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Nissan Sentra Spec V vs Honda Civic Si
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Comments
do you know why the evo is awd? it has to be. My buddies turboed civic is at the mercy of fwd, and it has a stage 3 turbo, pushing over 300 to the wheels. .His car is pretty much normal until third gear, becasue of lack of traction. Any highly modified turbo fwd car needs A LOT of serious suspesion mods. A statement like this has so many variables, and just sounds childish.
I liked your comment on the 'at the wheels'thing.
You may not like it, but dynos don't lie! :P
true, but the gti has considerably more torque, and much much earlier in the rpm range. But the gti is a whole other conversation. :shades:
Nismo CAI and Catback collectively add approximately 20hp. Before anyone jumps in with the "at the wheels" b.s. don't, I don't want to hear it. The 2002-2006 Spec V makes 160hp at the wheels and it's rated at 175hp, the power doesn't vanish into thin air like some would hope.
there is a difference between b.s. and you just not wanting to hear it. But like i've already said, the dyno does not lie. No one is saying the power just dissapears, but its usually much different than what the engine produces, which is what the manufacturer puts on the window sticker. The only sporty compact besides the ms3 to give a damn good close to spec sheet hp/torque reading is the gti.
the spec V has a good amount of torque available early on in the powerband. i own a 2003 sunburst yellow spec v - and there's enough torque to start it with barely a shudder in third gear at a stop sign. my hubby has a saab 9-2X aero (subaru wrx wagon essentially) and even though its shy 50 hp to the saab, my car feels like it has WAY more get up and go.
the 03 model spec V's are my personal favorite - they look more aggressive, and have a different front fascia than the regular sentra at that time. i am a little dissapointed with the new sentra (making it look toyota echo tall...) but i am sure its still a great car
my two cents anyways...
-thene
"this is a car only Kermit could love"
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=3959
i will probably upgrade to a used g35 (newer body style though, as i won't be making a purchase for about 2-3 years). i have never had any major problems with my car, and i love it so much, i plan on buying nissan/infiniti products for life!
do you have the blue spec V (not the electric blue, but the royal blue color?) i liked that color, and the orange too...
-thene
I've read through your posts and I simply don't understand your logical fallacies spread all over this thread: anecdotal references, biased opinions, hypocrisy (you can beat someone stock in your '04 (I thought we were discussing '07s), no wait not stock because you've got I/H, wait you still think it's stock (color me confused???))... it all sounds like defensive posturing.
Look, your opinions are fine, but remember this: straight-line performance isn't everything. You don't even know if torque understeer is good or bad? I have to really roll my eyes on this.
Obviously you've not run twisties in an Si yet. I do. You would be owned. Badly.
Wait, did I make myself clear?
straight line performance isn't everything
How is that torque going to help you in a 60 bend?
By the way, I did not resort to name-calling, only pointing out that the handling in Si vs. a Sentra, IMO is unequal weighted toward the Si. The Si has a brilliant limited-slip differential to correct for FWD understeer. This is the ownage I was talking about; in "real-world" driving on twisty roads (not racing, which I never said), the Si would trump the Sentra.
For the record, the only modifications I've made to my Si is window tint. If that's the definition of 'Ricer', then you may want to go look for the Wikipedia entry.
You've not given anyone a smidgen of objectivity regarding this comparison; just name-calling, subjectivity, and down-right hostility (even toward the mods!)
Cripes, man. It's only a discussion.
you can't really compare the two until you've driven them back to back on the same twisties one after the other.
i drive in a spirited fashion, and in my '03, i always feel confident going through the twisties. i can't nor will i comment on the abilities of the Si because i have not driven one.
-thene
Also missed the opportunity to point out that there is almost no hand tightening nervousness of the Si's excellent three-spoke wheel when cornering; in fact you can punch it harder during a turn with utmost confidence.
Don't take my word for it; go to a dealer and abuse one yourself.
Let's leave some room for varying viewpoints in this conversation.
The fact is no one has ever compared the two exclusively and probably never will.
Spec V is better nuff said.
The all-new 2007 Nissan Sentra is no doubt a better, more refined car than its predecessor, with more capable engines and a more pleasant, flexible cabin. If you're looking for an economy sedan that'll give maximum interior room and versatility for your buying dollar, the Sentra is a solid bet. However, if inspired handling is your thing, you'll find your needs best served by the more athletic talents of the Mazda 3 or Honda Civic.
(emphasis mine)
http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/sentra/2007/review.html
I'll leave it at that.
Other than being convinced to review a model, editorials would lose all of their credibility if they were offering paid advertisements instead of personal reviews. And it would become grossly evident in this day and age when everyone is under scrutiny. If you want to see an example of users giving the 'what-for' against 'biased' organizations - go look up the HD-DVD key or the Dell "Confessions" incidents. And for the argument that car people might not be as technically inclined as nerds (as my previous examples may imply), I think the fact that we're all capable of using the internet and doing our own research should be good enough.
The one thing i think you are missing james is this; this is a forum for the NEW spec v vs THE NEW si.
and since we have plenty of info of which car is the sharper handler, i guess that leaves that question answered.
Will anyone ever compare your year spec v to the new si? no probably not. which means we can only go back and look at previous reviews for the nissan and compare them to the si.
I'm sure the spec v is quick, there is not doubting that. But lets forget bias for a minute (since you think there is too much of it from anyone who dislikes the sentra, which makes no sense, seeing as how thats about the biggest bias i've ever seen.), and just gon on numbers/reviews.
It seems pretty obvious that while styling is out the window, the new spec v's chassis is superior and puts out better HANDLING (notice i did not say acceleration?) numbers than the old spec v. If thats the case, how do you think that the old spec v would fare against a new si, which posts better handling numbers than even the new sentra se-r?
You prefer torque, some prefer handling. and to you anyone elses opinion or facts mean nothing.
i like the se-r, but the si is simply the better handler, and it has BEEN PROVEN. have you driven the si? i have not driven the spec v, but i'm not making assumptions that are as sure and intense as yours.
james, no one likes a fan boy, but you can at least admit to it. Nuff said. :P
hilarious!
actually...it just says Nissan Sentra Spec V vs. Honda Civic Si. It doesn't say "New" or "2007" or anything like that...
I would say "Nuff Said" but i hate that phrase...
-thene
just common sense.
just mention the ford challenge where people perferred the fussion over the accord and camry and they'll agree with you :P
which is what all these comparos have been about...something that you have yet to grasp apparently.
awd vs 2 fwd cars.
yeah, thats balanced and fair. why not compare it to a subaru legacy and see how well it fares?
and just because THOSE reviewers preferred it does not MAKE it better. puh-lease.
maybe, just maybe, the fusion is really that good of a car! why is that so hard to believe? because fords werent good in the past? believe me, i am not a ford fan at all, and don't plan on getting one in the next 30 years or so...but things do change, and cars get better/worse...
besides, those people liked more than just the awd vs. fwd handling of those cars...
my two cents...
-thene
While we're talking about the Nissan that debuted several years ago, why not compare the 93 Civic to the 93 Sentra. That'd be as productive as talking about any other old models (lots of new information always flowing in - NOT).
the fusion has an interesting interior and they chose the blandest versions of the accord and camry they could find. (why not a nice camry se? or a nice v-6 accord?)
the rest is personal opinion and does not make the fusion better than the other two, its just preference.
i know many who would not be caught dead in a fusion especially when a nice accord is the other choice.
(does that help pat?)
-thene :P
But, I bought BOTH cars on the same day. I bought the 2007 Nissan Spec V for me and my wife bought the 2007 Honda Si. I've driven both cars (stock) several times.
Now, we're talking stock here, so...
I felt that the Spec V performs better overall. Driving the Spec V for the first time made me feel like the car wanted me to push it. The car cornered and braked with ease and did it smoothly. The interior is roomy and everything is "right there" in front of you.
I also drive the Si (this isn't MY daily driver). The first thing that I noticed, the first time I drove it, is that the dashboard feels like it's all the way up at the windshield. I felt like I was looking down a tunnel to see the speedometer. Another thing is the Si comes with the Titanium shifter. I touched that thing and almost burnt my hand off (the car was sitting in the sun all day and it was 110 that day and it takes forever for that thing to cool down -- so have a driving glove handy). Anyway, I felt the Si (although quick) was a little sluggish off the line, but handled just as smoothly as the Spec V in the cornering department.
Overall, for me it came down to looks and that little extra "umph" the Spec V has. But, I like the look of the Spec V over the Si. The Si still has the "Civic" look which is a total turn off for me.
Now, the main advantage that the Honda has over the Nissan is the warranty. The Honda's warranty is by far hands down, far superior than Nissan's. And this was a deciding factor for my wife to take the Si over us buying another Spec V.
Thanks.
i've been out of the biz for a bit, but i remember nissan having a 3yr 36k mile bumper to bumper, and 5yr 60k powertrain. what does honda have?
-thene
the spec-v is fun to drive, and i would take the Spec over the Si sedan, but i prefer a coupe, and think the Si coupe looks way better than the spec-v in my opinion. I prefer the interior of the si and the handeling, not to mention the high revving. The placement of the speedometer is perfect for me, being 6'1..
Glad they put the limited slip differential in the spec-v like the 07 has.
There is something i can certainly agree with, the older civics with those coffee can mufflers dont really go anywhere, and sound like an old rusty chain saw or weed wacker.