Automobile Journal Executive Editor

Used car buyers will now find a reason to read Automobile Journal, too.

Starting today, you’ll see a profile of a three to five year old used car on the AJ homepage three times a week, along with feature articles weekly on many aspects of buying used cars.

     And we’re pleased to annouce that Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) has graciously consented to allow us to run news on the used car market as developments unfold, so you can expect to see the latest information that you can use as used car consumers and car enthusiasts alike.

     It’s just one more way that Automobile Journal will work hard to become your one-stop website for information on all things automotive!

Buying a used car means more than just kicking the tires, that’s for darned sure–especially today.

Before you do anything, you need to do your homework, of course.

It won’t hurt you to check with friends and co-workers, especially if, after doing your homework, you discover that the car you’re interested in already is owned by one of them.

 But they are  surely not the only, or the best source of information.

 Do as much research as you can.  It pays to know as much as you can about the car:  Its reputation, how it drives, what auto writers thought about it as a new car, how it competes in its particular market segment, etc. 

Our favorite sources of information?

Why, www.automobilejournal.com, of course.  But don’t overlook www.edmunds.com, a terrific site for both consumers and enthusiasts. And www.kbb.com, for Kelley Blue Book, has been respected and valued for years thanks to their expertise and treasure trove of information on both new and used cars. There’s also the car magazines and buff books, but we find that the best ones are Motor Trend, Automobile and Road & Track.

Once you do that, you can then decide whether you want to buy your car through a private seller, or a dealership.  Each has its advantages–and its disadvantages.

With a private seller, you have the opportunity to question him or her directly about the reliability of the car, any problems, what they thought about the car overall, and what their reasons for selling the car are now. It might not hurt to ask for repair records if they have them, any receipts they might have showing the costs of repairs, etc.

Generally speaking, the cars from private sellers are likely not to be reconditioned, so you ‘ll have a better sense of the real picture of the car’s condition and where the problems with the car, if any, lie.  And of course, you will  probably not have any service warranty from a private owner to rely upon if there are problems when you leave the owner’s home with the car. And the private owner may or not give you a bargain price, too.

Dealers generally make repairs and do reconditioning of cars and trucks before they put them up for sale, so that they can attract more buyers. Dealers also offer certified programs in which you know that an exhaustive program has been done to bring the car up to snuff before you buy it.

Dealers also offer warranties, however long or short, for the cars and trucks that they sell to consumers.

If you can get it, find information on fuel economy, recalls or safety investigations before you buy the car. And of coursel, you’ll want to know the background and history of any car you will buy.  You certainly don’t want to unknowingly buy a car that is flood damaged or has been in a serious accident.Some good sites  to make use of are www.mycarstats.com, www.vehix.com, and www.carfax.com.

So what do you do once you’ve done your homework?

Lord knows there are thousands upon thousands of car brands, makes and models there, and unless you’re immortal or have more time than sense, you’d better pick no more than three or four models fromn which to choose.

What should you think about? Price, of course.  But remember that  say, $10,000 to $15,000 will buy a wide variety of cars. You might want to buy a fairly new Toyota Camry that’s only two or three years old, or you may want to go for it and buy a used BMW or Infiniti that’s several years older for about the same money, but one heck of a lot more glamour and driving pleasure. It’s all up to you.

Once you’ve settled on a particular model, try several of that model from several different sources so you can compare, contrast, and see if the mechanical or technical problem that y0u found on one example is also present–or not– on the others.

You’ll also be able to pick the example or model that is in the best shape, or maybe have a few bonus pieces of eqiupment for the same price as the others that don’t have that same equipment.

      If you have not already checked the histories of the several models you have identified by now, make absolutely certain that you do so now.  There are so many  things that can happen to cars and so many ways you can be deceived, that it’s best that you chheck those records out before you buy.

And what are some of those many problems that can go wrong?

Let’s see. 

 There are cars that have been flood damaged in Hurricane Katrina or some other disaster. Then there are cars that have been in crack-ups. Then there’s that old favorite– rolled back odometers.  Then there are cars that have been through heavy abuse or used by a series of different drivers with different driving habits, like rental cars. And that’s all just scratching the surface of potential problems.

So go to any of the websites we’ve mentioned above and use the car’s vehicle identification number–often found in the corner of windshields, for instance.

 And by the way, don’t exchange any money with either a dealer or a private owner to hold the car for you. If they ask for it, walk away–fast. 

You first need to get the car checked by a reliable garage and/or service mechanic, and be sure the inspection is a thorough one. You may have to pay $100 or so to do this, but that’s a heck of a lot better than buying something that costs thousands, only to have it break down on you within a week of ownership.

Have them check, for starters, the engine and its main components, the brakes, the fuel lines, the exhaust system, the safety equipment, the seats, all lights, all controls, the air conditioning and heating, the audio system, the navigation system and other components. And as we said, the aforementioned were all part of a short list.  There’s plenty more.

Now you’re ready for paperwork. But you still need to be careful.  Maybe now more so than ever.

If you buy from a private owner, make sure there are no registered liens against the vehicle and that the person who signs the Bill of Sale is the actual owner of the car. Check with the Vehicle Registration Authorities to make sure the car has not been stolen.

Buying from a dealer? Caution is still advised. Better read the warranty policy and all the papers including the fine print very carefully. If it’s a “Certified” used car, you’d be wise to check exactly what items were checked off and approved because sometimes the car might have a history of an accident in the past, come with a poorly maintained engine and still be Certifiable.

     You also need to find out if the remaining original warranty will be transferred into your name. Different car companies do it differently.

Now then.  How do you know if you’re paying a good price for the car?

Once more, do your homework.

Check with reputable sites like www.edmunds.com which has an extensive treasure trove of information on pricing and accessories of a wealth of new cars, or go to www.kbb.com, probably one of the most respected sites around for used and new car info, and also a partner of www.automobilejournal.com.

Any prices that you find in any of the used car price guides on the newsstands are only giving you an average of prices.  The price you will have to pay depends upon such factors as the equipment on the car, rarity of the car, whether it’s a limited edition model,  the overall condition, whether it has low or high mileage, etc.

      Hopefully, after you have done all this, you will have the car of your dreams–and peace of  mind, too.

Looking for a reasonably reliable compact car?

The 2009  Ford Focus Sedan might be right for you.

An examination of data, records and ratings at www.mycarstats.com  revealed that there were no recalls for the 2009 Ford Focus,  and there were also no safety investigations either.  The biggest area of  reported problems were suspension and tire related (17 reports), and the next highest (8) were air bag, seat belt and set related issues.

Retail prices for 2009 Focus:

$11,925 for Focus S Sedan, $2,550 for the SE Sedan, according to VMR “Used Car Prices”  www.vmrintl.com

Here’s what Automobile Journal said about the 2009 Focus Coupe:

Horsepower/Torque: 143 hp @ 6,000 rpm/136 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 102.9 in.
Length/Width/Height: 175.0 x 67.9 x 58.6 in.
Tires: P215/45R17
Cargo volume: 13.8 cu. ft.
Fuel economy: 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway/30.3 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 13.0 gal.
Sticker: $20,615 (includes $695 destination and delivery)

The Bottom Line: The Ford Focus coupe comes with all the virtues and sins of a two-door car. The virtues: it’s compact, economical and looks pretty good. The sins: back-seat room is tight for taller adults and you do develop an inferiority complex by driving a smaller car.

Manufacturers have coupes in their lineups for several reasons. One, a two-door almost always looks cooler than a four-door. Two, being lighter, they’re also usually more economical than the four-door version. For Ford, the Focus coupe offers the manufacturer the opportunity to create another vehicle from the Focus stable. And it’s a good one.

While I might not have chosen the Focus coupe for a long trip, it was the vehicle in the driveway when the plans called for a four-hour trip north. But we were pleasantly surprised to note that there were no sacrifices that had to be made.

For one, we had plenty of luggage room. We only carried a pair of suitcases, so there wasn’t a problem, but the Focus coupe has a workable 13.8 cubic feet of cargo volume. We did have hanging clothes, and the hangers are located way to the back on the C-pillar. While this is a tough spot to reach, when the clothes are hanging there isn’t a blind spot created.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood wasn’t a problem. With 143 horsepower, we had enough to keep us at or above the ambient traffic, while we had good acceleration for blending into traffic from on-ramps. We also averaged more than 30 mpg on our trip, which was nice in this era of rising gas prices.

I felt the Focus coupe was noisy on the road, but it appeared to be a function of highway surface. It also seemed the same on asphalt or concrete road surfaces. On newer asphalt the road noise disappeared.
Connecting the engine to the front wheels is a 5-speed manual transmission. I have been known to be somewhat ham-handed with my shifts, but I had no problems with this shifter. One feature I liked was that reverses is located where sixth would be in a 6-speed (below fifth), so there was almost no chance that you’d accidentally shift into reverse when you’re looking for first (I’ve done it).

On long Interstate runs I needed cruise control, just to keep within the speed limit. Ford’s cruise control is a nice one. When you hit “resume” you’re not also hitting the “accelerate,” so that if you’re already in cruise you don’t speed up.

The front seats are comfortable with a decent amount of side support. Indeed, we were relaxed after four hours of riding and driving.

The rear is another story, as it is in most coupes. Entry and egress from the rear is a piece of work, especially if you’re a senior citizen oroversized. However, once you get back there, the seats are comfortable and the leg and knee room is decent, as long as you’re not too tall. My wife was the one relegated to the back seat, and she reports that she was not uncomfortable.

One disappointing problem we had with the Focus was with the audio system. Even while reading the owner’s manual and the Microsoft Sync booklet, I could not get my iPod to work. I’ve had this problem with other Sync-equipped cars. Sound quality was excellent with CDs, but we would have liked the variety offered by the iPod.

Styling of the Focus SES includes a front that doesn’t look unlike an Audi and a spoiler on the roof above the rear window that adds a bit of sexy to a prosaic coupe.

Sure, it would be more fun to drive a Ferrari or Corvette coupe, but the Ford Focus coupe does all that one would want from it at a great price point.

© 2009 The Auto Page Syndicate

 Looking for a  tough handling little compact car that has outstanding mileage?

     Look no further than Ford’s way cool 2012 Focus, a car that likely will have plenty of pleasant surprises for you, not the least of which will be its road handling and fun to drive factor.

If you’re looking for performance and sportiness, Focus will likely win you over hands down. The Focus SEL we tested drove like a baby BMW, with a taut, muscled feel as though it had “more where that came from.” It just seemed to urge us on all the time, witih a sense that explosive responses from our driving inputs were always just around the corner.

Adding to the fun is the cockpit style dashboard and interior, with futuristic looking gauges and slick looking shifters and hand brake. When you turn on the vcar, there’s just white light in front of you on the dash and navi screen, but then suddenly you see colorful, easy to read graphics, and a sense that this is a car that is chock full of technology.
That sense would be correct of course, because the Focus is full of the latest equipment, not the least of which is the My Ford Touch  system that has voice activated audio and navi functions among other things.

By the way, the interior shown is from the more upscale Titanium, not the mid-line SEL model.

      But this is one of the more complex systems of its kind, and it is not very intuitive at all. You really need to read the owners manual carefully, and we strongly recommend you operate it only when you are standing still at the light or before you leave your home.   It simply requires way too much attention to operate and that’s an issue when you need to concentrate on driving.

     There are other high tech features available like an optional  system that allows the car to park itself, and  a  lane changing. blind spot warning systgem. 

All that power  came from a 2.0 liter, 160 horsepower four, attached to a six speed dual clutch automated manual transmission–more about that later. But with a big horsepower advantage over Cruze, the Focus is considerably faster and more powerful than Chevy’s new compact.

Handling was extraordinary and crisp for a car of this class; only the Mazda3 comes close.  Steering response was quick and snappy, and was well-balanced; no frequent corrections were necessary. You get nice, healthy sounds from the exhaust system as an added bonus for enthusiasts.

Fuel economy was outstanding on our SEL five door hatchbck, with a rating of 27/37, and annual estimated fuel costs of $1,454 based on 15,000 miles of drdiving at $3.00 a gallon for gasoline. 

And if those high fuel figures don’t suit you, remember that there’s an all-electric Focus that’s foming down the pike, too.

    Now about that dual clutch six speed automated manual.  It’s jerky, often does not shift smoothly  and has a tendency to feel as though its searching for the right gear ratio.  Ford really needs to get this particular transmission smoothed out quickly; like the Fiesta, which has it, the Focus is rendered a  less enjoyable car because the transmission is so quirky.

     On a more positive note, the Focus has all kinds of interesting design details.  It’s an arresting looking car from the side, and looks as though its about to pounce, even as its parked.

     And the Focus SEL hatchback just happens to be one of the best styled hatchback  designs around.  Even the fuel filler door blends in completely with the car, there are no telltale elements that disrupt the look of the car because of an ugly filler door that sticks out like a sore thumb as you get on many other cars.

      There are also little touches everywhere; for instance, near the back rest of the rear seat, you’ll find handy little spaces to place items on each sidek, and there are also small spaces at the foot of the rear seat on both sides, too.

     Speaking of the rear seat, there’s not much room back there. The rear of the interior feels cramped and crowded, and there’s also no fold-down armrest in the center of the seat either.  The Focus simply isn’t competitive on rear space, and we recall that the Fiesta had this problem as well.  Since both of these are so called “world” cars designed to sell all over the globe, we wonder if the necessary compromises resulted in these space problems for the larger frames in the U.S.  We don’t know if that was the case, but we wonder all the same.

   There was also more hard plastic surfaces in evidence on othe doors and dashboard than was the case with the Hyundai Elantra and other compacts we’ve driven–including the Chevy Cruze.

Still, the Focus is the one to beat  for compact car buyers if you are a driving enthusiast, a young family that still wants fun and good looks in their nexrt car, or somebody who has a lot of street racing genes in their heart—and all of those groups represent an awful lot of people, including us.

Well done, Ford!

It’s probably safe to say that Chevrolet’s Cruze has turned the image of a Chevy compact on its ear.

After years of moving from gawdawful (Chevy Vega) to Cavalier (we remember wanting to see a convertible at a dealership and the mortified salesman couldn’t even get it started to move it off the sales floor) to Cobalt (pleasant, a big improvement, but no game changer), Chevy’s finally introduced one that  is hands-down terrific: the Cruze.

But changing an image is one thing. Being so good and so luxurious that you wonder if you stepped into a little Lexus by accident, well, that’s enough to make anybody sit up and take notice. The Cruze LTZ has soft, luscious leather seats as standard equipment, stretch out room, tons of luxury features, and it’s quiet and reassuring to drive–a lot like a Lexus in our view.

Apparently thousands must agree with us, because from what we hear, the Cruze is now the number one car in its market segment in sales.

We had an LTZ sedan that was loaded to the gills, and it listed for $25,625. Now, those who are up on Chevy’s lingo these days, you know that LTZ is their top designation for anything on wheels.  And this car looked and acted the part. It’s elegant, with smooth lines that won’t shake you up, and we think its styling will hold up better and look contemporary longer than some of the more flamboyant designs of competitors like Hyundai Elantra,and yes, the Ford Focus.

By comparison, we had a 2012 Ford Focus SEL at the same time, by sheer dumb luck, that we had the LTZ, and the Focus SEL was priced only about $800 less. The SEL is not the top of the line Focus  and unfortunately, cool as it looked, the Focus came off as a bargain basement sales leader by virtue of its surprisingly plain appearance and its hard plastic heavy interior. 

 Yet, equipped as it was, the Focus came in at $24,650 or only about a thousand bucks less than the clearly better equipped, top of the line  LTZ. 

Given the quiet luxury, fit and finish, and choice of materials– standard leather seats in ours–we think the Cruze LTZ comes off on top in that comparison. With luxuries llike those leather seats, tasteful aluminum and chrome interior trim, fold-down armrest in the back seat, and OnStar, and the substantial presence of the Cruze, we would have paid the extra grand and gotten the Cruze.

   But to be fair to Ford, we think that the Focus Titanium would have been a much fairer comparison for the LTZ, and it actually has a base price of $22,700 that is less than the $23,110 for the Cruze LTZ. Maybe we can get one soon and render a more balanced assessment among equals next time.

Plus, the Cruze is, in our view, simply designed for a more adult, quieter customer than Focus, which tends to look like the personfication of cool and hip on wheels.

The Cruze is by no means a snoozer–it’s fun to drive in  fact–but if it’s wall to wall, in your face driving excitement you want, head straight for the Focus.

The Focus steering system feels more centered and sporty, it handles much quicker, and basically is a blast to drive. The Cruze for itself, has a steering system that’s well-balanced and responsive but lacks that certain performance driving touch.

Onn the other hand, everything–everything about the Cruze says familiarity, comfort,and intuitive.  There’s not a single thig on this car that will be tough to understand, hard to decipher, or a pain to operate.  You can get right in, start right up and head on out.  You cannot say that about the Focus, with its annoyingly complicated MyFord Touch set up.

The Cruze is for grown-ups compared to the “boy racer” image of the Focus.

Speaking of standard equipment, our Cruze LTZ came with keyless start, a six speed automatic, stabilitrak stability control with traction control, six months of OnStar directions and connections with automatic crash response and turn-by-turn navigation, interior lighting with theater dimming, leather seats, power seat six way adjustable drivers seat,60/40 split folding seats, front driver and passenger front heated seats, XM satellite radio,  and Blue Tooth.

     Other standard features included a driver information center, with personalization features, warnings, messages and information about the car, express down power windows, tilt and telescoping wheels, air and leather wrapped steering wheel and leather trimmed shift lever.

      As we mentioned earlier, thanks to a heavy acoustic insulation package, the Cruze is considerably quieter than the Focus, but again, those delicious notes coming out of the Focus exhaust system are sheer heaven to those of us that love cars. 

The Cruze also is roomier than the Focus; passenger volume on the Focus is 90.7, while the comparable figure on the Cruze is 95.0. The cargo volume is greater, too, on the Cruze.

Economical is what Cruze is all about, even with the luxe LTZ.  The LTZ is powered by a 1.4 liter, 138 horsepower turbocharged four rated at 26/38.  Annual fuel bill was $1,848 based on 15,000 miles of driving at $3.70 a gallon.

 Prices on the Cruze range from $17,275 for the LS with a manual transmission, to $20,625 for the super economical Eco model, to the $23, 110 for the LTZ.

Frankly, we found absolutely nothing to complain about with the Cruze.  Given its interior roominess, more for the price value, smooth transmission, ease of operation, styling that will age well and a number of other factors, we think the Cruze has it over the competition in the compact field.

You may have seen all of the breathtaking reviews by car magazines, and heard all the stories about huge sales increases at Chrysler.

You probably thought, “Wait a minute. Is this the same company that built the Dodge or Chrysler that gave me so much trouble? The same company that was at death’s door a couple of years ago?  I don’t believe it.”

All we will say is, “You better believe it.” 

This is the turnaround story of the decade when it comes to a car company turning a dramatic, watershed corner, equalled only by the stunning transformations of General Motors’ Cadillac and Buick brands, and of course, the Hyundai and Kia brands.

 Today,  Chrysler Group LLC’s products bear absolutely no resemblance to the “Chrysler Corporation “of old, of that we are sure.  Automobile Journal’s staff  just finished up a week’s worth of testing for the  2012 Dodge Charger SXT Plus and the results were stunning.

This is a big, solid, impeccably built American sedan that gives absolutely nothing away to cars that are a lot more expensive.  The fit and finish is superb. Not a loose stitch, not a hiccup, not a drop of wayward paint anywhere.  It drives beautifully, sounds intoxicating when you turn it on and drive it, and it has every bit of desirable equipment you’d ever want. 

And the $30,645 base price includes all wheel drive, a boon for many people that is a rarity on American sedans.

 With options, our tester priced out at $35,820, including options like a technology group package with blind sport with rear cross path  detection,  approach lamps, rain sensitive windshield washers, auto adjust in reverse exterior mirrors, power adjustable pedals with memory, power tilt/telescoping steering column, heated steering wheel, adaptive speed control, sunroof, and a host of other features.

 And it gets damned good gas mileage for a large car: 18 city and 27  highway, with the all new, smooth and precise  eight sdpeed automatic with “E shifter,” which we’ll tell you about in a minute.

We think  those mileage figures are conservative, because we got even better mileage: Around 20 or 21 miles per gallon in the city, and we had plenty of gas left at the end of the week. The powerplant was the all-new 3.6 liter, 292 horsepower ”Pentastar” V-6, which moved this car with considerableauthority down the road. And mind you, the same combination in the Charger SE gets you about 32 miles per gallon!

     The thing that really gets us is that this is not a completely new car.  But changes were made judiciously.

For instance, styling was heavily revised to bring back a sense of Dodge heritage and uniqueness. The new Charger looks more like the1968 model that is so popular with car nuts, thanks to the wide oval, wall to wall taillight set up, the sleeker side profile and the historically- flavored  character lines.

   The efforts of Chrysler’s new owner, Fiat, along with the availability of  the federal money to keep Chrysler afloat, making the most of limited resources, and a keen eye for detail and fine tuning all  have resulted in a much, much better product.  Kudos all around.

You notice the differences as soon as you open the door. 

The instrument panel looks expensive and well-done.  The graphics,, lettering and presentation of information all were greatly upgraded. You don’t see ugly metal tracks under the seats  or exposed screws, both of  which had cheapened previous interiors.  There’s also an 8.4 inch navigation screen which is one of the better ones around, being both intuitive in operation and with large enough buttons so you can see what you’re doing.

The steering wheel looks solid, substantial and expensive. The details were obviously sweated by somebody –you have cupholders with ambient lighting inthe console and in the fold down arm rest with cupholders too, for instance.  And those cupholders are heated and cooled up front, an optional feature that  you see in expensive cars.

      That cool looking electronic shifter feels something like a BMW, and though it takes some getting used to how it feels and works, there’s a nicely done graphic and lots of reassuring information  available via a message center on the dash.

It had plenty of room inside, although the sloping roofline will interfere a bit with headroom and visibility becomes a problem toward the rear every now and then.

But it’s driving the car that was a blast for us. 

First, it’s the sense you get that you’re driving an honest to goodness, all American icon with a heritage and flavor all its own.

And it has a low, throaty rumble as you drive you along, and the car begs to bchallenged and driven hard. It’s completely stable and reassuring, with flat cornering , terrific brakes and a wonderful sporty large sedan feel on the road.

Standard equipment is generous, eight way power seat, heated front seats, rear arm rest with cupholder, satellite radio, UConnect voice command with Bluetooth, stability control and traction control, hill start assist and a 19.1 gallon gasoline tank. There’s also rain brake support ane “ready alert braking, ” too.

    
Clearly, Dodge has a real treat for car shoppers and enthusiasts alike in the new Charger SXT  Plus–one ride we would have been only too happy to keep longer.

By Don Hammonds

  When it comes to subcompact cars, there’s “basic”—and there’s bare bones.

There’s no denying that you won’t find a lot of fancy gimmickry and gee-whiz features on the new 2012 Nissan Versa four door, more specifically known in our tester as tne 1.6 SV sedan.  There’s no heated seats, no armrest for the driver’s right arm, no kick-ass audio system (though the one you get is just fine, thanks), etc.

But….just about all the creature comforts most people look for are present and accounted for in the new Versa, and at a price that is sure to get your attention just like the proverbial stubborn mule hit in the head with a two by four: $15,840.

And here’s some of the cool stuff you DO get: a “next generation ” CVT transmission, air conditioning, six way adjustable driver’s seat, an upgraded cloth interior, dual front and rear cupholders,  trip computer and “fine vision”  gauges, remote trunk release, cruise control, remote keyless entry, power windows with driver’s one touch auto down, halogen headlights, traction control, vehicle dynamic control, electronic brake force distribution, side air bag curtains, and on and on.

And that $15,840 price tag includes the following optoins: bluetooth hands free phone system, steering wheel mounted audio controls, MP3/WMA CD playback capability, interface system for your IPod, and front map lights, and a visor vanity mirror for your passenger. 

Not bad at all for the price, huh?

And perhaps the best feature of all: Interior room.  The Versa four door is practically cavernous, and three people can fit quite comfortably in the back seat, and still have some stretch room up front. The trunk’s also pretty roomy, too. And we found the Versa to be pretty quiet in every day use, and it’s plenty fast enough to get out of its own way.  No it’s not a road racer, but you need not worry about highway driving in it either.

       The Automobile Journal staff  drove it to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show, and we were all pretty shocked by just how pleasant a highway companion the Versa proved to be. The only flies in the ointment were the seat padding began to get  uncomfortable after about three hours on the road, and we thought the gasoline tank could stand to be a bit bigger, too.

     Oh yes–the biggest complaint we had was that not all the important controls were well lit for night, particularly the door lock and unlock buttons, and as a result, the groping in the dark drove us crazy.  What would it have cost Nissan to provide such lighting? We would gladly trade a vanity mirror–which we never used– for such lighting. 

 We also missed–really missed–having an armrest on the console or drivers seat as we traveled along.  Your arms get pretty tired after about an hour on the road.

       One feature we sure liked was the gasoline mileage.  The 1.6 liter four gets 30/38 miles per gallon, bringing it within a hair’s breadth of the hallowed 40 miles highway rating that is quickly becoming the point of entry if you want to be taken seriously in the subcompact and compact markets these days.  The estiimated annual fuel cost is $1,364 based on 15,000 miles of driving at$3.00 a gallon.

     Overall, the 2012 Nissan Versa four door proved itself to be a capable,reasonably well equipped sedan that certainly acquitted itself well while visiting the “‘Burgh” for a week.