If you're a college student, a first-time car buyer or a city dweller, I'm sitting in your car right now, typing via laptop from the Versa's passenger seat while parked on the upper East Side among the BMWs, Mercedes and ladies with little dogs in their purses.

I do not envy them their luxury, and neither will you; my test Versa — cheap, reliable, practical and everything a sensible car should be — has taken me to Brooklyn, the lower East Side, Little Italy, Westchester County, New Jersey, the Bronx and through midtown Manhattan over the past 24 hours.

You don't really know a car until you've spent time getting in and out all day and into the night. Over the entire week's test, I never wished the Versa was bigger, faster or better looking.

True, its Jack LaLanne juicer of a 4-cylinder, 1.8-liter engine meant I was passed by midtown pedicabs here and there, and its six forward gears ranging from "Drive" to "Low" mean an accelerator smash produces a groan from under the hood without much corresponding get-up-and-go.

But the handling and brakes are superb, and the independent strut front suspension and ripple-control shock absorbers keep city potholes from knocking your sunglasses sideways.

It's tall rather than wide, with a high hood and ceiling, a stumpy rear and wagon-sized 15-inch wheels. It's also roomy despite its outward shrimpy appearance.

The seat backs fold down in a 60/40 pattern, which provided me with enough room to transport a coffin-size box to the office. The rear guard that blocks people's view of the rear hatch contents is a smart idea, but once you finagle it off its hinge, good luck getting it back on. I tried for several minutes and finally tossed the whole unit sideways into the rear.
The Versa's low price doesn't preclude you from high-teching it out, for a price. A $650 "convenience" package buys you intelligent keyless entry and ignition, a Bluetooth hands-free system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Curiously, ABS brakes don't come standard; you'll have to fork over an extra $250. With your tiny wheels, this option is a must.

Safety is paramount with a small car, so it's good news that the Versa received the highest rating possible from the National Highway Safety Administration (5 stars) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety last year. In short, Nissan has packed a lot into the little dude, slapped on a reasonable sticker, and it's equal to its pint-sized rivals the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris.

http://www.nydailynews.com