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Comments
Also, it really surprises me that more ABS-equipped SEs aren't available on the East Coast, as the need for ABS is greater there, with the bad winters and all. The Sentras are made in Mexico, which would seem to lend itself to fairly even distribution, but who knows?
Side note: One pet peeve about the Sentra (practically the only; I'm really happy with it)is that the interior plastics, esp. the glovebox,
scratch incredibly easily. I wish they'd use materials that didn't permanently show every errant fingernail scrape. Plus, my passengers often get into the car with backpacks or purses, and tend to scrape them across the glovebox, so it looks like hell already, after less than 3000 miles. In comparison, my Honda Civic wasn't great in that regard, but the plastic pieces resisted scratches much better than the Nissan does.
I posted this same message in the Protege board to get a competing opinion. Any insite you guys have to help me make this decision would be great!
Thanks.
I think if you option the cars identically, the Sentra will be the less expensive of the two. You have to add a lot to the basic Protege ES to bring it up to SE w/PP spec. I'm pretty sure the ES doesn't have limited-slip differential, which the SE w/PP does. That's significant...it makes a noticeable handling difference.
Finally, that 15-hp advantage for the Sentra isn't insignificant. And if you wait for the SE-R, it will *trounce* the Protege MP3, the current hot Mazda sedan.
The SR20DE is extremely reliable and also like kstephen said a comparably equipped SE will cost less than the Protege. But in all fairness I have to mention that Mazda currently has good promotions like, 0% financing, free sunroof, S plan and the like. You should test drive both of them and get what you like best.
But, if I were you I would wait for the Sentra SE-R and the Spec V. For the same price you can get an SE-R over the current SE and there is no Mazda that can compare with the SE-R, the MP3? sorry.
Whats' going on? I have not heard from you lately. I wrote this nice entry the other day and it got lost way out in cyberspace. Only after I lost the message did I discover how to save them. Too bad for all the messages that I lost.
So when are you going back to Alabama, my friend? Are you trying to soak up all of the "coolness" that you can stand before getting back into the land of "humidity"? Smart man.
I will be venturing up to the Bay Area of San Francisco tomorrow, and I will be back on Monday. I really wished that we could get a chance to meet before you left California.
Keep in touch and let me know if you have a little time to spare and spend with an old friend.
Gotta run now,
GSEREP1
I am mostly interested in a loaded SE or a loaded SE-R with an auto tranny.
Thanks.
Contact Nissan directly. Salespeople at dealerships are woefully undereducated about their products...save for BMW, Infiniti and Lexus salesguys.
Oh, the article also stated that the SE-R is replacing the SE, but that the XE and GXE will still be produced. Makes sense.
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/features/2001/September/200109_preview_nissansentra.xml
BTW, manavi, thanks for the link.
The SE-R Spec-V wil be 6-speed manual ONLY.
only with the stick, making the PP price about 2 bills more....This was the selling feature that made me buy my SE; and the limited-slip IS awesome, exiting corners, taking off from a standstill, and with the right tires, magnificent for driving in the snow. Does anybody know if LS will be avail on autos on these two new Sentra models?
Also, anybody else out there enjoying their KDW Y-Rated 215-50-16's like I am; just put my second set of 4 tires on at 35,000 miles......(excessive wear at the edges from sliding thru the corners caused me to put a fresh set on...)
quark
To answer your question. According to Nissan LS will be available only on Spec-V, which is only available with 6-sp manual.
Now, I have a question. Can anybody say what is the proper technic of taking corners with FWD? I doubt it is the same as RWD. There is no school in my area which teaches performance driving. Does anybody know good web site for this?
Thanks in advance.
I guess it makes sense from Nissan's point of view, but for anyone with an SE w/PP, you shouldn't feel like you now have a clearly inferior car. Also, I'm not sure I like the SE-R front end more than the regular one. It would be nice to have the extra 25 hp, though...but you could get that through tuner tweaks, I'm sure.
I'd also guess that the GXE will get the 145 HP engine and the XE the base engine.
I have kind of mixed feelings about the new SE-R, because of its appearance. I'm sure the Spec-V will be sensational to drive, but I wish they had a two-door coupe (or even hatchback) version instead of tarting up the four-door somewhat tastelessly. I always liked that the old SE-R was subtle. It was all about real performance, not flash. But I guess flash sells...
I don't know if I'd be quite as critical of the U.S. sedan's looks (I mean, I have to like it--I own one!), but I definitely agree there should be some other model offered as well. You're right; a lot of us don't hate hatchbacks. I wish Nissan hadn't become so afraid of building two-door cars. Remember those days when they had the 300ZX, 240SX, original SE-R, and NX2000? Maybe it can happen again. And let us have the Skyline too.
It has been a while for me. I have been out of town on business. I did get the new Mobil 1 0W-30 synthetic oil installed last week, and it has really made a difference. However, the BIGGEST change came from the oil filter. Both Purolator and AC make oil filters that really work for the SE. They are bigger than the stock filter, and both have a big anti-drain back valve inside. These filters allow the use of 4 quarts of oil instead of the partial 4th quart as with the stock filter.
The start-up noise that is common with the stock filter is gone now, and it runs great. As soon as I can get a mileage average, I will report it to you.
I would tell anyone that is considering changing from regular to synthetic oil to "JUST DO IT"... IT IS WORTH IT!!
Thanks again,
GSEREP1
b
I will start off first by saying that the SE is not for everyone...hence the GXE, XE, and the CA. Someone has to buy the other cars....I am just glad that it is not me.
There is a world of difference between the SE and the others. If you have been following specifications at all you will see that the "measly" .2L difference equates to 19 horsepower more, at very little fuel expense. It is just a blast to drive. 122 hp to 145 hp is nothing to sneeze at in my book.
The seats are infinitely better in the SE, as is the suspension and brakes. The stiffer suspension results in a much stiffer ride, but performance people really do appreciate it.
The SE also gives you rear disc brakes for safer stopping. If the performance package is also selected, a wealth of extra goodies are included. These goodies include a variable flow muffler that produces backpressure at slow speeds, and then opens up to allow greater flow at high speeds.
In closing, let me say that I ENJOY my car immensely, and would not trade it for any other Sentra variation currently available . If performance is not the most important thing about your car, then the GXE, XE, or the environmentally friendlier CA may suit your tastes. There is no CORRECT answer on this one, To each his own in that respect. Any of the Sentras are excellent cars, but SOME of us want just a little MORE!
Good luck on your choice. Please write us back and tell us what you finally purchased.
Thanks again,
GSEREP1
Can you tell what kind of car I have? yeah, GXE.
If I have more money, I'd buy SE too. But if I have even more money, I'd get a Maxima.
BTW, you can get an ALTIMA GXE which costs about the same (or less) as an Sentra SE if you don't need sports feature of SE.
I like GXE for its price/power/feature combination.
I don't think XE is a very good choice. Imagine a 5sp w/o tachometer. Actually, it's not that bad.
BTW, someone wrote "I don't think XE is a very good choice. Imagine a 5sp w/o tachometer."
Why do you need a tach? I'm 27, I've been driving 5 speeds for 17 years and I NEVER look at the tach for shift points. In fact my old Nissan Stanza XE doesn't have a tach and I never miss it. In the 3 months I've owned my 01 Jetta 1.8T, I've only looked at the tach to figure out why my engine screams so much at 85.
I said XE..... but that's only my opinion. Tach. is good at least for break-in period. It's also good for gas milage. It looks nice too. I didn't have tach. for my old car either.
mdriver: Yeah, the Sentra is a darn good value for the money and class. But the power window thing is on many chevys too. Don't think that['s much of a luxury feature.
Show me a large number of Hyundais on the road, running well with over 100k miles. I'd say finding that with Nissan is pretty easy.
Now, has anyone seen any prices on the SE-R yet?
Today, the reliability difference between the best and worst cars is relatively small and I suspect the Elantra is at least as good as the Sentra. I used to own a Sentra and back then, I would never have considered a Hyundai. But after driving one (2001 Elantra), I am very impressed with the quality - and I am hard to please.
Also on nissannews.com, Nissan introduced all of the X-Terra, Frontier ans Sentra...With the exception of both SE-R models. What is the deal with that?
That's why I got a Sentra GXE.
GXE is in the same price range as the base model Elantra.
1988 Excel? If I was talking about the reliability of, say, a new Focus, maybe I should imply that they are still unreliable because the Model T was also unreliable. Beleive it or not, Toyotas had a reputation for junk up until about the mid seventies.
Prospective buyers should know that Nissan is offering $500 rebates on all Sentra models.
By the way, I've NEVER seen ANY reliability reports that ranked the Elantra and Sentra the same, as claimed in eariler posts. I'll put my long term trust in a Nissan over a Hyundai any day.
www.b15sentra.net - it's a decent site with plenty of info.
When I bought my Sentra SE I looked and drove the Elantra. While the engine and shifter were ok, the brakes were mushy and didn't inspire confidence. I do like the Elantra's design and have to applaud Hyundai's efforts to bring a good car with a very reasonable price tag to such a competitive market. And if you do get a Hyundai, you can't sell it before the warranty expires. Your car is going to have very bad resale value. It would be better to keep it longer. The powertrain warranty is for 100k miles anyway.