I looked at the Versa and the first thing I thought was that all my camping gear might be a challenge for the Versa. You might think I'm nuts, but when you're car camping you seem to bring a ton of stuff: tents, bags, blankets, coolers, chairs, stoves, pots and pans. It adds up quickly!
Since there was only two of us this time, I thought I could fit all our gear in without much trouble...
But as I loaded things into the back, it quickly became apparent that I had to lower the rear seats for more cargo capacity.
Unfortunately the Versa doesn't have true fold flat or flip forward seats so the residual "hump" made it difficult to evenly load some of the larger items. As a result, some of the gear wasn't held in place and it sloshed about in the twisty roads leading to our campsite.
I realize this task probably isn't the Versa's forte. It worked in a pinch but wasn't ideal. It made me think that our Honda Fit and its fold flat seats would have been a better choice for this adventure.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 11,920 miles
Unfortunately the Versa doesn't have true fold flat or flip forward seats so the residual "hump" made it difficult to evenly load some of the larger items. As a result, some of the gear wasn't held in place and it sloshed about in the twisty roads leading to our campsite.
I realize this task probably isn't the Versa's forte. It worked in a pinch but wasn't ideal. It made me think that our Honda Fit and its fold flat seats would have been a better choice for this adventure.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 11,920 miles
altimadude00 says:
12:54 PM, 10/ 1/07
A good thing about the Versa's "hunchback" seats is that it forms a cargo well, like minivans that have hiding back seats. It keeps stuff rolling all the way to the front of the car when you stop than if you had a flat floor.
That said, having a flat floor is probably needed more often than having to prevent something from rolling to the front of the car. That's why they have cargo nets.
As an aside: Since the Aura has had all the attention with it's dashboard difficulties, what about the Versa's difficulties? Did you get that airbag cover fixed?
EDIT: Never mind, I can see it in the photo.
kevlang says:
02:39 PM, 10/ 1/07
the fit's totally flat load floor lets you haul some really large, heavy items - you can't easily get anything heavy up on top of the versa's folded seats, and even if you did you'd have to secure it from falling off.
i'm very curious to see what the next gen Fit does with the seats - I see little room for improvement in terms of folding, but they could improve front seat comfort/adjustability.
xl562bx says:
08:56 PM, 10/ 1/07
I see the reasoning behind the hunchback is for its added comfort. It does lack Versa-tility when compared to the magic seated Fit. The Versa has a lot of revisions for the next generation including fold flat rear seats. This car has much potential. Hopefully Nissan will add a SE version to the lineup. I still enjoy the generous room and the available features.
chryslerkid21 says:
10:28 AM, 10/ 2/07
Is it just me, or does the back end of the Versa, with the hatch open, look like it could be a Volvo C30?
carfreak8394 says:
02:30 PM, 10/ 2/07
Chryslerkid,
Yeah, it does look like it could be a Volvo C30.
ateixeira says:
01:24 PM, 10/ 4/07
Nice real-world issue you brought up, Scott, kudos. This is what a long-term fleet should tell us - what it's like living with a car.
skw0123 says:
02:53 PM, 10/ 4/07
On that same note (ateixeira) it'd be nice to see some common loads (like bicycles) tried to be stuffed into cargo haulers just to see how they do/don't fit.