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New Nissan Versa skimps on tech

The 2012 Nissan Versa may be one of the cheapest cars you can buy, but it is not a great tech value.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
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Wayne Cunningham

With the new Versa, Nissan concentrates on keeping the price low rather than offering a compelling tech package.

We liked the car's engine and transmission combination. Although not very powerful at only 109 horsepower, the 1.6-liter engine was adequate to move the Versa around the city and eventually get up to freeway speeds. It also turned in mid-30s fuel economy, in part due to Nissan excellent continuously variable transmission.

But Nissan did not make cabin tech a priority in the car, and that is an area where it falls down in the face of the competition. Similarly priced offerings from Ford, Hyundai, and Kia show up with more advanced phone and music player integration.

Read CNET's full review of the 2012 Nissan Versa SV.