[08versailles]

Welcome!
My 2008 makes two typical 1.8L [MR18] engine noises.
One is the piston slap you mentioned. No doubt exacerbated by the minus 15C.
Also there is a light to mid throttle vibration, i believe caused by the plastic air intake duct. Others have made this go away by removing it and installing an aftermarket intake.
My V has made both noises since i bought it used w 78800km.
I just keep the oil in good shape, use minimal engine warmup, and away we go!
239000km and counting.
So the best test you can give it without going to a real mechanic [not me] is to start it stone cold, listen for obnoxious piston slap, and decide.
Imo, go for it. Manual tranny been flawless so far as well.
Also check if the air conditioning compressor kicks in [not just the A/C light coming on] when switching to defrost. If you're not a fan of the ac, there is surprisingly little wind noise with all the windows down at 120km/h
Can't beat the super size interior in a compact Versa, just don't expect to win many drag races lol. 08V

 

[08versailles]

Thanks.Now, i would listen very carefully. Maybe it is only the timing chain. The manual transmission and clutch were like new. I really liked driving it. I owned a Toyota Matrix XR 2009 (5 speeds automatic) until spring 2012 and i think the Versa is more fun. Didn't feel like an econobox to me. It was an SL maybe an S feel cheaper? I'll take a look at the AC. I remember the light coming on when pushing on the button.

I definitely prefer my SL seats to the S seats in earlier Versas, as well as the SL 15 inch alloys. If it's an SL manual, it's a bit rare, but not collectable...yet lol
My sister in law has a Vibe with 2.4L and 5 speed auto. It feels tinnier than my V and previous Vibes too.