what are our thoughts on the nissan versa 1.6
 

looking at buying a new gas sipper. the base versa is high on my list since it has absolutely no options, not even a radio. epa is 34 highway so its not bad, im thinking high 30's is more realistic for me. curb weight is 2500lbs so its fairly light. im probably gonna pull the seats since they dont fold down or really move and just keep the drivers. should knock an easy 100lbs off that too. im trying to get the cheapest new car i can find that i can mod without caring. my wife is getting tired of the beaters that move through the yard in the name of mpg. its 10k even otd but now that the new cash for clunkers has passed and ive got a few old cars to get rid of i can knock that down to 5500 otd. i dont think i can ever do better than that. id like a yaris but i cant seem to find any for less than 14k.

Bought a 2001 Toyota Echo today.
Silver 2 dr
$3300
NO AC
NO ABS
Power steering and a radio.
2dr
New Michelin Mx4 energy tires.
Paint and interior about 97%
5 speed.
Manual windows
2020 pounds on the title
108 hp, no timing belt VVT

Funky looking, without ac and a manual, very hard to sell, but also very hard to break.

regards
gary

yeah i looked at a few of those but couldnt find any strippers. the guage cluster was messing me up while driving, its odd location gave me a very unsafe feeling.

I just picked up a 2004 Corolla for $5300. It was worth it to get the extra two doors and more comfortable seats. I don't like that it is an automatic though. FE has been decent, at 42-45mpg with moderate hypermiling techniques.

I would suggest that people consider the Corolla, as there are a LOT of them out there and they are priced right. In my experience the Echo had a premium attached to it because it is such a rare car.

I began my car search with the Versa 1.6 (being that I drove two Nissan 200SXs during college). The Versa turned out to be a lot more than I expected ($12k, since there were no incentives on the 1.6), so I looked at Echos. I settled on my Corolla.

The Versa sounds like a good fit for you. If you like it, go for it. Don't forget to try its competitors if any match your requirements, of course.

I'm not so confident that you'll trim 100 pounds by taking out the seats; the only backseat I've read about being weighed was 30 pounds. I'm also not confident that 100 pounds will make a difference; I think you'll need to shave at least 300 pounds from that car before the difference will be measurable.

my friend has an upgraded versa and replaced the seats with spearco's and one of the stock seats weighed 70lbs. granted they are a step up but i figured at least 50lbs for the 1.6 ones. the back maybe around 30-40 but im not sure so i kinda guessed. either way their gonna go. i dont think i can lose any more weight from the car, theirs not a whole lot of anything on it. even the batteries really small and has very little insulation.
its only real competition is the smart car, honda fit or toyota versa. after my last kia those are out as well as hyundai. its gotta be new unfortunately so used cars are out. its a deal with the wife so i can keep some other projects.

Toyota just advertized 0.0% APR for 60 months on Yaris . . . sounds like a good deal. I just know you can get better mpgs with a Yaris than a Versa . . .

yea thats true about the yaris. only thing that really stops me from getting the yaris is it's about 3g more than the versa. and im having a really hard time finding one thats what im looking for. i do believe the yaris is a better car but at a much higher cost. im not sure i can swing it.

Paying cash? If not, it's worth calculating the total cost of each, considering the 0% rate on the Yaris.

yea im paying cash. although some of the rebates on cars are tied to financing with them. in that case ill finance the car and pay it off the next day. doesnt really apply to the base versa but the upgraded ones get a decent rebate with financing through nissan. their almost worth it but i dont really want all the extras. in the ideal world chevy would sell me a cobalt xfe with no a/c, no xm, no onstar, and give me a real spare for around $11k and id be all over it. since they wont i think the versa is the only new car thats fits my needs even though it does have a few draw backs. like why would they sell a car with no a/c and a black interior? why is it only possible to get in the trunk with a key, they have no remote releases and no latch handle? why wouldnt they make the rear seats foldable so i wouldnt have to rip them out?
its those little things that really stop me from getting it today. id just like a group opinion on it and maybe some alternatives.