Nissan has made good use of its Renault parent by basing the Versa (known as the Tiida in the rest of the world) on the same underpinnings used for the popular Renault Megane in Europe. The Nissan Versa delivers decent performance and has a surprising amount of interior space. It feels much bigger than it actually is, which is also a good thing. The real joy, though, comes when its gas tank costs half as much to fill as it would for a large SUV, yet it'll go just as far, if not further, on that tankful without having to sacrifice much in the way of performance, space or luxury. It's no wonder the Versa is regarded as a near-luxury car in Japan.

New Car Test Drive contributor John Rettie filed this report from Nashville, Tennessee.