I could find a place in my heart for this car.
The 2014 Nissan Versa Note doesn’t exactly tug at your emotions either. On paper it’s a fairly cold car, built to specifications first rather than aesthetics. There are five doors for maximum efficiency and space, 40 mpg for your hard-earned gas money, and starting at just shy of $14,000, chances are you’re budget-conscious too.
So how can I love a car so coldly calculated to meet targets? Simple. I had one in college.
Marketing folks at Nissan will tell you that the Versa Note aims higher, at a more sophisticated crowd who are in their early 30s or small families who love the outdoors, adventure, nightlife and every other vaguely applicable trait you can think of. In fact, at the end of this story, go read the horoscope in the back of this paper — you’ll see the same shotgun approach to demo targeting there too. Nope, I know a college car when I see it and folks; the Versa Note couldn’t be more college if it was spelled in Greek letters.
I like it too. In fact, most of these cars require enough personality to love it, name it and apologize to it when it comes time to sell it. I don’t love it, per se, but I thought about hugging it before leaving it.
You could look for logic here. The Versa Note boasts more cargo space than the last model (21.4 cubic feet vs. 17.8 cubic feet) and more interior room too (115.5 cubic feet vs. 112.5 cubic feet). That was achieved despite a 6-inch haircut on the overall length from the previous generation (163 inches vs. 169 inches), which was partially offset by the same wheelbase and a 6-inch reduction in the windshield rake. The Versa Note even adorably skipped a year — 2013 — and went straight to 2014. Such spunk on this kid.
And about that “Freshman 15”: the 2014 Versa Note went the other way. The Versa Note shed 300 lbs. thanks to 50 lbs. from the smaller engine and 200 lbs. saved in chassis weight. That weight loss nearly compensates for the 2014 Versa Note’s smaller engine, which was reduced from Nissan’s 1.8-liter four to a smaller 1.6-liter four this time around. The resulting dip in horsepower is notable (109 hp down from 122 hp) but you’re not buying this car for speed anyway, right? I mean, right?
It’s not so much about how fast you can get there, but rather about how many pizzas, friends, books, wrappers, cans and stolen street signs you can take on the way there. Of which, the Versa can take all of the above. Rear passenger legroom is 38 inches, which is better than the Honda Fit and Chevy Sonic five-door models that the Versa Note directly competes with. It’s enough room for a 6-foot-3-inch oaf like me to fold into, and plenty enough for three agile freshmen to cram into.
Predictably, the Versa Note boasts impressive sales numbers compared to the sedan that it shares a platform with. Nissan say that the hatchback model accounts for 60 percent of Versa sales right now, whereas other manufacturers have relegated the five-door to albino rhino status. That number may go down, but still Nissan says the Note will account for 50 percent of Versa sales in the future because America loves a hatchback. Right, whatever you say.
What they really mean is that college kids love a hatchback. How else can you nab a mailbox if you can’t fold down the rear seat and hang it out the back? Nissan even offers a new feature, called “Divide and Hide,” which is really just a clever way of saying “adjustable parcel shelf” perfect for hiding laptops, backpacks and 12-packs of Diet Coke from your parents behind the rear seat.
Nissan offers the Versa Note in a stripped out manual, which is only available on the base S package or a continuously variable transmission that is a $1,250 option on the S model and standard on higher SV models. The addition of a CVT also adds active grille shutters that enable the Versa Note to reach that coveted 40 mpg mark.
It’s possible to kit a Versa Note out with navigation, rear-view cameras and a leather wrapped steering wheel, but you’re still under $19,000 even with all of that attached.
We drove both, and while the novelty of crank-your-own windows and row-your-own gears was quaint in the beginning, it’s clear why Nissan expects 90 percent of Versa Notes to be sold with the CVT. It’s just a better option that way.
The Versa Note isn’t obscenely loud at highway speed, and is predictably adequate when bumming around town or your nearest college campus.
Perhaps that’s why I admire the Versa Note so much. It reminds me of nearly every VW Golf or Honda Civic that I folded myself into in college. Maybe I loved my college years, maybe I loved the cars too. In the end, it didn’t really matter.
Now, who wants pizza?
Aaron Cole is a syndicated auto columnist. He enjoys hearing from you. Reach him at aaron.m.cole@gmail.com