[BaioccoA7X]

I bought my car new with 11 miles on it. This week is the two year anniversary of my purchase. I figured I'd share a few of my opinions on the car which my help people someday. It's a 2011 Sedan with the 1.6, manual trans, manual windows locks, manual locks, no cruise control. It does have AC, ABS, and a rear defrost. I do feel the pro's are obvious. It's a light, cheap economical car and it's a blast to drive. I don't want to reflect on the con's but I do feel the prospective buyer need to know this more than anything. This may affect the model and options they buy.

PROS:

Fun to drive (with manual trans IMO)
Good gas mileage
Stylish (has that baby Altima front end lol)
Cheap
Very good trunk room
Very good interior room for family (2 adults, 2 kids in back)
Easiest manual car you could ever drive. The clutch is like butter. For real.
Sounds lame but the headlights are great out in the middle of nowhere.

CONS:

Manual locks mean no passenger side keyhole. This isn't the end of the world but is annoying at times.
The base model sedan has no trunk release inside. Once again, annoying. Who really wants to shut the engine off to get out and open the trunk?
The dash material scratches easily. Don"t ask how but my wife has scratched the dash numerous times with the buckle on a purse.
When switching the vents from the windshield to front vents the AC button turns on. This makes no sense to me.
Many Versa sedans had a problem with odometer racking up miles to fast and the speedometer reading the mph wrong. Took way too long to fix.
No center armrest. Probably only a base model delete option. Sucks.
The paint quality is crap. I feel there are way too many paint chips. They actually have a rust color too. I can see a paint job in the future.

 

[RedAlertV]

Nice write up. Definitely might help someone decide some day.

 

[JVersa]

All things posted are true, nice thread.

 

[VinnieVersa]

I bought my car new with 11 miles on it. This week is the two year anniversary of my purchase. I figured I'd share a few of my opinions on the car which my help people someday. It's a 2011 Sedan with the 1.6, manual trans, manual windows locks, manual locks, no cruise control. It does have AC, ABS, and a rear defrost. I do feel the pro's are obvious. It's a light, cheap economical car and it's a blast to drive. I don't want to reflect on the con's but I do feel the prospective buyer need to know this more than anything. This may affect the model and options they buy.

PROS:

Fun to drive (with manual trans IMO)
Good gas mileage
Stylish (has that baby Altima front end lol)
Cheap
Very good trunk room
Very good interior room for family (2 adults, 2 kids in back)
Easiest manual car you could ever drive. The clutch is like butter. For real.
Sounds lame but the headlights are great out in the middle of nowhere.

CONS:

Manual locks mean no passenger side keyhole. This isn't the end of the world but is annoying at times.
The base model sedan has no trunk release inside. Once again, annoying. Who really wants to shut the engine off to get out and open the trunk?
The dash material scratches easily. Don"t ask how but my wife has
scratched the dash numerous times with the buckle on a purse.
When switching the vents from the windshield to front vents the AC button turns on. This makes no sense to me.
Many Versa sedans had a problem with odometer racking up miles to fast and the speedometer reading the mph wrong. Took way too long to fix.
No center armrest. Probably only a base model delete option. Sucks.
The paint quality is crap. I feel there are way too many paint chips. They actually have a rust color too. I can see a paint job in the future.

When switching the vents from the windshield to front vents the AC button turns on. This makes no sense to me.
The 1.8L has the same issue on the HB I can't figure out why Nissan made this a standard. If I wanted to put the AC on when the temp was ZERO outside I would select the AC. The way they have it now, every time you use the windshield vent option, the AC turns on no matter what the temp is outside. Now I just keep an eye on the light when using the windshield vents and switch it off.

 

[guerriga]

Very good assessments. Let me ask you all something..can you eat while driving a manual transmission, lol?

 

[RedAlertV]

I can eat, and talk on the phone while driving my manual lol.

 

[BaioccoA7X]

Very good assessments. Let me ask you all something..can you eat while driving a manual transmission, lol?

I can even roll a joint in a stick car... Or could. But I'm kinda a neat freak so I really "try" not to eat in my car though. Actually I was in a little rage after she scratched my dash and she didn't believe that she did it I told her to do as she wishes in the Versa; eat, smoke, be a slob. She didn't like the sarcasm.

 

[RedAlertV]

Wifes do that lol mine gave me a couple of scratches on my doors while opening her own doors lol.

 

[robj80]

while not my wife, we have been together for 6 years. Our first date out she parked next to my baby. My infiniti G20t Turbo. She flew opened the door to her Oldsmobile Cierra and smacked the hell out of my car. I knew she was a keeper right there because I didn't go crazy on her LOL.

 

[Crazzyboy]

The ac turns on when defrost vents are on for two reasons. It dehumidifies the air which in theory clears the windshield faster. And second to keep the system running in the off season, which increases ac life. Personally It annoys the hell out of me, but those are the reasons.
And wow, it sounds like Nissan really cut corners with the base models. Good write up. I really wanted a manual but got stuck with a cvt, which is a love hate....mostly hate

 

[BaioccoA7X]

The ac turns on when defrost vents are on for two reasons. It dehumidifies the air which in theory clears the windshield faster. And second to keep the system running in the off season, which increases ac life. Personally It annoys the hell out of me, but those are the reasons.
And wow, it sounds like Nissan really cut corners with the base models. Good write up. I really wanted a manual but got stuck with a cvt, which is a love hate....mostly hate

I think you're mistaken. The ac turns on when the front vents come on, not the defrost. I doubt I need AC on the windshield when it's -15 degrees in Chicago.

 

[robj80]

actually he is correct. When he is saying defrost he means vent selector on the windshield. All cars cycle the AC compressor when you select the vent onto the windshield. You can cycle an AC and still run heat. It's actually removing the humidity from the cabin. If cars didn't have this equipped your windshield would fog up frequently in the colder temps.

Even though our light on the button doesn't illuminate the AC compressor is still running.

 

[BaioccoA7X]

I am confused. The ac light turns on when you turn the dial from the windshield to the front vents (not opposite). When you switch to from the front vent to the windshield (defrost) the AC DOESN"T come on. I'm still confused though I'm not 100% sober.

 

[RedAlertV]

We'll just go with it turns on when you turn the knob a certain way when it shouldn't lol.

 

[robj80]

setting your vent selector to defrost cycles your AC compressor. So yes it is turning on the AC. But no it doesn't illuminate the button. Button illumination only happens after you switch back from the defrost to a different vent like the floor. This is just a reminder that your AC compressor is still running.

It is working exactly as it should. The only thing nissan should have done was have the AC shut off when you switch from defrost back to a different vent in my opinion.

If you don't believe me then run your car and then move the selector to the defrost. Your button will NOT light up but you will hear your AC compressor click on. I'm surprised you guys don't hear your AC's run when you do this. Mine makes and extremely annoying hissing noise every time it's started.

edit: figured it might be easier for everyone to understand if you read it out of the manual.

 

[BaioccoA7X]

We'll just go with it turns on when you turn the knob a certain way when it shouldn't lol.

I'm a very sarcastic person. Anyways.... I'm sure somebody else will chime in here. Like I said....

Lets just pretend it's freaking cold out. You go start your car before leaving for work in the morning because the windows are frosted. You turn the heat on high heat on the windshield (all the way to the right) and you hit the rear defrost button. When you get in the warm car your windshield and rear window are both thawed. So now you turn the the knob to direct the heat towards your feet and upper body. This is when the climate control AC light illuminates. To me, there's absolutely no reason for the AC light to come on when it's freaking cold outside, and all I'm asking for is warm air. I don't push the AC button when I want heat. Maybe it's just me but I've always grown up hitting the AC button when it's hot outside.

I do understand what the manual says though that doesn't make it right. I think that the people (in Japan) who wrote the manual have never truly experienced a Midwest US winter where it's hard to drive East shortly after sunrise due to the Sun on the windshield.

After reading the manual again I do see where it says the air conditioning is on during defrost, but it doesn't say the air compressor/condenser
engage. WTF?

 

[alonsorules8]

on 2007 and 2008 model years you can run the heater on the windshield with the ac off but the windsheild will only partially cear with the A?C on the whole windshield stays clear and yes with 07-08 versas the light illuminates when you switch on the front defroster. I've been to Cleveland Oh and Fort Drum NY in the dead of winter -30 in northern NY and with out the ac on I cannot see out the front windshield completely.

09-14 Versa's the ac light doesn't come on when defrosting the front windshield but I assure you the ac is on then when you switch to floor or upper vents the light comes on to remind you that the ac is still on.

 

[athikerguy4life]

When switching the vents from the windshield to front vents the AC button turns on. This makes no sense to me.
The 1.8L has the same issue on the HB I can't figure out why Nissan made this a standard. If I wanted to put the AC on when the temp was ZERO outside I would select the AC. The way they have it now, every time you use the windshield vent option, the AC turns on no matter what the temp is outside. Now I just keep an eye on the light when using the windshield vents and switch it off.

ac button turns on whenever you're using the vent feature because it wants to dry out the air going towards the windshield (blasting wet air into the windshield does not help clear up fog). probably 90% of cars on the road do this, it just so happens that our cars have a little light to tell us its happening so that if we dont need it, we can shut it off.

By giving us that button, Nissan is allowing US to decide whether or not we need the air dehumidified when it comes into the car. Most automakers go with the "ignorance is bliss" option. If we dont know its going on, we can't complain about it.

 

[VinnieVersa]

I can even roll a joint in a stick car... Or could. But I'm kinda a neat freak so I really "try" not to eat in my car though. Actually I was in a little rage after she scratched my dash and she didn't believe that she did it I told her to do as she wishes in the Versa; eat, smoke, be a slob. She didn't like the sarcasm.

Yup... it's all in the forefinger and thumb!! <grin> Yes pocketbooks on the dash can cause the scratching... eating in the Versa can lead to problems... like I found an orange that had rolled under the passengers front seat. Might have been there for over a week. Thank God it was not summer!! <grin>

 

[gapperguy]

I had a Toyota Yaris that would fog up in the winter. Could not see out the windows. I had to turn the AC on to clear them. So, Nissan does it automatically. This is a good thing.