There is another way of categorizing vehicles. A newer, better, simpler way.
Start with the beautiful good cars. Then there are good cars. Third, there are beautiful cars. These are followed by the beautiful bad cars, the bad cars, and the afterthoughts, also known as the nondescript cars.
Finally, there are ugly good cars, ugly cars, and ugly bad cars. Those middle groups – the cars that are either beautiful, ugly, or just good – make up the majority of nameplates currently on the market. Rarer is the car that is both beautiful and good, the car that is ugly and good, and, as is the case here, the car that is ugly and bad.
Not only is the Nissan Versa sedan an odd duck to look at, it’s curiously awful in other ways, as well. A bit uglier than the plain first-generation Versa sedan, this second-gen car is no more exciting in any other way. It’s still laden with Nissan’s worst CVT application and it’s still poorly equipped compared to rivals at Hyundai and Kia. The Versa’s steering is wooden. Cornering isn’t a pleasant task. The Versa’s engine will have you wishing you didn’t have to accelerate.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Some subcompacts are plenty swift. Others are handsome. The Honda Fit is more spacious. So if a bad driving experience, an inadequate interior, and an ugly exterior can be avoided, there’s no reason to consider a car from the UBC class.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited – Dodge Ram – BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor – Chevrolet Suburban –
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon – Porsche Boxster S –
Porsche Cayenne S – Land Rover Range Rover
I find the car to be just the opposite of what the reviewer says about the Versa.I have a 2012 Versa sedan & it is much sleeker than the old design & has a classier look than all the other Sub-Compact models that look like they were designed for teenagers & are tiny. People buy the Versa because it is a roomy commuter car with a plush ride that 4 Grown adults can comfortably fit in (38" of rear seat legroom). Not all of us are looking for a mini GT-R sports car. I drive this car to work & then back home from work at the end of the day, end of story. Why over-buy performance & not use it? Oh & it's the least expensive car in America & the NUMBER 1 selling sub-compact car in America which I think that fact alone should get it off the bad list. With US sales pushing 115,000 units for 2012 I don't think it will be disappearing anytime soon, way to go Nissan!
Ok so the Nissan Versa is the worst car of the Bad 8 but it is also the best selling sub-compact car in America? It seems like there is something very wrong here, really?. I can tell you that I have 2 Versa's & they are not near as bad as the reviewer indicates. The Versa is essentially a roomy small family car with a smooth ride & huge trunk. No it's not a sports car & never was designed to be. For the money the Versa is the best "Value" out there in a small economy commuter car. Let me remind you 38" of rear seat leg room, more than most mid-size cars & this car starts at $10,999, Nuff said.
Yet more proof you don't understand the purpose of The Bad 8. Read: https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/p/gcbc-awards.html
If you want to see best seller lists, read best seller lists. They are everywhere on this very website. If you want to see the eight cars I wouldn't consider buying in 2013, read The Bad 8. Two totally different subject matters.
I understand that the purpose of the Bad 8 is to give your personal opinion of the car & that's fine but you are missing the point of why people buy this car. When you approach old timer status like me you care less about fun-to-drive, 0-60 & cornering. the Versa is a roomy, reliable & fuel efficient car & nobody has perfected the CVT better than Nissan, it's a fine transmission & smooth also. For a commuter car, the Versa is a fine value & obviously the sales numbers bear that out. I understand you would not want this car in your driveway but 125,803 American buyers in 2012 would disagree with that 😉 (Includes Canada sales). With these kind of sales numbers you better keep that Bad 8 slot open for it because you will be seeing it for many years to come.;-)
You sound like you write for Car and Whiner magazine. Try driving the rare 5 speed S model. It's cheap transport and nothing more. If I wanted bells and whistles I would pony up and buy them but I wanted plain jane and this is it. It can't be all that bad, the engine is made by the same company that has built engines for Nissan for years. The styling is by the same guy who drew up the S15 Silvia and it's not a Ford. Try driving the 5 Speed S model if you can handle taking your iphone out of your ass longer than 5 minutes. It's not as bad as all these whiners are saying it is. I drive mine 90 miles a day and I enjoy the ride.