Nissan Versa vs Honda Fit

Once upon a time, buying a new car on a budget meant scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sure, it had a “low, low” price to get you in the door, but for that price, you did not get a whole lot of car. For most of its existence, the “econo-box” was a much-lamented auto segment.

But times have changed. Automakers like Honda and Toyota have committed to offering small, affordable new cars that are safe, comfortable, and filled with features one would commonly associate with more upscale cars. The standard-bearer for this effort is the 2018 Honda Fit. A car like this can make you ask, “Do I really need any more car?”

In the past year or more, we’ve tested dozens of new compact crossovers. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, they are all basically high-riding hatchbacks. Their high ground clearance suggests capability, but in reality, accomplishes little more than what a hatchback already does. In that context, it's refreshing to see a car like the 2018 Honda Fit. It has cargo space that not only rivals but exceeds that of some compact crossovers. It also boasts many of the tech and safety features of those pseudo-SUVs. And it accomplishes all this in a small hatchback layout that makes for a great city car.

It’s getting hard to find a basic subcompact sedan, but Nissan is keeping the faith.

The Nissan Versa was introduced for the 2007 model year as the automaker’s entry-level model, slotting below the Sentra in the lineup. It was last redesigned for the 2020 model year, and for 2023 it gets a handful of updates, including freshened styling, more available tech features, and a new S Plus Package for the Versa’s base trim level. In addition to the Versa S, the lineup includes SV and SR models; we tested the latter for this review.

Since the Versa has been on sale, the ranks of subcompact cars have thinned considerably. The Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, and Toyota Yaris are no longer sold in the United States. That leaves the Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage G4 as the Versa’s main competitors. But, as is always the case in this market segment, shoppers must also consider whether to buy a new car like the Versa or a potentially better equipped used car for similar money.