The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Cheapest new car in the U.S.
- Good safety tech
- Impressive fuel economy
- Surprisingly refined
Dislikes
- Not quick
- CVT neuters some of the power
- No standard CarPlay or Android Auto
- Used cars can offer better value
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 Nissan Versa is better than a subcompact car truly needs to be.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Nissan Versa? What does it compare to?
The Versa is Nissan’s smallest model, a subcompact sedan with good fuel economy and low pricing. It’s the last car to wave the subcompact flag in the U.S., so you’ll have to shop it against bigger compacts like the Nissan Sentra and Honda Civic, both of which cost quite a bit more.
Is the 2025 Nissan Versa a good car?
Viewed for what it is, the Versa is a remarkably good little car. It’s spacious and generally well-equipped, though hardly quick. It’s a 5.5 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Nissan Versa?
The Versa now includes three years of free oil changes, while base S and mid-level SV trims include LED headlights.
Offered only as a sedan, the Versa is bulbous but not ugly thanks to an update for 2023. Its big shield-like grille wears horizontal bars that give some needed visual width. From the side, there’s plenty of Altima in its curviness and its unique C-pillar treatment. Nissan’s bigger designs filter into the interior, too, with simple lines and basic materials for basic money.
The 122-hp 1.6-liter inline-4 musters up just enough power to keep up with traffic while averaging up to 35 mpg combined per EPA estimates. It’s best with the standard 5-speed manual, though the continuously variable automatic transmission does a decent job of keeping the little engine within its power band. The Versa rides comfortably and has decent steering, though it’s far from entertaining. It’s not too loud for the money, though.
It’s also spacious inside with comfy enough front seats and a rear bench capable of holding two adults or three in a pinch. Its trunk is more spacious than what you’ll find in many competitive compact and midsize sedans, too.
Good crash-test ratings and standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection add to its appeal. Most models offer blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alerts, while high-end versions have adaptive cruise control, too.
How much does the 2025 Nissan Versa cost?
Nissan offers the Versa in S, SV, and SR trim levels. The 2025 Versa will set you back $18,330 in base S trim with a manual, while an automatic S model is a somewhat hefty $1,800 more. Unfortunately, you’ll need to step up to the CVT to add Apple CarPlay, at which point you might as well keep going to the mid-level Versa SV for $21,700 or so.
Where is the 2025 Nissan Versa made?
In Mexico.
2025 Nissan Versa Styling
The 2025 Nissan Versa offers decent flair for a small car.
Is the Nissan Versa a good-looking car?
It became a fairly good-looking car after a 2023 model-year update that brought fresh exterior styling and a few interior tweaks. Overall, we rate the Versa a 6 for its styling.
Its exterior looks like a slimmed-down Nissan Sentra or Altima, which is a good thing. The wide front grille and swept-back headlights add some verve, while the taillights have a clean, simple look. Newly standard LED headlights with LED running lights give the Versa a modern face, too.
You’ll find 15-inch steel wheels at the bottom of the lineup, though most versions have 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels.
It’s not quite as swanky inside as out, but Nissan does a good job with low-sheen plastic surfaces and textures that give off compact car vibes at subcompact prices.
2025 Nissan Versa Performance
The 2025 Nissan Versa is comfortable, but not quick.
The 2025 Nissan Versa boasts just 122 hp from its little 1.6-liter inline-4, so it won’t go anywhere quickly. We dial a point back from average for acceleration, landing at a 4 on the TCC scale.
Is the Nissan Versa 4WD?
No, it’s a front-wheel-drive car.
How fast is the Nissan Versa?
Not quick, though it’ll keep up with traffic just fine in town and it can maintain highway speeds well enough. The Versa works best with the standard 5-speed manual transmission since drivers can modulate engine revs to suit road conditions. The CVT does that work for you, but it must linger too long at higher rpm for adequate highway passing power. The result is too much cabin noise.
Even with the manual, the Versa is hardly sporty. But it rides softly and its steering has been tuned for decent heft. It leans quite a bit into corners, especially in models with smaller wheels that have taller tire sidewalls. Those versions ride the best, though, so it’s a tradeoff. At highway speeds, the Versa tracks well enough, even if heavy wind gusts can nudge it around more than, say, Nissan’s own Sentra.
2025 Nissan Versa Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Nissan Versa is more spacious than it looks.
It may be the smallest sedan in the Nissan lineup, but the Versa is hardly tiny. It measures 177 inches long, which puts it on par with compact sedans of a generation or two ago. The result is decent interior space and a fairly big trunk. We rate it at a perfectly average 5, which isn’t bad at all.
The front seats have somewhat limited manual adjustments but decent support. Two passengers can slot themselves into the rear seat, but three abreast is wishful thinking. Base versions lack a split-folding rear seat, though those with it can expand the already versatile 15.0 cubic-foot trunk for longer items.
Available stitched surfaces can dress up the cabin to standards more in line with compact or midsize sedans, but there's also a lot of hard plastic. It may be budget-grade, but the Versa fits the budget.
2025 Nissan Versa Safety
The 2025 Nissan Versa has done well in crash tests.
How safe is the Nissan Versa?
The NHTSA says the mechanically identical 2024 model is a five-star choice overall, and it comes standard with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. Those assets add up to a 7 on the TCC scale for safety.
The IIHS has only done limited testing on the latest Versa, though it awarded “Good” scores in the front and side-impact tests completed for the 2024 model year. We may not get any more test results.
Active lane control is also standard, while most versions have blind-spot monitors. Nissan reserves adaptive cruise control for the top SR trim, at which point you might want to step up to the larger, more highway-friendly Sentra anyway.
2025 Nissan Versa Features
Nissan packs the Versa with decent tech, though smartphone mirroring isn’t standard.
The 2025 Nissan Versa is well-equipped for an economy car, but the cheapest versions lack Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Its 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is nothing special, but this year the automaker includes two years of oil changes. That’s worth a point. We would add a another point if CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, so the Versa is stuck at a 6 for features.
The base S model now costs $18,330 with the 5-speed manual, or $1,800 more with the CVT. You’ll get power features, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, air conditioning, and 15-inch steel wheels.
Which Nissan Versa should I buy?
Versa S CVT models are available with a $1,250 package that includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a split-folding rear seat, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility. However, it’s only $250 more for the mid-level Versa SV, which has those features plus heated exterior mirrors, nicer cloth seats, push-button start, a driver-attention monitor, a wireless charging pad, and a 7.0-inch screen in the instrument cluster. It’s a better buy.
How much is a fully loaded Nissan Versa?
The top Versa SR runs $22,330, which buys 17-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, proximity entry, and nicer interior trim. It’s still about $400 less than the cheapest Sentra.
2025 Nissan Versa Fuel Economy
The 2025 Nissan Versa is a fuel sipper
Is the Nissan Versa good on gas?
Yes indeed. 2025 Versa sedans with the CVT are estimated as high as 32 mpg city, 40 highway, 35 combined, netting this range a very good 5 out of 10. The manual transmission is rated much lower, though your real-world mileage may vary. It’s estimated at 27/35/30 mpg.
