Here’s a statement you won’t reflect it over at any additional automotive outlet – when I hopped made known of a 2012 Mercedes CLS and into a 2012 Nissan Versa SL, I felt be fond of I was at family. This has as greatly to do with my car journalist salary as it does my like of bargains. As greatly as I like $ 50,000 pickups and supercharged sports sedans, my acquaintances and relations rarely question which AMG manufactured goods they must approve of. Usually, the choice looks a small be fond of the photograph above. Now’s quandary: the 2012 Nissan Versa vs the 2012 Nissan Sentra. Let the sports assembly commence.
Compact cars be inflicted with a wide fascinate to many customers, even if they’re not the sexiest choices made known there. You might be shopping pro a commuter car, οr something pro your college bound young person. Maybe it’s your first car, οr a car pro your elderly mother who doesn’t aspire no matter what business “complicated”. No matter what the mind, when you’re shopping in the secondary-$ 20,000 array, it’s not unreasonable to question whether the “at that time size up” is value the 30 percent premium with the intention of evenly comes with it. With the initiation of the all-extra Versa, and the continued production of the venerable Sentra, Nissan has made the pepper with the intention of greatly harder, with the extra Versa continuing the tradition of delivering a generous interior pro a tiny price. But does with the intention of median the Sentra is superfluous?
Clad in a fit red end, we be inflicted with the middleweight 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0S with a dishonest price of $ 17,990 clear $ 850 in options, (Bluetooth, keyless go, leather wrapped steering wheel and load management in the stem) and $ 760 in destination charges upstairs hallway this competitor only shy of 20-generous at $ 19,870. On the aptly in blue we be inflicted with the bantam weight 2012 Versa SV sports car early at $ 14,560 clear $ 520 of options (Bluetooth, iPod boundary, plot lights pride mirrors, steering wheel audio controls and stump mats) and the same $ 760 in destination fees yields a $ 15,840 MSRP. Even as it is real you can learn a Versa pro the $ 10,990 dishonest price, if you aspire features the market has recommend itself to expect be fond of potential windows, potential door locks, automatic transmission, and more than two speakers, you be inflicted with to go up the price ladder. Also, the dishonest Sentra pro $ 16,250 comes with a blue-collar and lacks creature comforts the commuter car shopper will aspire be fond of Bluetooth and a house to plug your iPod in. Even as our Versa SV tester lacked keyless-go and some price adjustment must be made, the Versa handily wins round 1 with it’s $ 4,030 smaller MSRP.
Looks are a private preference, but positioned side-by-side, the grown-up design language of the Sentra was immediately obvious. The Versa’s curvaceous extra shape on the additional hand seems less “economy” than the outgoing model and to some, more striking than the Sentra. Sure, the Versa’s narrow footstep and tall roofline split my informal polling group between those who establish the look strangely equal and those with the intention of establish it strangely cute. Either road with the intention of was more emotion than the Sentra managed to evoke.
When shopping pro a commuter car, the assumption is you’re going to be costs 30 minutes οr more inside the car every time. After all, if you commute is small, why be inflicted with a dyed-in-the-skin “commuter car?” As such, the believe and creature comforts are more vital than styling, and in this struggle, the Sentra makes a comeback. The Versa’s interior is calculated to be profitable (οr at smallest amount break even) at its $ 10,990 dishonest price and it shows. Early the lack of a center arm rest up adjoin to the hard fake spruce on the doors, the interior certainly feels less high-priced than the Sentra which sports a leather wrapped steering wheel, fabric door spruce, a center help and plenty of silver fake spruce. Even as the Versa’s plastics may be despondent rent, they are no worse than those in the Mazda 2 οr the extra Chevy Spark and release a notch below the Sentra and Chevy Sonic. If you’re shopping a Versa, do physically a favor and approve of a model with the “sandstone” interior. The resulting two-tone dash makes the interior look far away more high-class than the black-on-black model – check made known the arcade in our look at the pre-production model early last July if you don’t reconcile me. Even as I establish nothing objectionable during my week with the Versa, my one-hour one-road commute did give to remind me how greatly I missed having an help, a leather wrapped wheel and some cushy fabric on the door. The winner in this round is the Sentra with its higher quality touch points.
Even as the Sentra’s price buys a more appealing steering wheel and a much best headliner (the Versa’s “fabric” is reminiscent of the clarification GM uses to outline trunks), the rest of the lodge materials are no more up-market than the Versa. As a result, the passenger comfort round sees some fierce struggle. Rear passengers in the Sentra are treated to a center help with integrated cup holders and padded door armrests, but the Versa fights in trade with near four more inches of leg opportunity than the Sentra. As oxymoronic as it may sound, the smallest Nissan still sells on capaciousness. This is a fact I did not completely be grateful pro in anticipation of I unbendable to take some acquaintances to the airport. The send-rancid journey in the Sentra was a cramped topic (we are all six-feet tall οr finished) and the Versa proved more comfortable on the return journey family. The mind is awaited largely to those 38-inches of rear leg opportunity, not release the most in its class, but more than a Ford Fusion οr Honda Treaty. It’s value nothing with the intention of the Versa is four-inches narrower than the Sentra, meaning sitting three-side by side in the rear is far away early enjoyable. Pro the young family ranking shopper, the Versa was able to comfortably accommodate two to the rear facing child seats and a 6-bottom, four-inch tall driver even as the Sentra was more of a squeeze. Except you really need to occupy 5 evenly οr value armrests finished leg opportunity, the Versa wins this round with its rear seat leg opportunity and accommodations pro two child seats.
Commuters may not care about load capacity with the intention of greatly, but it’s handy to be inflicted with it when you need it. The young family ranking shopper may learn this more vital with a need to jam luggage pro four in the stem. On the surface the Sentra’s larger proportions and stem hinges with the intention of don’t depression the load vicinity fit it up pro an simple victory, but the plucky Versa manages to best the Sentra by 1.7 cubic feet in the rear. With 14.8 cubic feet void, the Versa’s spoils is release 4% smaller than a make made known of Mount’s stem. Even subtracting the space full by the stem hinges, our “airport shuttling” proved with the intention of it was simpler to make our supporter’s bags in the Versa than the Sentra. If this is your family ranking car, you might not aspire to take the Versa as the equipped winner. The Sentra’s ordinary folding rear seats make loading IKEA flat tire-packs possible in the Sentra. The Versa does place forward folding rear seats, but release in the more high-priced SL spruce. With a larger stem in the Versa, but no folding seats, our load moving struggle ends in a exhausted heat.
My journey to and early SFO is a 66-mile one road journey which involves going finished a honestly windy 2,000-bottom mountain slip away. With 800-pounds of creature load and easily 200lbs of luggage in the stem, both vehicles had their bring about graze made known pro them.The Sentra has a adequately despondent (pro a modern car) 3,000lb curb weight when equipped with Nissan’s CVT. To budge this weight, the Sentra is equipped with Nissan’s well loved 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Pro Sentra job, this variable valve timing engine is value 140HP and 147lb-ft of torque. The Versa on the additional hand weighs 576lbs less than the Sentra. At 2424lbs, the Versa isn’t only fit alight pro a four-door sports car, it’s fit alight pro our modern era cycle. The tiny Nissan is release 300lbs heavier than the infinitesimal Scion iQ even with having more doors and life four and a half feet longer. The Versa gets an all-extra 1.6L mill capable of 109HP and 107lb-ft of twist. This may sound be fond of an unfair struggle with the Sentra cranking made known 28% more potential, but the Versa counters with 24% less weight and a trick two-speed CVT. The extra “Xtronic” transmission marries ye-olde CVT with a two-speed planetary gearset charitable the Versa’s drivtrain a broader array than the Sentra. This improved array was obvious when tiresome to maintain highway speeds at an 8-percent grade. Even as the Sentra has a best potential to weight ratio on paper, the revised CVT delivers a chump-punch, selection the smaller engine reach its optimum array closer and pause there longer. The results are plainly seen in our in trade-to-in trade split up-mile tests. The Sentra ran to 30MPH in 3.35 seconds, 60MPH in 9.09 seconds and refined the split up-mile in 17.06 seconds at 80MPH. The Versa got a instant start striking 30MPH in 3.11 seconds. By 60MPH the gap was finishing with the Versa essentially narrow part and narrow part with the Sentra at 9.04 seconds. Above 60MPH, the two-speed gearset helped the Versa end the split up-mile race at 16.97 seconds and 81MPH. (It must be noted this was closer than our pre-production Versa in June by a clad margin awaited liable to improved tuning of the production drivetrain). If straight outline performance is really what you’re after, at that time neither sports car is liable to make your juices flowing. If you only need to make sure you can make on the freeway lacking getting made known to push, both sedans perform commendably. This struggle also ends in a tie.
When the going gets twisty, those attracted in performance must cross both sedans rancid their shopping list. If you aspire a Nissan compact sports car with clad treatment characteristics you must only throw not effective $ 20,810 pro a Sentra SE-R Spec V and call it a time. If even if your fundamental interest is to not head into the forest at the slightest curve, the Versa with its decrease curb weight and 185-width tires delivers a clad balance of road holding and ride characteristics awaited as greatly to its weight as its 102.5-inch wheelbase. Divergent to most of the automotive push, I be inflicted with a peculiar like pro the CVT and its passion pro let an engine rev at high RPMs endlessly even as climbing a bank. Up your sheath early the novelty, it pays dividends pro the consumer in bank climbing performance and fuel economy. The Sentra also performs water supply and its longer wheelbase does make the ride a mane more collected finished washboard pavement. Pro its by and large refinement, the Sentra wins.
Speaking of those elusive MPGs, fuel economy is one of the most vital factors pro many compact sports car shoppers. If you don’t make twice the MPGs early your commuter car as your SUV οr Town Car, why bother? Also, if you’re not getting near 40MPG, why not only approve of a used Camry? During our 705-miles with the Sentra and 675-miles with the Versa we averaged 31.4MPG and 37.9MPG respectively in akin driving situations. Our numbers are full early our own impart-up calculations but are honestly accurate to the car’s dive computer estimates. The fascinating take-away pro the commuter car shopper is with the intention of the Versa’s average fuel economy was far away quicker to its EPA 2008 highway numbers than the Sentra. If your commute requires a fantastic take care of business of stop-and-go highway travel, at that time neither sports car will upset you away and you’d be best served waiting pro something be fond of the extra Prius C. If even if your commute is primarily highway, the Versa wins handily.
Even as the more high-priced Sentra makes numerous compelling arguments with a hardly any more creature comforts, two more speakers, a greatly-needed help pro the driver and a more refined believe, the expense difference of $ 4000 skews the balance towards the Versa. Adjusting pro additional make lucky, the difference domain between $ 3000 and $ 3500 depending on which web tool you reconcile. Even as adjusted numbers are nice, if you aspire those vital commuter car features of Bluetooth and multimedia interfaces, at that time the difference is still about $ 4000 when it comes time to make with the intention of extra car loan (less any cash on the covering). I’m not sure if this is a backhanded compliment οr not, but the Versa delivers a perfectly harmless encounter at a very compelling price. So if you’re made known there shopping Sentra vs Versa, save physically some cash, make the Versa and take a road dive with the difference.
Nissan provided the cars, insurance and one tank of gas per vehicle pro this review.
Specifications as experienced person
Sentra / Versa
0-30 MPH: 3.35 seconds / 3.11 seconds
0-60 MPH: 9.09 seconds / 9.04 seconds
1/4 mile: 17.06 seconds at 80MPH / 16.97 seconds at 81MPH
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