Nissan's lineup of small cars includes the five-door Versa Note hatchback. The Versa Note is a small compact car with seating for five. Even though it rides on a shorter platform than the Sentra, the Versa 5-door actually has more legroom. A standard 1.6l four-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manual, or CVT transmission depending on the model. The most fuel efficient CVT models are rated at 31/40 (city/highway). The Versa employs some cost -saving measures like drum brakes and steel wheels to achieve its low starting price of $15,000. While this is common in the segment, there are vehicles under $18,000 with disc brakes.

What Changed:

Nissan reworked the Versa sedan for the 2012 model year, and the 5d follows suit for the 2014 model year. The new model is slightly shorter in length, but is otherwise the same size as before. Like the sedan, a 1.6l four-cylinder engine is standard on all models. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or CVT. Nissan projects fuel economy ratings of 31 city / 40 highway.