New car prices have climbed relentlessly over the past decade, pushing the average transaction price well past $48,000 and leaving budget-conscious buyers with fewer options than ever. The sub-$20,000 segment that once teemed with choices has all but vanished, with manufacturers abandoning affordable compacts in favor of more profitable crossovers and trucks. Yet, in 2025, one nameplate has held the line.
The 2025 Nissan Versa Sedan stands alone as the only new vehicle in America with a starting price below the $20,000 threshold. But dismissing it as merely the cheapest car on sale misses the point entirely. The Versa represents something increasingly rare in today’s automotive landscape: genuine value. It delivers impressive fuel efficiency, a surprising amount of interior space for its footprint, and a comprehensive suite of standard safety features that would have been premium options just a few years ago.
For buyers who view a car as practical transportation rather than a status symbol, the Versa makes a compelling case. It’s proof that sensible, reliable, and efficient motoring doesn’t require a high monthly payments or a seven-year loan. In an era of inflated prices and feature creep, the Nissan Versa offers something refreshingly straightforward — an honest car at an honest price.
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Engine
Horsepower
Torque
Fuel Economy
1.6-Liter Inline-Four
122 HP
114 LB-FT
Up To 40 MPG
Given its price point, the 2025 Nissan Versa delivers impressive specifications for the money. The base S trim starts at just $17,390 MSRP, while the top-tier SR comes in at $21,390 — both figures excluding destination charges. Nissan offers the Versa in three trim levels: S, SV, and SR. The entry-level S comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission, with a CVT available as an option. The SV and SR trims include the CVT as standard equipment.
As of May 30, 2025 Nissan has reportedly discontinued production of the five-speed Nissan Versa, ultimately killing off the cheapest manual transmission car in America and leaving the CVT as the sole transmission available in the Versa lineup.
Powering every Versa is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. These figures might appear modest on paper, but they align perfectly with the expectations of the subcompact segment, where efficiency matters more than outright power. When equipped with the CVT, the Versa achieves an EPA-estimated 32 mpg city and 40 mpg highway — numbers that make the already affordable purchase price stretch even further at the pump.
Although the ’24 Nissan Versa doesn’t take the title of the most efficient gas-powered new car on the market, the MPG ratings the compact sedan can produce from its 1.6-liter four-cylinder is the real highlight of the engine.
As expected, the fuel economy ratings for the two transmissions offered are slightly different. For the five-speed manual, you can expect 27 MPG in the city and 35 on the highway, averaging out at 30 MPG combined. However, if you opt for the CVT automatic, these numbers rise to 32 MPG in the city and an impressive 40 MPG on the highway, and 35 MPG combined according to the EPA.
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Overall, the Nissan Versa follows a simple interior design style, but that’s by no means a bad thing. Being designed with practicality in mind, driver controls, and infotainment systems are all easily accessible, which results in a sleek, modern look. As expected, the higher trims come standard with higher-quality features, but the base S trim still offers great quality for its low price.
The S trim comes with the standard cloth seat upholstery, with the SV line upgrading the premium cloth seats, and the SR trim taking up to the sport cloth seats. While leather seats aren’t available for the 2025 Versa, the SR trim receives a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter.
Every Versa trim comes with a matte carbon-fiber interior door trim, introducing a much-welcomed high-end feel. All trims also come standard with a six-way manual adjustable driver’s seat and four-way manual adjustable passenger seats.
The technology lineup is perhaps the highlight of the ‘Nissan Versa’s interior, bringing in all the latest features at the most affordable price for a brand-new car. However, quite a few of the more essential features are only available as standard with the higher trims.
As for the center display, the base S trim comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen, with the SV adding NissanConnect to the system. The SV trim also introduces a digital screen within the gauge cluster, which adds another hint of modernity to your experience as the driver.
Moving up to the SR trim, the size of the screen is upgraded to 8.0 inches, also coming with NissanConnect. While most new cars in 2025 come readily equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, only the SR trim offers these two connectivity options as standard. However, all trims come with Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, as well as wireless charging.
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Despite being a sub-compact sedan, the Versa offers a solid amount of practicality, making it a great choice for both in-city driving and long-distance road trips. Inside, the Versa offers 39.5 inches of headroom in the front and 36.3 in the rear. For the hip room, you get 50.9 inches in the front and 50.1 inches in the rear. Moving to legroom, the ’24 Versa provides a generous 44.1 inches in the front, with a lesser 31 inches in the rear.
There’s also plenty of cargo space in the trunk, with up to 15 cubic feet of cargo space, making it one of the most practical sub-compact sedans on the market. For reference, the now-discontinued Kia Rio had a cargo capacity of 13.7 cubic feet when it was discontinued at the end of the 2024 model year.
A huge part of a modern car’s practicality and everyday usability is the safety features, which the Versa most definitely delivers on that front. The Nissan Safety Shield 360 comes standard and includes:
Despite Nissan offering class-leading specs and features for the most affordable price in the sub-compact sedan segment, the Japanese brand will end production of the Versa after the 2025 model year The Versa isn’t the only Nissan that’s reaching the end of its run, with the Altima and Maxima also being phased out at the same time.
As with other manufacturers, the Versa’s production will end to make way for upcoming electric vehicles that will lead Nissan into the future. Alongside electric cars, crossover SUVs have also become increasingly popular in recent years, offering the same functionality as compact sedans combined with fuel efficiency. Despite the Nissan Versa reaching the end of its road, it remains still an excellent choice for a new car while you can still find them on dealer lots.
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