Kermee

iTrader: (1)

Finally had a chance to test a Versa 1.8 SL w/CVT. I think I scared my salesman during the test-drive because we got to a pretty nice incline and I floored the pedal to see what the CVT and engine would do and instantly the engine jumped to about 4100-4200 RPM's and held it there while the car sped up the incline. Weird. Steady engine note... speed increasing.

Then it was just as fun to floor it on a flat road, come to a cruising speed... hold the speed (e.g. 40 MPH) and watch the RPM level float down the dial ever so slowly like a feather falling through the air then bounce back and forth for a while until it found a nice RPM speed to hold the CVT at for the cruising speed.

I also liked the "fake" O/D button.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the car. It definitely feels more powerful than the Honda Fit and I didn't have to bring the car to high RPM's to get it to do what I wanted it to do like the Fit's VTEC engine.

Cheers,
Kermee

mmarshall

4100 RPM or so is just about the limit for a new engine. Don't take it any higher than this, even on just a test-drive, unless it is an already broken-in demo.

Kermee

iTrader: (1)

Guess I should post the obligatory pictures:

I picked it up last Friday and have already put 200 miles on it. There's absolutely no comparison to the Lexus 2IS since it's just a daily commuter, I'm actually quite surprised what a decent value this little hatchback is. It even has Bluetooth and the keyless start. The CVT took some getting use to but I'm liking it now.


Cheers,
Kermee