En route to the NASCAR race at the California Speedway, my passenger commented on how quiet the Versa was at idle; we both compared it to the silent operation of a hybrid at a stop light. Part of that is a quiet engine, and part is due to sound insulation, as there’s not a lot of racket inside the cabin at higher speeds. With the CVT, the revs are often pushed up near redline for extended periods, so driver and passengers will hear the engine in those instances, but Nissan has designed the engine to be as refined as any other in the class, if not more so. There’s also some road noise, and while it’s not bothersome, the wind noise around the upper door sills is.