[robj80]

It's been 4 years with this V. Wow did time fly. It's been the most reliable car I have ever owned. I figured I would make a post about my 4 years with her and list what I have done, needs to be done and her current state.

I was out of my warranty rather quickly since I drive alot but I have had no warranty or out of warranty trips to a dealer or mechanic. She runs pretty much just as good now with 123k miles then she did when I bought her. She seems to be a tiny bit down on MPG's as I was getting a consistent 32mpg over the winter. I am up to 34ish now since it's been warmer and I'm expecting my normal 38+ during summer with a new air filter.

I figured I would list all that has had to be done to her since new. I am amazed at how little work it has needed.

• 15 oil changes with supertech synthetic and various oil filters (usually pure one). I currently change every 10k miles.
• 2 air filter changes (wix). She is overdue for another though the one in there looks clean.
• 1 in-cabin filter(wix). Again overdue bad and needs a change
• topped off refrigerant once last summer. Seems to need it again. (leak?)
• 1 set of wiper blades
• 1 headlight bulb
• 1 set of tires, OEM's lasted almost 120k. Now have s13 wheels and tires I got for $100.
• topped off coolant reservoir 2 times. I lost the cap and think I had evaporation.

So as you can see she needs a few things like air/cabin filters as well as new front rotors as I'm getting a shake while braking. Pads still have half the life left. The drive belt still looks good and shows no cracking. The engine is still super quiet and feels like new as does the clutch.

Current KBB value configured to my car including mileage:

Excellent
$5,561

Very Good
$5,211

Good
$4,961

Fair
$4,036

In closing purchasing this vehicle still was an excellent choice. Sure it's not the prettiest and a little boring but it's reliable, great on gas, roomy and has such a tiny cost of ownership that it pretty much pays for itself. Looking forward to many more miles of trouble free driving.

 

[Kennethbokor]

Great summary thanks. I should post one on my first 2008 V. Just have to corral the details. However barring that right now, I agree that it's a great car for low op ex, roominess, versatility and decent driving handling.

 

[ShyGuy]

Great summary thanks. I should post one on my first 2008 V. Just have to corral the details. However barring that right now, I agree that it's a great car for low op ex, roominess, versatility and decent driving handling.

I just finally realized where they got the name from... :banghead:

 

[JoshG]

Glad to hear she's been good to you my 1.6 brother. Haha She looks good with the S13 wheels. Time has indeed flied. I remember the day I got mine as if it were yesterday and its been over 3 years. Many more trouble-free miles to come. :thumbsup:

 

[Kennethbokor]

I just finally realized where they got the name from... :banghead:

Yup that is exactly Nissan's marketing reason.

 

[JVersa]

Nice to see ppl happy with their choice. Not everyone stays happy with the versa, we see a lot of trade-ins. The Versa might not be the first, or best choice for all, but It's definitely not a bad one.

 

[robj80]

Nice to see ppl happy with their choice. Not everyone stays happy with the versa, we see a lot of trade-ins. The Versa might not be the first, or best choice for all, but It's definitely not a bad one.

I am very happy with my decision. Like stated earlier I find it very boring and not very fun to drive I purchased this vehicle with the purpose of being extremely low cost to operate. Including insurance, gas, taxes and maintenance it has lived up to the low cost. There is nothing else on the market that could have come close.

If I had needed a car a couple years later honestly I would have chosen the accent but in 09 the accent wasn't yet redesigned. Supposedly they get less real world mpg's then my car too. And as far as reliability I guess I will never know.

 

[Kennethbokor]

Great summary thanks. I should post one on my first 2008 V. Just have to corral the details. However barring that right now, I agree that it's a great car for low op ex, roominess, versatility and decent driving handling.

Found my info so let me add to this, from a Canadian Perspective.

Purchased from a local Nissan Dealer (Brampton, ON) my first 08 Versa Sedan in June of 2009. In 2 months will be 4 years of ownership. I purchased it used with 14,000km's on it (a Dealer salesman's driver).

Here are my stats for this time period:

- 105,176KM's travelled (now at over 119,000KM's)
- Overall Average 34.59 MPG (Imperial)
- 13 Oil Changes
- 3 Air Filter changes
- 3 Cabin Filter changes
- 1 set wiper blades (damn Canadian Winters)
- 0 headlight bulbs (knock on wood)
- Purchased 1 set of Winter/Snow Tires and steel rims at 31,000KM's
- Purchased 1 set of new All Seasons at 70,320KM's (original stock finally wore out)
- 5 x tire swaps (1 set of winters for 1 set of All Seasons, then reverse for Spring/Summer/Fall)

Unscheduled Maintenance:

- Squealing Brakes - Dealer replaced rear shoes under warranty, 21,000KM's
- Replaced Windshield - big stone hit it on highway, big crack - replaced under insurance with Original Nissan Glass, 52,000KM's (cost: $50, low deductable)
- Dealer recommended Throttle Body Service, 66,000KM's (cost: $150)
- Ignition Coil went, Replaced it, 70,000KM's (not covered under Warranty, cost: $510)
- New front Pads, Machined Rotors, 75,150KM's (cost: $300)
- OBDII Code, Fuel Issues, Replaced Fuel Pump Assembly, Level Sender, Pump Injectors, 101,000KM's (cost: $775)
- Battery died - Purchased new batter from Dealer, 117,000KM's (cost: $145)
- Total: $1930 of unplanned maintenance. Over 4 years = almost $500 per year.

Mods to Car:

- full window tint
- front hood bug deflector
- FM hardwired Modulator with IPod Cable (for direct plug in and charge of ipod/iphone)
- aftermarket cruise control

KBB Values - 2008 Versa Sedan S, 4spd Auto, 1.8, PW/PL/AC/AMFMCD/standard features for Canada, Mileage 74,000 Miles (119,000KM's)
- Excellent: $8475
- Very Good: $8100
- Good: $7825
- Fair: $6825
** Since KBB is USA based, I used Buffalo Zip Code 14150 for Values.

In closing, I agree with Rob. I purchased this in mind for all-around economy and reliability. Plus, I was blown away with the interior room, especially the rear seats. It drives smooth and easy to manoeuvre/park. Other than a few unforeseen repairs, it's been very good and I put a lot of KM's on it before getting our second 2008 Versa a couple of months ago. Now my wife is driving this first Versa and she only puts about 30KM's per day on it, so it will last another 3-4 years easy. Plus, I've been able to load up a lot of stuff in the Versa, even with the Sedan model. People are always surprised how much stuff you can get in one!

I liked my first Versa so much I got a second one (another 2008 SL model this time) and like this one even more!

Hope this anaylsis helps some of you out. The reason I have this info is because I am in Sales for Information Technology and need to keep mileage records and logs for repairs/fuel - for Income Tax time :ihih:

 

[iluvmyVersa08]

Glad to see another happy Versa owner. It's been 5 years for me now and besides a few Fuel pressure regulators being replaced (3 times) under warranty; all I have had to pay for in terms of maintenance is oil changes. It's been a great reliable car and I hope I get another 5-7 years out of it.

I agree it's not the best car out the car, nor the most fun, but I own this car fully and that makes it that much better