2014 Nissan Versa Note S Plus Review - Spacious & Handsome

[@darthdarthbinkss]

This Note is quite literally probably the nicest one I have seen. Most of them are beaten to hell and back with scrapes, dents, zip ties, you name it.

[@en3myspott3d54]

Nissan owners

[@k.E3754]

i see many nice versa notes, seems like ppl take better care of them compared to the altima

[@maxdm1583]

The downside and most hate for all Nissans are the CVTs they offer. Once mated to a manual transmission, it really becomes a competitor to Honda and even Toyota in reliability. Cheap on insurance and we've got a winning combination. Zack, thanks for your review!

[@Runbow]

Yup very cheap to maintain with a manual transmission

[@flurpoid]

Nissan lost a lot of brand identity by implementing the CVT in their cars imo. In the 90s and early 2000s they were seen as reliable imports with an edge of sportiness and cool styling. Now they're seen just as a last resort for people with poor credit, with transmission reliability past 100k miles being a total crapshoot.

[@XenomorphLV426]

Better than Toyota and Honda when you factor the price and value.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

Just plan on keeping it until it dies because when you buy a manual they really lose their resale value because dealers know they will have a hard time reselling it so you get far lees when you trade.

[@MaxOverthruster]

My wife's got the Note with 5 speed manual. The stick shift makes it pretty fun to drive and super reliable

[@StopWhatYerDoing]

I am sad that they no longer make the Note. I despise Nissan CVTs, but with a manual, Nissan's current interiors, design language, and maybe a peppier engine, this thing would be awesome. I love my 6-speed Corolla hatch, but it looks like this thing has decent cargo room, head-room, and rear-passenger room. It would've been a contender for sure if they continued to make it and gave it a new generation. Small economy cars are seemingly a dying breed, and a lot of the hatchbacks now focus more on form over function. This thing uses everything to its advantage to max out usability, it's a shame we don't have more options like it.

[@Cvxnz]

They actually revived the note (in Japan) but because it's a Nissan they put a cvt in it😦

[@StopWhatYerDoing]

@@Cvxnz wow, it genuinely looks good and the interior looks pretty nice. Too bad it's got the dreaded CVT.

[@Cvxnz]

@@StopWhatYerDoing yeah

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

I just wish you did not take such a hit at trade in time when you trade in your manual trans car. The dealers know it will be a much harder sell with a manual so they lower it's value,sometimes by a lot.

[@mattmroz4905]

If someone needed this form factor, I’d steer them toward a Honda Fit of the later generation.

[@hiljicardrawings3467]

i used to love this car as a kid and i genuinely have no idea why

[@dave11686]

Love the focus on smaller cars

[@JakeTerch]

Why is it even called a Note anyway? Music note? Promissory note? Note to self not to buy this Nissan??

[@suprzena333]

💀💀

[@bricegraham8256]

Not a big fan of these. I literally clicked just to see how much trash you'd talk about it.

[@maxdm1583]

A manual transmission option is the ultimate gold nugget for all Nissans. Had 2001 Sentra stick with 350+k miles on it. All original powertrain, was cheap to operate and insure.

[@flurpoid]

@@maxdm1583 Those older Sentras were some dependable cars, even the slushbox variants were pretty good. Shame it became so compromised in regards to reliability with the CVT.

[@ARentz07]

My wife and I had a 2015 SV for several years. Like Zach said, it's great for going A to B. It got over 35 MPG no matter what. We never really had any issues other than the drive belt cracking at 55k miles, which is somewhat to be expected. We bought it very lightly used with 3k miles on it and kept it till just over 65k miles. Not bad, but not great, either. It was kind of loud and had very over-boosted steering. But there was something nice about how small and light it felt. I'll give it that.

[@XenomorphLV426]

​​@@maxdm1583 people sleep on manual Nissans. They're amazing deals, and incredibly reliable. I'm considering a 2014 note with MT and adding Nismo kit. Just a beater.

[@WookieDrives]

I love the styling of these, but that JATCO CVT is almost irredeemable. I was shocked how much more fun and lively the 1st gen was.

[@Aschoolbusandsimulatorfan2219]

This is the only vehicle I want to buy Zack.

[@benviehman8640]

Lol you were so thrilled with the amount of back seat space! 🤣

[@powershin12]

drove 1.2 na with cvt multiple times when i live in japan. as you can imagine, it was very slow and loud. however, for narrow and slow japanese traffic, it was an adequate car. the engine is almost a double of kei cars so... no complain there. there was a stronger 1.2 with turbo and something called e-power powertrain and e-power version was something else. it is very economical and peppy enough. no wonder why it became one of the best-selling 'car' in japan.

[@baronvonjo1929]

I can't believe you posted this the only day in my life where I kept seeing these everywhere and thinking what a weird car

[@Daizenzetsu]

it's really funny how bad this interior is for 2014, I get its a base model but it's still funny. Guess it makes sense for the company who didnt update the frontier since like 2004

[@bricegraham8256]

Lol if you think the interior on this year is bad. The older ones are even worse. I call the left armrest the elbow trap because there's a very hard yet bendy plastic inside the fabric and when you put you elbow on it, your funny bone will hit the aforementioned plastic and it hurt like hell becuase your not expecting it. They all suck quite frankly. I've driven quite a few of this year model, and the ones from the 2010s Era. This one. He's driving is a bit more comfortable then the older ones. But it's still not anything special from a comfort standpoint.

[@Daizenzetsu]

@@bricegraham8256 I used to work at a Nissan dealership and while the newer ones arent horrible it's still really funny just how bad everything they have is, the GTR and the Z are the only things that have any sort of identity and feel to them, everything else is just meh

[@bricegraham8256]

@@Daizenzetsu So did I. That's how I ended up getting to drive both of them. I agree. Most of the stuff that came in there wasn't very remarkable. The only cool things that I got to drive was a 370z drop top in cherry red, and an Infiniti Q50 Red Sport. Otherwise I was test driving raggedy ass first gen Titans 100 miles and weak ass NV200s and the aforementioned Nissan Versas and the occasional nice Altima or Maxima.

[@Daizenzetsu]

@@bricegraham8256 Pretty much lol, the only upside to them is that they all use the same oil filter, but over all they're still just a pain to service, drive..or just about anything on them. It's really weird how this company has made so many bumbling failures for the last 2 decades and still exists

[@bwofficial1776]

Nissan was broke in 2014. This was the peak of their CVT troubles as well as when they were practically giving cars away to anyone who had a pulse.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

A lot of these problems are caused by people hammering on them and not getting the cvt fluid changed every thirty thousand miles as they should. They just cannot take abuse. If you constantly floor them for what you think will get you the fastest acceleration then you will kill it. Press the pedal quicker than normal towards the floor but do not just snap it instantly to the floor that will hurt your speed and shorten the life of your cvt.

[@jadenwashington7284]

This guy could sell me dirt for my funeral and I'd still buy it.

[@XanMan_05]

Had a family friend who swapped a Murano 3.5V6 into one of these. It ate 3 transmissions.

[@XanMan_05]

@Jonathan A Tell that to them. I saw it with my own eyes.

[@tylerblack3122]

Drove a 2012 versa hatchback with almost 200k, ran good with original transmission.

[@mattwolf7698]

I some times use one at work, unfortunately I have to say it's kinda junk, it's a 2016 with 110,000 miles on it and the CVT is starting to fail, it burns oil like crazy, the battery goes flat if it's not driven every few days (and yes, it was recently replaced.) It's a shame though because I actually like the car pretty well apart from the engine and drive train but I could never reccomend anybody even get a manual one after seeing all of that happen with it though. Also they got rid of the coolant guage by 2016 for some dumb reason. Also something kinda interesting, when the wipers are on high the whole car shakes back and fourth with them, I didn't think that was possible.

[@Runbow]

I’d never thought I’d be hearing someone call the versa handsome

[@JessicaFEREM]

I really like my 2014 nissan versa note SV. transmission may not be the best but small and fairly nimble considering how junky the transmission is. I definitely intend to drive it until the transmission gives out.

[@danielcamacho6123]

great job on all car review

[@mikeypv6]

In the UK these are just called a Nissan Note but we dont get a 1.6 4cyl engine... We get a 1.2 NA 3cyl or a Supercharged 1.2 3cyl which is a weird engine configuration

[@ARentz07]

It is a car. It is cheap. But if you just want a car, this'll do. My wife and I had a 2015 in this same color for over 60k miles and 6 years. It honestly was reliable and did the job. Fun was not part of the deal, but it was relatively comfy other than the loud wind noise and got great fuel economy. We were lucky and never had any CVT issues.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

If you wish to experience a smooth steering wheel, you should drive a car from the 1960's. I owned several and they were smooth plastic. And I mean as in Glass smooth.

[@chaseman94]

My ex-fiance bought the sedan version brand new back in 2015 after her 2005 Chevy Trailblazer ran into a guardrail due to a blown tire. The transmission had to be replaced at 30k miles around 2018 under warranty she still drives it today with about 94k miles on it. I tried to convince her to go look at a Scion XB and a Corolla at a Toyota dealership not to far from the Nissan location we were at but she said she didn't want to look at anymore cars so she settled with the Versa. As of today it's still hanging in there and I hope it last a bit longer for her but it's only a matter of time before that 2nd transmission fails as it crosses 100k miles.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

Change the CVT fluid and filters two every thirty thousand miles. Do not punch it from a stand still that will kill the CVT. and maintain the cooling system as you should because a CVT is very dependent on running at the proper temp. and the CVT fluid goes into a section of the radiator so a well maintained cooling system is important. If she does this she will be fine. As I say you cannot hammer on a CVT it will not take it. Good Luck.

[@auntbarbara5576]

I would daily the living shit outta this car. Aunt Barbara adores you!

[@nicholasmatheis35]

i love your videos

[@FrankOsman]

Nissan Versa Note S Plus Ultra Pro 5G. Talk about a name.

[@kaybee4710]

Car folks! HELP ME decide. 2006 Hyundai accent with 87K nicely serviced for $1.8K Or 2000 Honda civic with 98K on it for $2700?? I like the Hondas look better but the Hyundai seems like a wiser decision. I need a work horse for 3k driving/month

[@wigletron2846]

All things being equal, I'd get the civic if you could haggle it down a bit. At that mileage, they could be selling it because they don't want to change the timing belt so be careful. That generation accent is good as well. Ultimately I'd go with whichever one is in better condition and better maintained.

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@Kay Bee Honda Civic 2000, only 98,000 miles for $2700? That’s a real steal, because these things go 3,4,500,000 miles with regular maintenance, timing belt every 100K. If $2700 gets you 2 or 300,000 more miles for a vehicle, I consider yourself 200% getting every bit of your money’s worth. The Hyundai Accent of that generation is worse for reliability, safety, quality, and overall comfort than the 2000 Civic. There’s no comparison with quality to the Civic Vs accent, whether it’s interior quality, engine quality & durability, the Civic outshines the Accent by a LONG shot. The Hyundai would have transmission problems as you pile on the miles overtime. Every single Hyundai Accent I’ve seen with over 200,000 miles, the engine was knocking & making loud noises, but I’ve seen the Civics with 300,000 miles and the engine still has strong compression & still reliable. May I ask if both cars are manual or auto?

[@Spartan77]

They do get 40 miles to the gallon and it has a timing chain instead of a rubber timing belt. If you don't abuse the transmission and change the fluid at recommended maintenance intervals, it should be alright. The closer gasoline prices get to $5 a gallon and beyond, the more you will love this car. I am keeping mine in a glass case, marked " break glass incase of democrats."

[@Dankcatvacs]

if you happen to get stuck with a cvt don't put off trans service

[@amenhotep7704]

Does anybody else know if you always have to switch off this car's lights everytime you turn off the engine ? It's like i manually do it all the time. Or there's a setting i don't know yet, i bought it from a dealer.

[@WildWildWeasel]

I got confused by the title, was it a car or a Samsung phone? 🤣🤣

[@TheGeorgiaMediaGroup]

Run from this car. Run. Don’t look back

[@baronvonjo1929]

(Holy crap this turned long sorry) It really doesn't suprise me sometimes that small economy cars died. First off Americans like impractical sedans for some reason. Modern sedans under the compact segment like this one look very strange with small tires the bulkiness needed for safety. They are deisgned first as hatchbacks and retro fitted to be sedans. So the popular body style looks weird and most don't like hatchbacks. You have there for turned people off. Idk why we like sedans. But you can just look at sedan vs hatch sales and see what's more popular. Plus I have tried showing car buyers hatchbacks and they think they look awkward or dorky. But for both cheap sedans and hatchbacks I think a few of the problems is that for one safety. Most rank at the very bottom. They kill more drivers than any other segment. I doubt they could survive a Camry let alone a F-150. Pricing. We say these cars are cheap but tbh most people who could afford these brand new could afford a nicer, better built, prettier car. People who need economy cars basically will buy a cheaper used car that probably has more features and space. Looks. Let's be honest most of these cars were not deisgned with the American buyer in mind. Different areas of the world have different tastes. Many cars like the Camry and such can be world cars. But these small cars are obviously not deisgned with American tastes in mind. What is that taste? No idea. Everyone is different but it's obvious to me this and it's competition wouldn't have mass market appeal. I would say for one they look CHEAP. Everything about it looks cheap. I think it's because the bar has been raised constantly by other larger cars and these small cars are just filled with plastic. It's a hard sale. Just think back to the late 2010s before all the craziness. You could buy these cheap ugly cars or for the same price buy a used Civic or just anything that looked better than this that was also just better built. I think there is a demand here for small cars. But only a few brands could succeed. They would need to deisgn a small cars specifically for Americans. But that makes no sense for them tbh. As for being a hatch. Maybe try what the Civic does and be more like a liftback thing. Civic Hatch sales are pretty good. I think cause it blends the lines and attracts sedan buyers. These are just my opinions. Probably not all right. Just ideas on why people stopped buying these things.

[@darealdeal8185]

Kinda sucks that they discontinued the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris here in the US. They were the best reliable subcompact cars in its class. The Fit especially because of how versatile the seating configuration is with their fold-up magic seats. I don't get why some people assume that their only suitable as city cars when Ive seen plenty of Honda Fits cruising along the freeway at 80mph just fine. I drive a 2010 Yaris, and here in the US it comes with the bigger 1.5L engine instead of the 1.3L like other parts of the world get. That too is capable enough to keep up with other cars on the big highways. But I guess its not enough for most Americans since the market here favors much bigger cars with bigger engines in general. So I can see why they discontinued them here in the US

[@WINTERMUTE_AI]

I hope that Toyota place is paying you, 2 full ad reads at the beginning and end, seems excessive for an extended test drive...

[@ModelA]

Jellybean on wheels!

[@barrymccaulkiner7092]

_NISSAN ALTIMA........_ - Regular Car Reviews

[@RobG1981]

It somehow looks like a rebadged Renault Modus 🤨

[@Xayuap]

70s Wolkswagen Type 1 80s Almost Any 90s Fiat Uno 00s Renault Twingo 10s Nissan Note

[@andrewdavid7474]

I rented one of these with the awful CVT in Texas in 2015. The only positive thing I can say is that it had decent fuel economy. Nonetheless, this was nowhere near enough to save it from the dreadful driving experience. Nissan Versa NOPE.

[@timfordfalconxf7714]

God its such a ugly car. For that reason i love it. I kinda want one. I dont know why as always awesome review. keep it up

[@bwofficial1776]

I understand why the windows and half of the windshield are so heavily tinted. I'd be embarrassed to be seen in one of these too. 2014 was peak Nissan crappiness and cheapness. They were practically giving cars away to anyone who walked in. Carlos Ghosn's cost-cutting may have saved the company but he destroyed its reputation and image. I do miss orange lighting though. It's so much easier on the eyes at night than white or blue.

[@CellJinx]

All nissans are crap with those cvt transmissions

[@davinp]

Jacto have the worst CVTs.