Used Nissan Versa Buying Guide

• The best years for the Nissan Versa start in 2018 and in 2020 it will come with some of the most modern features.
• While most models dropped their manual transmissions in the 2010s, the Versa held on until 2025, making it one of the last cars to offer it.
• While both generations have the same sized engine, the most recent one is just a bit better.

This generation is a few years old, there’s a decent chance that you’ll find yourself looking at one of these on used lots. This generation comes powered by a 1.6L I4, and while it’s not very powerful at 122 horsepower, it is very efficient, coming with an EPA rated 35 MPG combined. No matter if you’re in the city or the country, you’ll benefit from this model. Something that makes this model unique is that it was the last car to offer a manual transmission, which was axed in 2025.

Much like most of the models in the Nissan lineup, this one comes in three trims: the S, SV, and SR. Unlike the older generations, this one comes standard with Nissan Safety Shield across the board which includes front and rear automated emergency braking. Some other features that you can find are a 7-inch touchscreen audio system, cruise control, power windows, and power door locks.

If that doesn’t sound like enough for you, then we recommend looking for a higher-end trim as it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and Nissan Intelligent Key system. If you can’t find a model that comes with this, then you can also keep in mind that the S trims were offered the S Plus package in 2023 adding phone connectivity.

Hitting the roads in 2012, this one offered three trims, but these were slightly different than the newest generation. The trims that you can find are the S, SV, and the SL. This generation comes powered by a 1.6L I4, but this one is slightly less efficient at 33 MPG combined. While still more efficient than most other models on the road, it is slightly worse than the newer models.

In the earlier years, this model was pretty basic, but over the years, they made updates, helping it standout. When 2013 came around, they made enhancements to models that are equipped with the CVT, allowing models that come with it to be able to go 40 MPG on the highway.

With the 2015 update, they gave this model bluetooth as a standard feature across the board, making this the year to really start from. The base S trim gained some more speakers starting in 2016, making this more than just a budget trim.

Starting in 2017, the SV special edition package rolled out, and this saw the addition of a leather-wrapped steering wheel, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming audio, hands-free text messaging assistant and backup camera to models that are equipped with it.

Halfway through 2018, all Versa models were now equipped with a 7-inch screen, and a rearview backup camera, making this the best place to start looking for those who value safety features.