It generally takes 2 to 5 years to bring a car to market, so if a car happens to be well-timed, it's usually a coincidence. Assuming that's the case here, the Nissan Versa 1.6 has to be the mother of all coincidences: Nissan is introducing America's cheapest car -- sorry, second cheapest car -- just as America's economy is, as the French would say, dans les toilettes. We expect inexpensive cars from Korean automakers -- even Chevrolet went to South Korea for their cheapest car -- but from the Japanese? It sure surprised me. Still, the question remains: Can Nissan pare the Versa down to ten grand and still produce a car Americans will actually want to buy and drive? Find out in my 2009 Nissan Versa 1.6 test drive and review. -- Aaron Gold
Related: Cheapest cars of 2009