22nd Jul 2007, 07:42

The Versa SL has a height adjustable seat, but the S does not.

Previous poster, you should expect bad gas mileage for the first 3,000 miles or so. If it's beyond that, have your car checked out at the dealer.

While both the Fit and the Yaris are built in Japan and exported to North America, they won't be built there for long. Both Honda and Toyota are building new plants for domestic manufacturing.

12th Mar 2008, 12:43

For the Disappointed commenter: did you check your tire pressure? I bought a Versa Sport (auto) 3 months ago and was getting around 28 mpg - mostly highway - which was OK (a lot better than my minivan!). Then I found that my front tires were a little low and pumped them up to about 40 psi and my mileage jumped up immediately to almost 32! I'm finding that the engine power is slowly getting better as it breaks in as well. It has just over 3000 miles on it and I agree it's one of the best values out there in the US small-car market. It's roomy, quiet and it's fun to drive! It's a lot like a Skoda Fabia 1.4 I had a few years ago - except the versa is bigger and a lot quicker.

20th Mar 2008, 11:46

Please, forget about tires and other hints like such. They do affect mileage but only by very small amounts. The Yaris (my actual car), the Fit and all those new cars with small engines, are just too heavy this days, making gas mileage questionable in stop & go city driving.

13th Apr 2008, 23:29

Previous Commenter - wouldn't it be more helpful to give useful hints or informative advice to the Disappointed Versa owner for a marked mpg decrease like that? Or maybe even some data backing up your statement about small cars getting heavier?

Is your advice then "sorry, you bought the wrong car for city driving"?

For someone with already poor mileage who loses 2 mpg overnight, it's reasonable to suggest checking things like tire pressure, driving style or even a defective car.

In case of the Yaris, a little research data shows it is only about three hundred pounds heavier than it's predecessor, the Tercel, from 20 or 30 years ago. (2300 lbs. vs about 2000 lbs.) That's not a very big increase for a car that gives huge improvements in comfort levels, lower emissions, more power, and way more safety kit like ABS and airbags, etc.

In the Versa's case, it is heavier (abt. 2700 lbs.) than some of the others, but it is also marketed as a smart, small family sedan, not really as a city run-around mini with ultra-high efficiency. It's even marketed as a small luxury car in Japan.

So, are small econo-boxes really getting heavier, bigger and less economical? If so, is it a worthwhile trade-off?

27th Apr 2008, 22:33

Just bought a 2008 versa s hatchback 6 speed. It is much more comfortable than most small cars. Definitely has the best styling and safety compared to the Honda Fit and Toyota Matrix. But, Matrix and Fit have more cargo space. I wasn't seeking to purchase a car for hauling stuff but for everyday enjoyment. I agree that the mpg is not even close to the 26/33 it says on the sticker and reviews. This is a new car! It should be better at mpg than my 1990 toyota corolla coupe. I hope the quality last a long time with my car. The price is outstanding especially if you get the $1000.00 rebate and super low financing. Love it but the verdict is still out on the gas mileage.

24th Jan 2009, 22:38

I looked very closely at the Versa recently, actually ended up buying a new Accent instead, and I can also report that driving a compact car LIKE a compact car will greatly increase your gas mileage.

Don't try or expect to keep up with the big SUV in front of you when the light turns green. Yeah, it goes faster than yours. It's also burning probably twice as much fuel to do that.

My Accent (after the break in period) has gotten nothing less than 29 mpg; that's even factoring in letting it warm up now in the winter, and has done as well as 41 mpg when I bought it in late summer.

I do wish that Hyundai had taken the cue from Nissan and put 6 speeds in the manual transmission though. The Hyundai really buzzes when you're over 75 mph. Realizing that now, I almost wish I'd have gone with the Versa instead. Although the Hyundai is just as well built and has been flawless.

9th Nov 2009, 01:02

I have an '05 Accent and love it, but I'm really leaning towards a Versa 1.6 rather than another Accent when I'm ready to buy a new car next year.

Two reasons:

1) Timing belt in the Accent vs. a timing chain in the Versa. Built-in 500-600.00 repair every 2.5-3 years with the potential for epic engine failure without warning vs. no scheduled maintenance like that on the Versa, the chain should last a long time/life of the car with no issues.

2) Price. I've been looking onlineand I can get a manual Versa 1.6 with air and anti-lock brakes for less than an Accent that doesn't offer ABS on the lower-end model. I think the Yaris is pretty cute, but, for seems like you can't get them for less than 14,000, and that's for the 3-door Hatchback! For 1000.00 more you can get a fit, but the Yaris isn't as good as the Fit and has that pesky center-mounted speedometer. Seems the Yaris is overpriced and you're just paying for the Toyota nameplate.

Seems like the Versa 1.6 is the best deal.