We drove two pre-production versions of the 2007 Nissan Versa hatchback during a 130-mile drive, traveling from the urban landscape of Nashville, Tenn., the home of Nissan’s new headquarters, to the nearby rural countryside, where the Versa got a great workout on curvy roads. Despite a few complaints, our overall impression of the Versa is favorable when compared to others in its economy-priced class.

Motoring in the six-speed manual, the transmission’s gearing and response is pleasing at 60 mph in top gear, and the engine generates ample torque to pass without downshifting while heading to speeds upwards of 80 mph with no strain. We also enjoyed a drive in a Versa equipped with Nissan’s next-generation CVT, which also gave us plenty of get up and go. On the other side of the coin, we found the exhaust note harsh when driving aggressively with both transmissions and found the Renault-sourced manual gearbox notchy and imprecise in higher gears.

Thanks to a suspension that has been tuned to reduce “jitters” over rough or uneven pavement, the Versa delivers a stiff and responsive yet comfortable ride quality. But one of our other complaints centers on the Versa’s electric steering, which is tight and responsive at speeds up to 50 mph, but develops a nagging on-center dead spot at higher speeds.

Perhaps the biggest surprise came from the Versa’s quiet and upscale cockpit. Getting in and out of the Versa is easy, without the scrunching that is required to enter and exit some small cars. Once inside and seated in the bright and airy cabin’s full-sized chairs, you’ll feel like you’re in a larger vehicle, as even tall testers found ample room in each seating position. However, though the Versa is marketed as a five-seater, we would recommend four only as the center rear seat works best as extra hip and leg room, and is the only location for the rear cupholders. We also appreciated the side windows in front of the A-pillars and the large glove box.

Our test models were upfitted with Nissan’s optional ABS Package, and we found the Versa’s brakes responded with good modulation and pedal feel during our stop-and-go driving in city traffic and under hard braking evaluations out in the country. Even on a split-traction surface, with pavement on one side of the vehicle and dirt on the other, the Versa maintained its straight-line stability and stopped in a confidence-inspiring manner. Gauges and controls are cleanly designed and arrayed in a way that makes them easy to use. Of note, the steering wheel adjusts for height but doesn’t telescope, putting shorter people very close to the steering wheel in order to reach the pedals, especially the clutch, with its long pedal travel. Flipping and folding the rear seats is simple, and the rear liftover height is comfortably low allowing bags and goods to be loaded with ease.