The 2025 Nissan Versa starts at $22,648 in Canada, freight and delivery charges included.
Adequate comfort and space, low fuel consumption, alluring purchase price.
Base Versa S lacks some essential features, vulnerable to crosswinds, SR variant sporty in appearance only.
Behold the 2025 Nissan Versa, the new cheapest most affordable car in Canada now that the Mitsubishi Mirage in no longer offered in our market. The Versa S starts at $22,648 including freight and delivery charges, while the Versa SR is priced at up to $26,298 before adding dealer-installed accessories like rubber floor mats and an engine block heater. Dealers will also charge up to $621 in extra fees.
What do we get for just under 23 grand nowadays? We get a safe car, just not a well-equipped one. The Versa S includes single-zone air conditioning, a four-speaker sound system and an infotainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration is reserved for the SV and SR trim levels. The 15-inch steel wheels are adorned with full plastic covers. The rear seatback doesn’t fold down, limiting the car’s versatility somewhat, but we do get a height-adjustable driver’s seat and many advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning and automatic high beams.
For an extra $1,750, the Versa SV is a better value as it includes keyless entry, blind-spot monitoring, 16-inch alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charging, heated front seats, automatic climate control, a centre console to rest our elbow on and split-folding seatbacks. The SR boasts a slightly sportier appearance in addition to offering 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, an intelligent key with remote engine start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a total of six speakers and an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Under the hood, the 2025 Nissan Versa is equipped with a tried-and-true, naturally aspirated 1.6 four-cylinder engine that develops 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque, managed by continuously variable automatic transmission. No more manual gearbox. City/highway/combined fuel economy is rated at 7.5/5.9/6.8 L/100 km.
Competitors have pretty much all vanished from the North American market, meaning the Versa is one of the last subcompact cars on our market. There’s the fully electric Fiat 500e, and that’s about it. Nissan’s little sedan is now stuck justifying itself aside a bunch of front-wheel-drive urban crossovers like the Chevrolet Trax, the Buick Envista, the Hyundai Venue and the brand’s own Nissan Kicks Play—which is slated to be discontinued after the 2025 model year. Not to be confused with the new-generation Nissan Kicks, which is available with AWD.
Why You Should Buy a 2025 Nissan Versa
- Obviously, because of its low price and ownership costs. The 15-inch tires will be cheap to replace, the powertrain shouldn’t cause any reliability issues, and fuel economy is quite good, though on paper, it’s barely better than what most compact sedans can muster. We managed a very respectable 5.8 L/100 km during our week with the Versa S, beating the official ratings.
- It may be a small car, but that doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable. The seats are supportive enough for the daily commute, and rear-seat room is adequate. The cabin is also well insulated and quiet, expect when we’re accelerating at full throttle, which we should rarely be doing in the first place. The trunk offers a volume of 416 litres, so despite the Versa S not being equipped with a folding rear seat, the sedan can still be quite practical.
- The Versa’s 122-horsepower output may sound modest, but let’s not forget that the car weighs 2,650 to 2,729 pounds or 1,202 to 1,238 kilograms, so its power-to-weight ratio isn’t too bad. It actually feels peppy off the line because there’s no delay in throttle response, which has become a widespread annoyance in today’s cars.
- Stepping up to the SV gives up heated seats, keyless entry and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. For people on a tight budget trading in their 15-year-old rustbuckets, there’s good comfort and convenience to be found here for the price.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a 2025 Nissan Versa
- No chance of picking up a date at the bar by flashing the Versa S’ key. Not having keyless entry is a hassle we didn’t mind 20 years ago, but it’s now a first-world problem. We can lock up all car doors by press the lock button on the door panel as we step out, but that’s a bad habit for forgetful people who may accidently leave the key in the car. It’s worth paying for a third-party remote starter—because Nissan doesn’t offer one as a dealer accessory for the Versa S.
- The subcompact-sized Versa is vulnerable to crosswinds, requiring constant steering corrections on foul-weather days. Not a big deal, but it’s more noticeable than in compact cars that boast a wider track.
- Fuel economy is good, and we mentioned that earlier. That said, the 2025 Nissan Sentra is bigger, more powerful and is actually more frugal on paper, with a combined average of 6.6 L/100 km.
- While the Versa flaunts the lowest MSRP in Canada, it may not necessarily be the best deal, and let’s compare it to the Sentra again. As these lines are being written, buying the Versa S costs $448 a month for 60 months with a 5.49% interest rate, while a 48-month lease with 20,000 allocated km and a 6.74% interest rate costs $398 a month. The $26,423 Sentra S Plus costs $492 a month for 60 months with a 5.49% interest rate, but it’s cheaper to lease at $345 a month over 48 months with 20,000 km and a 4.99% interest rate. Nissan also offers a $1,500 rebate on the Sentra while the Versa doesn’t. These numbers exclude sales tax which can vary from one province to another.
Final Word
The 2025 Nissan Versa S is without question a good little car. For budget-minded folks who want peace of mind, it’s a comfy and efficient subcompact sedan. We think it’s worth stepping up to the SV trim level for the additional features mentioned above. However, shopping around for the lowest monthly payment is recommended, as the Versa might be most affordable vehicle once we factor in interest rates and the typical absence of cash incentives on the car.
