There are only so many options for car shoppers on a budget in 2024. With the recent departure of low-cost models like the Chevrolet Spark and the Kia Rio, the availability of sub-$20,000 new cars is a dwindling prospect for car buyers. However, a restrictive budget doesn’t mean you can’t have a joyful car to tick your boxes. Enter the 2024 Nissan Versa, the last enjoyable car that starts at under $20,000. 

The 2024 Nissan Versa SR boasts a well-optioned interior and joyful driving dynamics for its price point

The 2024 Nissan Versa starts at around $16,680 before pesky additions like title, tax, and dealership fees. Still, that establishes the Versa as one of the most affordable new cars in America alongside the Mitsubishi Mirage and its G4 sedan.  

Admittedly, my tester was a 2024 Nissan Versa SR, the range-topping offering in the Nissan model’s lineup. As such, I had access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a user-friendly eight-inch touchscreen. A partially digitized dash also informed me of everything from average fuel economy to real-time tire pressure. Still, the separation between the digital panel and the solitary analog gauge could be more organic. But hey, who’s being nitpicky?

Sure, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 ticks the sub-$20,000 starting price box with four doors, seating for up to five, and a usable trunk. However, with just 78 horsepower on tap, the Mirage’s lightness seems more of a detriment than a fuel-saving feature. Still, the Mirage returns better fuel economy than the comparably muscular Versa, about four combined mpg. That said, my SR returned around 30 mpg in my city driving experiences, on par with the EPA estimate. 

On the other hand, the Versa SR’s sport mode could use some assistance from a set of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Sure, the sport mode forces the Versa to adopt higher revs and a more responsive throttle pedal. But selecting a ratio courtesy of a set of paddles would liven up the driving experience that much more. 

Of course, if you want total agency over your budget-friendly new car, the base Versa S offers a five-speed manual transmission. At higher trims, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is the only option. However, the CVT’s best impression of a traditional automatic deadens some of the harsh soundtrack drivers have come to expect from the technology. 

Cheerful, cheap, and confident. Unfortunately, you only get one of those attributes in a new car, maybe two at most. However, the Versa SR delivers in all three categories.