[Sniper06]

okay guys, here is what i think of the 08 versa. i got mine a month ago and i've just broken it in last week. i've had the chance to drive it to my favorite winding road and an empty parking lot to do some tests.

my versa is a 6 speed hatchback S model. steering has little feedback. this could either be a good thing or bad. in city driving it is good since you need little effort to steer your car, but in performance driving, i prefer more feedback so i can feel the tire grip.

the engine is smooth at low to mid range but it is buzzy while cruising on the highway. the torque is sweet starting at 2k but becomes flat hence you dont feel it. i think the car is too heavy for the 122hp engine.

this car could really benefit from a lighter flywheel! the heavy flywheel is good for city driving coz the rpm doesnt drop abruptly from the momentum produced by the heavier flywheel. but in reality it really is just dead weight after the first gear. a lighter flywheel will give this car a livelier revving engine better for heel-toe braking and downshifting. the only downside is it will be easier to stall while going from a stop...but you just have to get used to it.

the suspension was not designed for performance. it was designed for comfort. i drove the car on the winding road and there was significant body roll. the rear suspension kinda hopped when i ran over a small bump at 80km/h, which i thought was scary. maybe a lower, stiffer suspension setup will be a good touch. although i find the versa very nimble and fun to drive on the winding road...just dont go over speeding.

all in all, i love this car for city driving. it was designed for it. if you want to use this as a track car, you need some modifications for it to be enjoyable(at least to my standards). maybe in the future i'll set it up as a daily driver/weekend warrior machine. my possible future mods are:

-lighter flywheel(my personal pet peeve)
-16" rims w/ medium-low profile tires(not decided yet)
-lower suspension setup
-maybe wheel spacers for a wider stance
-CAI for sure
-exhaust setup but i dont want it to be loud
-HID
-foglamps

cheers!

 

[Sniper06]

oh and another observation, when you are driving at around 60kph, if you roll one of your rear windows down, there is significant turbulence produced..so significant that the pressure inside the cabin is affected by it. i can feel my eardrums getting sucked out. i dunno about other people but my ears are sensitive like that.

can somebody try this just so i can confirm that it is noit just my ears that are broken?

 

[Rockford]

Had a chance to drive my Mum's SL sedan w/ CVT for a decent stretch the other day. Nice little car. I did not find it buzzy on the hwy at all. Even while cruising at 130-140kph. Granted it's no touring car, but for a 4-banger it's pretty smooth.
It's by no means performance oriented but neither is my Mum! With basic bolt-ons I think this car would still be way out of its element at a track day. This car is about marrying comfort and economy. It's good for zipping around town and aint bad on the hwy either, but expecting much beyond that of the Versa isn't realistic. I think you'd be fighting an uphill (and expensive) battle in trying to make it something it's not.

 

[carl.davenport]

As far as the wind pressure/noise, I have the same issue. I think it common among small cars. If you crack the passenger window about 1/2 inch to an inch it stops the pressure/ noise about 90%.

 

[Sniper06]

Had a chance to drive my Mum's SL sedan w/ CVT for a decent stretch the other day. Nice little car. I did not find it buzzy on the hwy at all. Even while cruising at 130-140kph. Granted it's no touring car, but for a 4-banger it's pretty smooth.
It's by no means performance oriented but neither is my Mum! With basic bolt-ons I think this car would still be way out of its element at a track day. This car is about marrying comfort and economy. It's good for zipping around town and aint bad on the hwy either, but expecting much beyond that of the Versa isn't realistic. I think you'd be fighting an uphill (and expensive) battle in trying to make it something it's not.

yeah, maybe i was expecting too much from the little versa coming from a maxima. i do not regret buying the versa at all. maybe i got too much into the hype and was infatuated by all the praise and rave the versa got.

i still find myself looking for some punch coz i've been shifting at around 2500-3000 rpms lately. but i guess its all about driving style coz i was pampered and spoiled by my maxima.

 

[2dr_Sentra]

i think a full exhaust would benefit the versa VERY much. It has a very restrictive exhaust in stock form.

I am thinking about buying the stillen axle back its very clean and almost has a stock appearance.

I think the car is very heavy for a 122hp engine also. I personally think it should have come with the MR20 145hp engine thats in the sentra. And it should have rear disk not drum, water temp gauge. With the a/c on the motor has a REAL bad drag and lack of power. I think Nissan could have done a much better job in performance for this car.

 

[Sniper06]

i think a full exhaust would benefit the versa VERY much. It has a very restrictive exhaust in stock form.

I am thinking about buying the stillen axle back its very clean and almost has a stock appearance.

I think the car is very heavy for a 122hp engine also. I personally think it should have come with the MR20 145hp engine thats in the sentra. And it should have rear disk not drum, water temp gauge. With the a/c on the motor has a REAL bad drag and lack of power. I think Nissan could have done a much better job in performance for this car.

hmm intresting idea with the MR20. i hope the engine is compatible with the versa. also, i wonder if a rear disc from a sentra is compatible with the versa. i guess only time will tell. the versa is still a new car here in north america.

i dont want to void my warranty yet so i wont be making any mods anytime soon, well short of the rims/tires and foglamps. but i wonder if installing an HID kit will void the warranty?

 

[2dr_Sentra]

hmm intresting idea with the MR20. i hope the engine is compatible with the versa. also, i wonder if a rear disc from a sentra is compatible with the versa. i guess only time will tell. the versa is still a new car here in north america.

i dont want to void my warranty yet so i wont be making any mods anytime soon, well short of the rims/tires and foglamps. but i wonder if installing an HID kit will void the warranty?

im not sure how the warranty works but on Nissanversa.org they said that the warranty only is void if they can prove that your after market part cause the failure. Thats just what i heard but i could be wrong.

 

[OchnofConcrete]

i know this is off topic, and you can delete, but at least help me out here. been a few month since i've been here, and i was doing fine then. but for some reason i get online here today to try to post a thread for a motor for sale and I CAN'T FIND THE "POST NEW THREAD" LINK ANYWHERE.
lol where the hell is it?

 

[OchnofConcrete]

as for warranty failure...
y'all have lived in this country long enough to know how these facist bastards work...
you throw on new sparkplug wires with/o direct consent of the stealership or a licensed ASE NISSAN TECH putting them on for you....
they're gonna void the warranty.

just have them do the work.. or take the chance and lose the warranty.

or dont' tell them. ha.
but i agree about not trying to make something it's not.... you don't start off w/ a pinto and try to make a race car... you start off with a race car and make it a better one.

 

[Sniper06]

as for warranty failure...
y'all have lived in this country long enough to know how these facist bastards work...
you throw on new sparkplug wires with/o direct consent of the stealership or a licensed ASE NISSAN TECH putting them on for you....
they're gonna void the warranty.

just have them do the work.. or take the chance and lose the warranty.

or dont' tell them. ha.
but i agree about not trying to make something it's not.... you don't start off w/ a pinto and try to make a race car... you start off with a race car and make it a better one.

i am aware that the versa is not a performance car. but there are always options to make the car better suited to your preference.

i've gone through three cars, not including my father's cars that he lets me drive sometimes. i've had a '95 200sx se that i've modified to drive like a track car(suspension only, not too heavy on the horsepower mods), i've had a '90 maxima that needed no modification at all since that car drove better than my uncle's 96 maxima(trackwise). also, i've driven my dad's late 70's lancer that was a bit underpowered but was a thrill to drive. my dad's 80's celica, and an 80's nissan 240 rs which was used as a rally car before my dad and uncle bought it from the rally team..now this car is a monster with the heavily modified FJ20 motor.(my dad and uncle used to run a service/performance tuning auto shop back in the day and had some nice cars serviced on a regular basis..i only wish i was old enough to test drive the lotus when they had it.)