A Brand-New 2025 Nissan Versa Costs Less Than the Average Used Vehicle
Despite a $510 increase in price from the previous model year, Nissan’s smallest car, the 2025 Versa, costs less than the average used vehicle in America.
Cox Automotive, an automotive services and technology provider with access to 2.3 billion online interactions a year, published its monthly report on used-vehicle prices today. In August 2024, the average used vehicle cost $25,172. The base version of the 2025 Versa costs $18,330, with $1140 in destination and handling fees included.
The 2025 Versa is not the cheapest car sold in North America. That honor goes to the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage, available with zero options—as in, not even a center console—for $490 less than the Versa. A base Mirage costs just $17,840, but those who have been watching this site also know that the hatchback isn’t long for this world. Mitsubishi is discontinuing it after this year, though Car and Driver reports that dealer stock could last through next summer. Those on a strict budget will also appreciate Mitsubishi’s current financing offer: 0.99 percent APR for 60 months. You’d be lucky to get a used car for below 6 percent!
What does the new Versa give you for your money? A set of 15-inch steel wheels, a fixed-back rear seat, and a five-speed manual transmission come standard. If that gearbox isn’t, erm, your speed, you’ll need to pay $1800 to get the automatic. The base car does not come with CarPlay or Android Auto, either, indicating that the sub-$20K MSRP serves mostly to get your attention. A Versa with the creature comforts you’d hope for—like a 60/40 folding rear seat—is a $20,000 car, not an $18,000 one. The cost to upgrade lowers as you choose the nicer trim: S to SV costs $1500, but from there, the top-trim SR is only $700 more. For $22,300, the SR gets you the larger, eight-inch touchscreen, heated seats, and bigger, 17-inch wheels, still less than that used-car average.
If you’re a serious Versa shopper, be aware that Nissan hasn’t changed a lot for the 2025 model year. The most significant and recent changes went into effect as of the 2023 model year, when the Versa got a new front clip that helped it look less derpy. (Read our review of the 2023 car here.)
So yes, you can now get up to three free oil changes on a brand-new Versa, but you’ll pay $510 more than you would for the 2024 model, which doesn’t come with free oil changes. You do the math … And don’t assume that buying a one- or two-year-old CPO car is cheaper than buying new (or ordering and waiting).
Give me the used car.
The Mirage looks and feels like a penalty box. This is a step better but I don’t trust Nissan CVT’s. I prefer a used car but if you have to do new you can do worse.
You can get it with a 5 speed manual – that is standard. I don’t trust their CVTs either.
In 2015 my 90’s Buick had a drinking problem. It was pretty thirsty and typically only ever carried one person. I was looking at lightly used small cars, and used Civics etc. were asking 15k.
Nissan was selling a brand new Micra for $9998! So ten grand new, with manual tranny (5 speed) and everything very nice… so I just paid (and no bank loans required).
Ten years later and car is still great. Sophisticated and slick VVT motor, high quality, in a small cheap tinfoil car.
Car is light, goes like a little motorcycle (7 grand redline) and is just fast enough to be fun.
Anyway (dunno about CVT but) these brand new small cars have high quality mechanicals and generally good quality because they are introductory lead-in models for their brands. Don’t be fooled by affordable prices!
But be cautious when climbing about on these little cars to remove ice and snow… there is not quite as much thick metal there, not like my old Buick (RIP).
Usually when I check availability and do the conversion to Canadian $ my reality is 10-15k higher. Things like Rangers more than that…
In this case, no dealership is stocking a manual but several have CVT equipped listing for under 20K USD.
I get the point you’re trying to make but this is a little misleading. The new Versa is cheaper than the “AVERAGE” used car price which includes all makes/models. Sooooo what is the average used price of a 2023 base model Versa? I’d bet it’s less than $18,000. Historically one of the advantages of buying used is to let someone else pay for the first few years of depreciation which gives you more “value” for your money.
Kelley Blue Book shows a base 2023 Nissan Versa S in the fair market range as $16,310 – $16,885. I’ll take a brand new one for 18k+ over a used one for 1k less. But that’s me.
I’ve had Versas as rentals and they are good. And, you get a warranty that most used cars do not have. Versas are good cars, but I cannot say the same thing about the Mitsubishi.
They all have their place
One damning word (I guess it is a word): CVT.
That’s why you get the 5 speed
a cvt is probably one of the industry’s most misunderstood components. sure, they’ve had their issues. and since bad news travels 3+ times more than good, any debate can get blown out of proportion. their reliability has improved over the years, and changing the fluid will increase their life. and this is coming from a former mechanic that doesn’t like a/t’s of any kind.