lane Departure Warning, which will be triggered if you begin drifting from your lane and are in danger of swerving or clipping another vehicle. Even more safety systems are available if you opt for the SV or SR trim of the 2022 Versa.
You Can’t Beat It
The 2022 Versa is impressive not only because of its accessible price tag but because of what you get for the cost. The Versa proves that brand-new vehicles don’t need exorbitant price tags to offer drivers a compelling and competitive driving experience. Sure, Nissan’s lineup is vast, and you can unlock even more features and performance if you’re willing to look into the pricier side of things. However, Nissan’s less expensive vehicles, such as the Versa, are more capable than the low-cost models offered by competing manufacturers, and you can expect a feature-packed ride with every model that wears the Nissan name.
Simply put, the Nissan Versa is the sedan to purchase if you’re in the market for a brand new vehicle, and you don’t want to spend an absurd amount of money. If you’ve never owned a new vehicle before, it’s an experience unlike any other. Since you’ll be the first owner, you won’t have to worry about degraded performance, exterior or interior damage, or any vehicle history at all. Along with the help of the included new vehicle warranties that Nissan offers, the Versa is the best way to get a new vehicle in 2022 while saving money.
