Used 2018 Nissan Versa Note Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Versa Note, so we've included reviews for other years of the Versa Note since its last redesign.
Fun to drive, great mileage
David Allin, 08/05/2016
updated 02/08/2017
2016 Nissan Versa Note 1.6 SL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)
111 of 111 people found this review helpful
First, the Versa Note is almost totally unrelated to the other Versa models. It's a different platform that is more solid and much better looking. When you close the doors, you hear a nice muffled 'thunk', not the tinny clank of most economy cars. The whole car feels very tight, and is extremely quiet inside, with no squeaks or rattles and little tire and wind noise. The interior is simple, but the materials all feel sturdy and look attractive, which is standard for Nissans. I traded in a 2005 Sentra with 108K miles, and the cloth interior of that car still looked just like new. The Note's interior is very spacious, especially for such a small car, with plenty of leg room in the back seats for two adults. The cargo area is adequate, with a floor that can be positioned at two heights, and the rear seatbacks fold down almost flat. Unlike most cars these days, the rear side windows roll all the way down and out of sight in the doors. The car handles extremely well, and stops on a dime. In order to make it good great mileage, however, Nissan put a very small engine in it, combined with a CVT transmission that is programmed to save gas. As a result the car is not a pocket rocket, although the acceleration is adequate. Going up Nine-Mile hill at 75mph with the AC on is a strain, but otherwise the car can keep up with traffic pretty well. I've found that a gentle pressure on the gas pedal will actually result in better acceleration than pushing it to the floor. Still, we use our Murano for long trips, and the Note in town, where it scoots around happily. There's an old sports car saying that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and it applies here. I bought the SL, with all the bells and whistles, and for the most part they are worth the extra cost. The satellite radio is great, and the car's sound system is better than the one in my Murano. One of the main features we were looking for was visibility, and in addition to the great arrangement of windows, the SL has the around-view monitor, with cameras on all sides that produce a picture on the center screen of a birds-eye view of the car when backing up. The cameras can also be turned on when pulling forward into a parking space. The navigation systems is okay, but not as good as my Garmin, and clearly has not been updated for at least four years. The Sirius Travel Link is a nice feature, giving you the prices of gas at nearby stations, movie listings in the area, stock prices, and weather info. It also provides you real-time traffic alerts. All of these can be accessed using voice commands that work fairly well. Instrumentation is limited to tach, speedo, and gas gauge; all other systems are just warning lights. The HVAC is the same one that was in my 2005 Sentra, but it works well. Judging by our experience with previous Nissans over the last 20 years, we expect this car to be trouble-free for as long as we own it. Yes, I wish it had a little more power, but we love the car anyway. UPDATE: After owning and driving the car for ten months, my previous praise still stands. I'm averaging 31-39 mpg, depending on type of driving, and have had absolutely no problems with the car. I have learned how to modulate the accelerator to achieve better acceleration; a steady, firm but moderate pressure on the gas pedal allows the CVT to spool up properly and bring the car to speed quickly. You can't accelerate by the sound of the engine or the sweep of the tach like most cars; instead you just watch the speedometer and let the CVT figure out how to best move the car forward. Driving this way has made me far less aware of the limited power of the engine. I always enjoy driving the car, and it really scoots around town, while cruising comfortably on the highway. It's a fun car, but also practical and totally reliable.
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Took a risk and fell in love with this car!
Karen and Phillip, 06/21/2017
2017 Nissan Versa Note 1.6 SR 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)
46 of 46 people found this review helpful
This is now the second Nissan Versa Note we purchased. No base model for us the SV wirh appearance package for him and the SR with tech and navigation for me. What I like is quiet and smooth ride without feeling like I am in a small car. I like good vision all around the car and ample head room. Has a roomy feel unlike others that I tested.I tested all cars in the same category and choose the versa note. The gas mileage made up for the suv ride I previously had. It has pick up for interstate driving and it handles the rode great. I had to give up the old thinking big is better and safer and try something different.
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3 years with no, no repair costs and 33 to 40 mpg
Newton, 03/18/2017
2016 Nissan Versa Note 1.6 S 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
36 of 37 people found this review helpful
This is a basic manual shift car with very comfortable front seats. Purchased new summer 2014. Driven in Tx at highway speeds in very hot weather. AC is excellent. Only expense was gas and oil changes for over 50K miles. Steering is fine, brakes fine, manual shift fine, tires excellent, visibility fine. Purchased for trips over 3000 miles. No back or knee issues, surprising considering only adjustment was for/aft and recline. 6+ footer comfortable in back for 3k trips. Child safety seat no problem. At 45 mph speeds 40 mpg. At 80 mph 30+ mpg. Highest mileage was over 40 mpg driving flat 50 mph roads. Engine temp gauge indication same in summer and winter. Traction in heavy rain excellent, no ice or snow driving. Manual windows work great. Only inconvenience was no power door locks and no cruise control. Would also liked to have 6th gear. I could enter 80 mph road at 80 with up hill reasonable ramp, car cruised at 80 to 90 indicated speed all day in Tx. I never exceeded 6k rev and would typically rev to 5700 to get to 80 mph. 80 mph would take 4K revs. in 5th. Enough power in 1st to cherp front tires. Car always felt safe and solid on the road. Car still looks like new in and out.
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Problems, problems, problems
James Reyome, 05/02/2018
updated 11/05/2021
2016 Nissan Versa Note 1.6 SV 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful
First off, you probably should know that this is our second Versa. We really like the model...it is, it seems, as close to our ideal vehicle as exists today. Sure, we wouldn't mind some cavernous SUV but the fact is that we can't afford it, and with gas getting dearer and dearer still we appreciate the economy of a well built "misermobile". We bought the first used as well and have put 140K miles on it (so far...it's still running well!) but we were ready to get another, thus the 2016 Versa Note SV. We purchased this one via Enterprise Car Sales and I cannot say enough about the buying experience...first rate all the way; great price, wonderful vehicle, just what we were looking for, and with pre-arranged financing through our credit union we were in and out of the dealership in well under an hour. Now, as to the car...first things first, it's not a race car, so take reviews from sites like Car and Driver and Motor Trend and their ilk with a VERY large grain of salt. The Versa Note is a commuter car, and it does that job exceedingly well. It rides well, has a quiet, roomy cabin (I am 6' 3" and fit fine both in the back seat and behind the wheel) and everything is laid out logically. The SV package includes just about every electronic widget you could possibly desire sans navigation, but that's why I have an iPhone and a GPS. The backup camera is a nice touch but with so many enormous windows it isn't wholly necessary. It's nice to have, though. The body style is a significant upgrade from the rather shoe-like boxiness of the 2011 Versa we own, and is very pleasing to look at. The cargo space is remarkable with the rear seats folded down (my bicycle fits just fine, thank you!) and the Divide-n-Hide storage is a neat feature that gives you a nice flat floor with a nifty hiding place beneath. Every car should have this sort of thing! As to the driving, I enjoy the CVT personally though I can understand why drivers who prefer more input might desire a five or six speed. I certainly can't argue with the results though...my average gas mileage has been a jaw-dropping 41.5 mpg in combined highway and local driving. Seriously. I watch this stuff carefully (with my budget I have to) and this is not just accurate, it's spot-on. Those are near hybrid numbers, at what, a half of the cost? A third? Remarkable! Mind you, I drive with a balloon foot mostly, but hey, I stay out of the way and don't slow anybody else down. I bet I could speed up a bit with little loss in mileage, but I'd rather be kind to the car. The small fuel tank probably helps too, holding about 2.5 gallons less than the 2011 Versa. Less gas, less weight. Less range too, you would think, but at 41.5 mpg you're talking 450 miles per tank, and that's more than the 2011 ever got. The steering is precise on the road but remarkably light in the parking lot...nothing to complain about there. The car mags all note the supposedly gutless engine, but hey, it gets me up to speed just fine and I don't have any problem keeping up. So far as costs go, apart from gas, regular oil changes, and rotating tires, the Versa would be frugal on that score too. In the summing up, as a used vehicle, fleet or otherwise, the Versa Note is a remarkable bargain, proof that you don't have to give up much to gain a lot of value. I expect to be driving it for many years to come. UPDATE 5/5/20 This may not come as much of a surprise to other Versa owners, but we have now had serious problems with our machine. It started with a sudden Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) that noted that we apparently had problems with our ABS system. Next time the car started, the error cleared. Bemused, I continued to drive the car. A couple of weeks later, the same error reappeared. In order to clear it, I shut the car down and restarted it (yes, I am an IT tech, no, it wasn't terribly bright to do this whilst stopped at a traffic light.) To my alarm, the car would not restart again! I got help to push the vehicle off the road...a few minutes later it restarted and I managed to get it home. I took it to a shop which replaced the Camshaft Position Sensor. I took the car home. I went out to start it to go to work the next day and...it happened again! No start. The shop got the car and took it back, then called me later to tell me the "computer" was faulty and needed to be replaced. They tried to do it and finally refunded all my money and said I'd need to take it to a dealer. I did and...THE DEALER AS MUCH AS TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WORK ON IT. They said it would entail many hours of research and an expensive part and boy, there sure were a lot of nice cars in the lot and wouldn't I be better off to look at them...? So I took the car home, and here it sits. Weirdly, it appears to have something to do with temperature, as it seemed to be okay all winter, but now that the weather has gotten warm again, the problem has recurred. The Versa is now discontinued, and I am sorry that it has ended so badly. UPDATE 11/5/21 I'm happy to provide an addendum to this drama. We finally managed to convince someone to take a serious look at this. $2200 later, the wiring harness is replaced (the, the whole wiring harness!) and the car starts as it should now. Now, in the interests of full disclosure, we do still have a Check Engine light come on every so often...I invested in a code reader and when it tells me is that an oxygen sensor is bad. I am told this is not an uncommon problem...and also that the error could be a an error itself. So, we clear the light when it appears and blithely drive on our way. We are over 110K miles now, and the car is holding on, which in this frantic age is a good thing.
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versa4life!!
nunya, 01/07/2018
2017 Nissan Versa Note 1.6 SV 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
depending on ur driving behavior and the money that u have, this car is the "best bang" for ur buck!! the "overall" effectiveness, efficiency, and utility of this car is EXCELLENT for the price (i paid 16K out the door). the mileage i get is 38.2 miles per gallon and it's running off fuel. would love to have a leaf or even a hybrid, but those cars are ridiculously priced so i REFUSE to pay that kinda money out for basically the same car i get in my versa. btw, this is my 3rd versa and i continue to be "in-love" with my car. so yeah, if u want cost-effectiveness in a product, coupled with utility and kewtness, the versa is ur car. the yaris and fit have "nothing" on this car and this car is easily 2-3K less in cost. ok, enjoy!
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