Nissan Versa Note - Entry Level Never Looked so Good

The Versa is Nissan's lowest-priced car. Assembled in Mexico, it leads the pack of entry transportation modules, too, and it's no surprise. The previous Versa hatchback and sedan provided a lot for the money, giving upstart Hyundai and Kia a real contest.

Well, nothing stays constant in the car business (or anywhere else, it seems these days), so for 2013, Nissan brought in a brand-new Versa sedan. It was nice enough, but not that exciting. The 2014 Versa Note is something different, though.

Called simply the Note in other places it's sold, it's a five-door hatchback--a very useful configuration. It has the kind of eye-catching look that you'd find on, say, a Mazda3, with plenty of motion and character. My test car, in a bright, unpretentious metallic blue, seemed happy to be a car.

My first look at the Versa Note was when I saw the back of one on a transporter truck on the freeway next to me. It looked different--but sort of familiar, too. Then, I went by a dealership and took one out on the road with a friendly salesman. But my blue test car was mine for a week, and I took it all over the place.

Despite driving cars as exotic as the BMW M6 I had in April, there's nothing like a simple, straightforward little car. Despite its modest 109-horsepower 1.6-liter engine with 107 lb.-ft. of torque, the Note sings just fine out in traffic. The electric power steering delivers safe, secure, and responsive steering. The transmission, a continuously-variable automatic favored by Nissan in many of its cars, takes care of business. The brakes, front disc and  rear drum, have antilock, Electronic Brake force Distribution, and Brake Assist--modern technology that gives you confidence out there in the driving jungle.

The Versa has always been an economical car. The new one, with the CVT transmission, averages 35 mpg, with 31 City and the coveted 40 mpg Highway, per the EPA. I got 32.6 mpg, still better than most cars out there. And the the EPA's fueleconomy.gov website gives the Note a 6 for Smog and a sensational 9 for Greenhouse Gas. It's SmartWay approved.

The basic car, the "S" model, comes with a five-speed manual transmission and some worthwhile items. It also offers a low base price of under $14,000. Step up to the S Plus and get the CVT automatic, as well as cruise control and an interesting and unusual feature - Active Grill Shutter. This controls airflow for slightly better aerodynamics--which means better fuel economy, too. The SV is the likely bread-and-butter model, with power windows and locks, keyless remote, Bluetooth, a leather steering wheel, and more. It starts to feel fancier at that point.

My test car was the top-level SL, with the SL Package ($1,700) and SL Tech Package ($800.). That $2,500 give the car everything you'd want short of a true luxury rig. You get nice 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and variable intermittent wipers outside. Inside, enjoy Sirius Satellite Radio, a USB port for your iPod, heated front seats, and even a rear-seat armrest with cupholders.

The SL Tech Package adds a 5.8-inch color touch-screen display for navigation and also a ton of amusing electronic features normally found in cars higher up the food chain. You can even order Nissan's "Around View Monitor," which works along with the rear view camera to give you a bird's-eye view of your car for excellent parking.

I tried out the Navigation system and Satellite Radio, but never got around to using the hands-free text message assist. Apparently, it will read your messages to you. I'm sorry I didn't get to it, because if it's like the one on my wife's voicemail at work, it makes a lot of hilarious machine-brain-only mistakes.

From $14,800 for the S to $19,280 (including shipping), you go from basic to super. $20,000 is now the starting price for a car with modern electronics--and most people expect those features in any car today.

One nice little item was the Divide-N-Hide rear floor. Working something like an old-fashioned Monopoly board, a hard panel sits at exactly liftover height to make a flat floor when the seats are down, for easy loading. If you need more height, pull and fold it (it explains the process right there in the car) and you've got more space. If you like that space to be private, lift up a corner of the floor and stash a briefcase or laptop out of sight.

I wasn't expecting greatness for the price and market position, but I came away thinking, "I could live with this one for a long time." I got listenable sound from the audio system, high fuel economy, incredible rear seat leg room (shockingly like a limo), modest price, and effective upright bass hauling ability, and the car was actually enjoyable to drive. You can pick colors such as Metallic Peacock and MorningSky Blue to stand out.

It's never been so good at the bottom of the market as it is today, especially at the top of the bottom like my Versa Note tester. This is what the family car looks like in some countries, and it's a great way to keep it modest without pain.

Kia Rio - Complete Sedan on a Small Scale

Kia has had 17 straight years of annual growth--an amazing record. Coming from nowhere (well, Korea actually), the expanding range of attractive and high-quality vehicles is one of the industry's success stores of the last several years of angst.

The Rio is Kia's entry-level car, but it is hardly plain or spartan. You can choose a five-door hatchback or a four-door sedan depending on your needs, and pick the entry LX, midrange EX or top SX level. I recently tested the SX sedan, and I drove the 2012 SX hatchback last year. My sedan tester, in Signal Red paint, got another upgrade, with the Premium Package, available only on the SX. Imagine, in the smallest car in the lineup, leather seats--heated in front--, power sunroof, push botton start with a smart key, and a well-equipped navigation system. It's mind-boggling how much Kia packs into the little car.

I call it little, but driving around in it is anything but confining. The 101.2-inch wheelbase helps make this smallest of Kias a compact, not a subcompact, ride. The trunk holds almost 14 cubic feet, which was plenty for groceries and bass amplifiers. The rear seats have room for real people, too. There isn't any feeling of sacrifice driving it.

The standard and only engine is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 138 horsepower. You can order a  manual six-speed in the LX level only. The SX offers paddle shifters on the steering column, just like the expensive cars, for a higher entertainment value. I only used them for a minute and they work fine, but it's not the same as driving a true manual. In this case, the manual is on the LX, I think, to allow Kia to offer a car at a lower price point. Most American buyers won't go for it.

The Rio is the first non-hybrid vehicle outside the luxury segment to offer Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology. I recently experienced this in a $120,000 BMW, and it's normal for cars like the Toyota Prius. The technology turns off the engine at stoplights, restarting automatically when the driver releases the brake. It can be disconcerting if you don't know it's there, but it saves gas.

The EPA gives the Rio with automatic economy ratings of 28 City, 36 Highway, 31 Combined. I averaged around 26 mpg. It was hard to run a long-term number since the car resets the fuel economy gauge with each gas fill-up, and you need to do these often as the tank is pretty small.

The car moves along fine in traffic, but if you need to accelerate on an incline, you'll hear the automatic downshift, and a lot more sound will emanate from beneath the hood. I was able to keep up with traffic under these conditions but not accelerate significantly. That's one place where the entry role of the Rio is apparent.

The interior, however, does not give an entry-level appearance. The materials are good and fit together well. There is some metallic-looking trim, and in the SX, you get metal pedals--a very sporty-looking feature. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes. In the attractive gauges, including a 140-mph speedometer, the needles do a dramatic sweep across their faces when you start up the car.

The seats are firm and flat, but I got used to them. The seat heaters work well. Placing your hands on a leather wheel and shift knob in this size and level of car truly upgrades the experience.

Price? The LX with manual transmission starts at just $14,400. The SX begins at $18,500. My test car, though, with the Premium Package and a couple of other small items, came to $21,340. Is that a lot for Kia's entry-level car? Considering the comfort, utility, perceived quality and attractive looks, it could be a deal. And don't forget about that 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

Fiat 500 Brings Cuteness into the Present

I've waited for a while for a chance to drive the tiny Fiat 500. With Fiat's control of Chrysler, the popular European brand is back in the U.S. for the first time since the early 1990's. After a week with a new 500C (convertible), I'm very happy to say it was worth the wait.

The original 500's were popular in Europe from the 1950's until 1975. Like the VW Beetle and the Mini, small cars were the only kind that most people could afford. Now, all three models are enjoying new life in modern configurations.

Like the MINI, today's car dwarfs the old one, and its 1.4-liter, 101-horsepower engine is much more powerful than the .5 and .6 liter originals. But it's a different world now, and the American road is full of SUVs and "midsize" sedans.

Tooling around in the 500 is lots of fun, especially with the five-speed manual transmission. The little engine (for which premium fuel is recommended) feels peppy off the line, and acceleration up to freeway speeds is fairly robust. I drove for a couple of hours on the freeway and it was quiet in the cabin and felt stable despite the short wheelbase.

Fuel economy is rated at 30 City, 38 Highway--good numbers for anything that's not a hybrid.

The interior is awash in circles for everything from the gauges to the vents to the speakers to the headrests. The big black ball shift knob has an inscribed shift pattern. The feeling is retro but not slavishly so. The original car was pretty basic but this one has lots of style.

People asked me for rides to check it out. Yesterday's rider, Rafi, noted that the styling may be better than the MINI's because it is less cartoonish while still being charming. I think he has a good point.

The 500C offers a convertible top that is essentially a giant cloth sunroof. You can open and close it at up to 50 miles per hour and let the light, sound and scents of the world in.

Prices start at about $15,500 for the basic hatchback but my convertible, in the lower level model, was about $21,500. There are some cheaper small cars but none are as much fun to drive or own.

500's old and new recently appeared in Cars 2. That, along with advertising and press reports, will help get the Fiat brand back into people's consciousness again.

Drive More Efficiently--Without Buying a New Car

My friend Chris just turned me on to a website that promotes something I've talked about for years--driving more efficiently. GasSavers.org is an online community for fuel economy enthusiasts. It offers information, forums, blogs, and a "garage" where you can post information and photos of your car.

Using Ben Franklin's "a penny saved is a penny earned" philosophy, you can learn how to use less gas through smarter driving techniques, and also see some great examples of economical cars you can buy and drive that will help. This is not a community of hybrid enthusiasts--it's more for the guy nursing that old Saturn or Geo Metro along who wants to save some money--and perhaps the planet, too.

My friend Chris's 2009 Toyota Yaris (pictured) is a good example of a modern, inexpensive fuel saver. I drove one a few years ago and was impressed by its basic goodness. My current enthusiasm for non-hybrid economy drives is the Mazda2.

But go check out this website when you have a chance, even if you're driving a Suburban. Maybe they'll talk you into trading down--or at least show you how to pay a little less at the pump until you do.