2nd place - Nissan Versa 1.8 SL
The battle was fierce indeed and, ultimately, the Nissan Versa could not dethrone our overall winner. Yet, despite a couple of flaws, this model boasts so many great attributes that it nearly grabbed a hold of first place.
As it turned out, the Versa finished on top with regard to passenger room and comfort. The judges also liked its ride quality, which definitely favors comfort over sporty performance. In addition, the seats are pleasantly soft, although their durability seems questionable.
Material selection is mostly commendable and the long list of standard features makes life easier and more enjoyable for occupants. They will find plenty of room at every seating position but not beyond the rear seats, where the Versa could only fit four boxes (14 with the seatbacks folded down) with the seatbacks in place.
Styling and performance leave a little to be desired. The boxier silhouette of this Nissan did not sit well with our journalists, arguing that it’s somewhat too conservative. Plus, some exterior details lack refinement.
Driving dynamics and accelerations are similarly unimpressive, with a 0-100 time of 11.1 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in 17.8 seconds. The Versa also came up with the longest braking distance of the group at 48 metres.
"At first, the suspension seems soft, but it effectively deals with weight transfers and provides surprising ride comfort for such a small vehicle."
-Marc Bouchard
The battle was fierce indeed and, ultimately, the Nissan Versa could not dethrone our overall winner. Yet, despite a couple of flaws, this model boasts so many great attributes that it nearly grabbed a hold of first place.
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| Styling and performance leave a little to be desired. |
As it turned out, the Versa finished on top with regard to passenger room and comfort. The judges also liked its ride quality, which definitely favors comfort over sporty performance. In addition, the seats are pleasantly soft, although their durability seems questionable.
Material selection is mostly commendable and the long list of standard features makes life easier and more enjoyable for occupants. They will find plenty of room at every seating position but not beyond the rear seats, where the Versa could only fit four boxes (14 with the seatbacks folded down) with the seatbacks in place.
Styling and performance leave a little to be desired. The boxier silhouette of this Nissan did not sit well with our journalists, arguing that it’s somewhat too conservative. Plus, some exterior details lack refinement.
Driving dynamics and accelerations are similarly unimpressive, with a 0-100 time of 11.1 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in 17.8 seconds. The Versa also came up with the longest braking distance of the group at 48 metres.
"At first, the suspension seems soft, but it effectively deals with weight transfers and provides surprising ride comfort for such a small vehicle."
-Marc Bouchard
 |
| The Versa could only fit four boxes (14 with the seatbacks folded down) with the seatbacks in place. |