Nissan has worked hard to make this car a big seller, something which was apparent from the moment that they claimed the 2009 Nissan Versa to be the cheapest new car in America. Price isnít everything though; as any used car dealer will tell you, the trade off between price and quality is a difficult one to make.

Nissan build their new Versa in Mexico, already this shows us just one way they are bringing the cars manufacturing cost down without impacting quality. Coupled with Nissans significant buying power, which likely brings down the cost of materials substantially, itís easy to see where Nissan is saving the cash.

Nissan produce the Versa in two trims: A 1.8-S which uses a 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower engine which achieves 26-mpg in the city and 31 highway miles per gallon. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, with an optional 4-speed automatic. The 1.8-SL is equipped with a 1.8-liter engine which produces a fraction less power in exchange for an extra 3 miles per highway gallon. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard in this trim.

Overall Nissan are probably one of the car manufacturers most suited to making the claim “Cheapest new car in 2009.” Because of their significant buying power and manufacturing savings, this does not require a significant reduction in overall build quality of the 2009 Nissan Versa ñbut the old axiom is still true; you get what you pay for.