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Nissan Sentra 2006 and earlier

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Comments

  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Well at 18k it's significantly cheaper than a WRX. I think to many people 6k in the sporty econo class is a big chunk of change.
  • ineto6ineto6 Member Posts: 161
    price difference as compared to the WRX is significant. However, one cannot upgrade to all-wheel drive for the Sentra without changing the car itself. The guy sitting in an SE-R would happily tailing a guy in a WRX around curves and such.
  • chrisbackmanchrisbackman Member Posts: 1
    A bought a 2000 Sentra SE with Performance Pack - and I couldn't be happier! I spent a number of weeks doing research on about a dozen cars in this class, and the Sentra gave me everything I wanted at the best price! It was the only car that felt more like a sports car than a family car! The spoiler, sunroof, and wheels make it a great looking car - and the sports suspension makes paired with the 2.0 engine makes it a lot of fun to drive! I have almost 10k miles on it in under 6 months - and I haven't had any problems to speak of. I would recommend the Sentra to anyone - it's a great buy!
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    for my tastes it's still under powered and the suspension far too soft even with the sport package. I'm waiting on the Spec-V. And the new V6 powered Altima.
  • ineto6ineto6 Member Posts: 161
    my brother's SE would have been better with a manual transmission. Passing power is not as strong as his old V-6 Camry.... I am sure that a a manual would have helped for extra passing power... or a five-speed auto !!! Still the SE is no slouch for the money.
  • sentrafansentrafan Member Posts: 40
    Chris,

    I also own a 2000 Sentra SE w/PP, 5-Speed. I've had mine for just under 10 months also, and have 10700 miles on the odometer. I agree with you completely -- it's an absolutely great car. And there is plenty of power in this thing for me. Just like Speed Demon Newskate9 wrote, there's nothing like cruising at highway speeds, then dropping down into fourth gear for some serious fun and passing power. All things considered, value, reliability, and performance, the Sentra SE can't be beat.
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Guess it's just me but at cruising speeds, say 75 mph, I want the car turning about 2200-2400 rpms, so I can punch it in 5th gear and still rocket off. The current Gen Max has this ability and boy does it feel nice. If only they could shoehorn that engine into the Sentra. And get some leather in the interior.
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Maybe in a big V8 but not a 16v 2L engine. To feel any thrust you will have to downshift to 4th or maybe even 3rd. But that's part of the fun of a manual. If you don't like to shift, get an automatic.
  • kissfan1kissfan1 Member Posts: 283
    If I'm driving at 75 mph......at 3500 Rpm........If I punch it down to 4th my Rpm's are going to hit 5500. I know this sounds stupid........But the engines groans something fierce. Is this a healthy thing to do to the engine (What a wuuss type question.......lol......will it break!!)

    Sorry..........
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    No it won't break, but you might attract the attention of the local constabulary. Is your top speed limit still 100 km/h ?
  • gewaltaktgewaltakt Member Posts: 9
    hello all. i'm new to the forums and am glad i found such a great resource like edmunds. you all seem to be real nice people too which is a rarity these days. anyways, i'm going to be buying a car sometime early next month (may '01) and am pretty sure its going to be a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE w/ SE Performance Package, floor mats, and 6-disk in dash cd-changer (i'd rather have the cd-changer than the moonroof, but cant afford both). its a beautiful car and many reviews have said its a very good car too. so i want to ask all you sentra owners who have the car i described (or any sentra owners for that matter) how you fell about your purchase. likes? dislikes? hows that 180 watt stereo system too? one other thing. i've been reading the other posts and have noticed that some sentra owners have engine problems. if anyone could give some insight to that too then that would be great. all your help is greatly appreciated and i look forward to posting more. thanks!
  • djmax813djmax813 Member Posts: 30
    A local nissan dealer wanted to give me a good deal on an se w/perf pack. he quoted 16,999 but could do better. Here is the kick. He said they would take over my four last lease payments of my current car (approx. $1000). what is the deal with that? it sounds good to me but what do they get out of it? they must be making money off it somehow. I appreciate some insight!
  • hkchanhkchan Member Posts: 420
    Well. How's $16,999 compared to the invoice listed at Edmunds and other sites? Whatever you do, don't sign anything unless you understand the deal completely.
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    On Carsdirect a packed SE even with the impossible to find SRS/ABS package comes in at 16581. This is a 5 speed of course, as getting an auto essentially turns the car into a Yugo.

    Does this 16999 car have the SRS/ABS package too?
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    If you can hold off until September you can step into the Spec-V for 1600 more (according to the Sales Manager I spoke with recently) than a current SE. That's gonna get you a bigger engine, better suspension, new interior, 17's, bigger stereo and all around better car.

    The current SE is nice, but sorta slow and definitely light around the corners (even with the Perf. Package). If you can hold off you'll get a far better car for just a tad more cash.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    To, gewaltakt # 612

    I am too in process of buying a small sedan for my daughter. Initially I selected Sentra se but I come across with some known horror stories of slip differential and other problems Sentra. I am now a days leaning towards Civic Lx, reasons behind change in mind are - better reliability record, good resale value, better gas mileage.

    Still I am open and unable to arrive at final choice. Sentra has more bells and whistles and better power while Civic has more life and value.

    Please I need your in put, what are the fectors involved and how you arrived at a decision to buy Sentra be p./p. and not Civic. I am sure you must have thought of Civic during your decision making process. I would like to know about it before visiting Nissan or Honda dealership

    To be honest, one side I am getting tempted to buy Sentra and the other side it has more horror stories and poor gas mileage.
    Thanks in advance
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Um...if you go by the complaint (repairs) section of Edmunds, then EVERY car is a lemon. As far as reliability goes, yes the Civic is more dependable in the long run. But the margin between the two is slight, to say the least. The Honda also has higher re-sale. Both cars are well built and will last 100k miles without a blink. But I think a FAR more important question is: what does your daughter prefer? Have her drive the cars back to back and the one she likes is the one to get.
  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    I have a Sentra SE for couple of months and so far the car is good. The milage is averaging 25MPG. My 1988 Civic had 35MPG with easy driving, 30MPG with a pleasure driving and ~28MPG with a fun driving. Sentra has only ~2000 miles on it and I hope MPG should improve in a little while. When I drove new Civic I found it much more softer then my old one and also absence of torque doesn't let you to drive relaxing uphill or with a loaded car. Those two things and a difference in features pushed me toward Sentra. I'd rather take Protege than Civic.
    I can't say that SE is slow, but if I would know that Spec-V would be just $1600 more I would wait for it. Also I would be interesting to know the source of "horror" stories. Where are they? What kind of problems are reported there? I hardly can believe that engine has problems, since 2.0L engine is on market for decade and proven to be reliable. Some other thingd are more probably to cause problems because they are quite new.
  • djmax813djmax813 Member Posts: 30
    what i really want to know is what the dealer does with my current car after he takes over my payments? does he buy it from the bank at a discount and then resell it? just would like to know why they are willing to take over the payments.
  • ineto6ineto6 Member Posts: 161
    with A/C on going up a hill - see if you like the power that it has doing that. Of course, the Civic will be more frugal on the gas. We had a Sentra with over 80K... no horror story, just detested those bumps and "bruises".
  • boscoboscoboscobosco Member Posts: 2
    I don't personally own a sentra, but I have a story to share regarding the durability of this car.

    My neighbour owns a 1989 (or 1990?) sentra station wagon that he used for his nursery business since new. The car has always been used for delivery purpose since day one and it has more than 200K on it the last time I asked.

    Maintanence ? My neighour don't even have a clue about what an oil filter is, and he doesn't like the idea of "recommended service" too. He is the kind of guy who change the oil "when he think of it", and the last time I remember seeing him washing his car on his driveway was years ago. So you got the picture about what kind of treatment this car has received.

    Still the car blows no blue or white smoke, make no unusual noise, and I can't remember his car won't start or anything. At least he never mentioned it. It does leak a little bit of oil onto his driveway though.

    Tough little car.
  • newskate9newskate9 Member Posts: 7
    Hi all,
    I have this stuff on my windshield since day one and it's starting to bother me since it doesn't appear to be going away. It looks like adhesive residue from some sort of sticker (whole windshield) that was peeled off. It's not visible till it gets wet (i.e. raining or washing), and then it's actually hard to see out the window clearly!

    I've tried cleaning with windex and turtle wax (abrasive) but no help really. I'm ready to try harsher chemicals but thought I'd get your input.

    Thoughts?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Pardon the interruption - I want to explain the name change of this discussion.

    Since we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone has anything to say about Sentras, there is no longer a need for the "2" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it.

    I've altered the name slightly of the original Sentra discussion in the Archives to differentiate it from this active one.

    Please continue...

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Use some rubbing alcohol and a pad of #0000 steel wool. Make sure it is 4 zeros... it is a detailer's "secret" rememdy. It is soft as cotten but will scrub that stuff off. Use it only on TEMPERED AUTO GLASS. IE: Your windows, not your mirrors.

    I've been using it for years and it get's all that built up road grime, bug guts, and oxidation off your glass.
  • ttlttlttlttlttlttl Member Posts: 24
    did anyone buy your Sentra from CarsDirect.com?
    they offer a 5-speed GXE with Convinience Package and Luxury Package for $14683. this seems to be a good deal. I'm wondering how this works. Thanks!
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    That's it. You order and they call you and confirm everything. You can even get nissan's great APR (if you qualify).
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    I got a deal for Se with P/Package for $ 16800 out the door including everything. I lived in southern california, and need to know is it a good deal or what?
    thanks in advance
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    SE package AND...
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    To,
    Answering to 629
    Thanks for your response.
    It has a spoiler, alloy wheels, remote key less entry, vanity mirrors, mats, in short basically all items listed on performance package plus mats.
    I paid a basic car price 15300 (edmonds invoice price 15553)plus tax/tag 10% on it, comes to total 16800 out the door price.
    I visited four different dealers and they all offered me 17500 out the door, only one dealer wanted to accommodate me at 17329.
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Invoice on a Sentra SE with perfomance package and floormats (you didn't mention the ABS package or the moonroof or the 6 CD changer) is: 15,001. Carsdirect sells that car for 15140. You sure it doesn't have any of the other options?
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Answer to 632
    Thanks for asking.

    16800 price is without AS, side air bag, moon roof, and 6cd changer.
    Edmonds invoice price for this car is 15553, where did you get this 15001 price?. It is really a very good price.
    Actually we started negotiating with this price but every dealership we visited to, were not at all willing to agree upon it. They say that there is not enough margin on this car to give us a deal like 15001 plus tax and tag. We spent more that 1 to 2 hours at each dealership to get this price but we totally failed to get that deal. Majority of them were agree on invoice price which sometimes included 308 for M/A ( I/a means it could be manufacturer's allowance or manufacturer's advertising fees) comes to 15815.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    To, post 632
    continue with 633
    I checked price on Carsdirect and I come up with 15659, for automatic trasmission and not shift
    Thanks
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Nevermind then. I didn't consider the addition of an auto. Good price then.
  • pinettedpinetted Member Posts: 104
    Try spraying window cleaner on the window and then use a razor blade to get the residue off. I had to do this with my car when we repainted it. There was residue on all the windows even though they were taped off. Don't do this on mirrors though as they will scratch!
  • newskate9newskate9 Member Posts: 7
    Hi, to those who responded to my windshield question, many thanks. I'm going to have a go at it this weekend and I'll let you all know how it went. FYI, I got similar info from some service stations so it's all consistent.

    Ran over a screw AND a nail last night - two holes in one tire to be repaired. That sucked, good to be close to service station when it happened!

    Have a nice weekend all
  • 11341134 Member Posts: 2
    I've read somewhere in past post that someone was getting some strong static electricity shocks when closing the drivers side door after driving. I've been experiencing them ever time I get out and touch the metal side of the door to close it (I'm standing on the pavement). If I'm still in the car and touch the metal side of the door nothing happens. It started two days ago. I have 800 miles on the car so far. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Maybe something isn't gounded right? Why would it just all of a sudden start?
  • dannym11dannym11 Member Posts: 18
    I purchased a 2001 Sentra SE a few months ago, and love it so far. Plenty of power, great handling and a nice stereo to boot ( I got the performance package). I have a question for the forum. When I open my sunroof it slides back 90% of the way and stops - then I need to press the button again to get the glass to slide back the remaining inch or so - does anyone else have this quirk or is it just me? I'd like to know - I'll probably mention it to the dealer at the first service.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    I have the same functional mechanics. I checked with a dealer about it and he said it is a two way operation. Since it does not bothering me, I would not like to mess with.

    I just bought last week, I paid 17500 with sunroof and p/p and matting. By the way how much did you pay few months ago?

    Thanks in advance.
  • jcu1886jcu1886 Member Posts: 39
    A question for those more knowledgeable than I about cars. My Sentra SE (5 sp., PP, 477 miles) suddenly has remotes that don't work for the doors or trunk, or the horn. Also, the inside button to simultaneously unlock and lock all four doors does not work. Could this be a question of a blown fuse?
  • The static electricity likely has nothing to do with the car itself, but instead results from your tires and the weather.

    Today's tires, which are designed to last longer, are made of harder rubber than they used to be. As a result, these newer tires do no dissipate static electricity like older tires used to. The static electricity continues to build as you drive until it finds a ground, which happens to be you standing outside your car after you have stopped. The problem is compounded by dry weather; humid weather tends to dissipate the static electricity better.

    The type of clothing you wear can also generate static electricity as you rub across your seat to exit your car. Dry weather will also make this problem worse.

    There are two ways to dissipate the static electricity without getting shocked:

    First, attach a specialized static electricity reduction strip to the bottom of your car. These are thin, flexible strips that drag along the ground, and allow static electricity to flow from the car to the ground. Ask around at the auto parts shops for them.

    Second, when exiting your car, hold your key at one end (make sure you are touching a metallic part of the key), and touch the inside of your door on the metal frame with the other side of the key (make sure you touch the metal frame with the metal part of the key as well). This will dissipate any static electricity without pain.

    Good luck.
  • narenjinarenji Member Posts: 161
    Hello Everybody, I've been a long time reader and now, a first time poster to the town hall. I've really enjoyed reading through all the posts about the sentra as me and my fiancee were trying to decide on the right car for us. We just bought a 2001 Sentra SE with Perf. Package, 5 spd, Out of the Blue, and we both love it so far. I can't wait for the break-in period to end, to see what the highly revered SR20DE is really capable of. We live in Southern Calif, and the ride is well controlled in most situations, but can get choppy really quickly, but I guess that what I get for wanting the performance package...

    We were trying to decide between the Maxima, Altima, and the Sentra. I really wanted the Maxima (for it's V6), but it costs much more to insure, and the Altima wasn't particularly impressive, and it's very difficult to find SE's.

    Everything's working well on the car except for one thing that concerns me. We've had the car for a week, and it has about 400 miles on it. I started noticing after a couple of days of driving it off the lot that the idle is a bit uneven. Now it stays around 750 rpm when the engine is warm, but the idle seems to waver ever so slightly. The wavering isn't constant, but it continues to happen. For eg, the rpm will go up to 800 for about 1/2 second, and then return to 750 for 10 seconds. This will repeat, but this time, the engine might stay at 750 rpm for only 5 seconds, and the next time it may do it for 8 seconds - so it's not constant. Is this something I should worry about? I don't think I want Nissan mechanics working on the car until the break-in period is complete. My other car (93 Mazda MX6) idles very constantly, other than when the fan comes on in the radiator.

    Other than that, the 'premium' 7 speaker audio system is kinda disappointing. The sub isn't very loud, and the whole system lacks treble. It sounds muddy overall. My radio reception is also very poor. CDs sound pretty good. Does anyone also know the front door speaker size? The rears are either 6 1/2 or 6 3/4 right?

    Thanks for your replies...
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    All of a sudden one day when I went to play a Cd my Cd player, it did not play and I got a flashing "ER" on the screen. I was wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this with their Cd player? I have a 2000 Sentra SE with Performance Package. Thanks in advance for your comments.
  • chazaluchazalu Member Posts: 6
    Does anyone have any information on the 2002 SE-R?
  • kstephankstephan Member Posts: 41
    Hello all:

    Forgive me for asking a few questions outright rather than going back through all the old posts.
    I recently had my 2000 Honda Civic Si stolen, and if doesn't turn up (and I doubt it will), I will be looking for a new car in the next month. I want a sporty, fun economy car, but one that doesn't attract too much attention from import hot-rodding crowd, and isn't real high on the thieves' list. I looked at and test drove the 2001 Sentra SE this weekend, and was extremely impressed by the car. I was surprised to find that I liked how it drove more than the Civic Si (it has TORQUE...what a concept!). The price seems right, the car is solid, the interior's great, and it's quick. My questions to owners:

    (1) What are the insurance rates like?

    (2) Any idea of the incidence of theft of this model? The salemsan claimed it has an ignition immobilizing chip of some sort. Is this true?

    (3) Can you drive a new SE without getting harrassed and challenged by teenagers in slammed Civics and Integras? With my Si, I inadvertantly got sucked into an automotive subculture I didn't want to be a part of. I'm not into modifying or racing cars; I just want a sporty, practical daily driver. I need something bigger than a Miata, or else I'd get one. The SE seems to fit the bill.

    Any thoughts would be welcomed. Thank you!
  • ineto6ineto6 Member Posts: 161
    Sorry to hear that, it does looks like you'll have to get a new ride. I am sure that the Sentra SE will cost less to insure than you Si since the SE is a four-door. Statistically, thefts are not as high for Sentra models compare to Civics. The bad thing about the Sentra is that it does not come with a car alarm so you'll have to install an aftermarket. My brother has one and it has remote door lock, that's it. I don't remember his car as having a immobilizing chip, but that's probably likely since more new cars have that as standard. You can challenge the salesman by asking him what would happen if you lose your car keys - they should give you a code that you'll have to give the dealership to get a customized key if you have a chip in the key. I don't think most drivers will notice anything different about the SE so you won't get challenged as much as a two-door Civic.

    Good luck gettting a new ride
  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    Normally Sentra is considered by teens crowd as a boring useless sedan. So it won't bring too much attention, at least mine didn't. If you are in Canada, then SE with PP gets alarm system, immobilizer and ABS. I would guess that US should get the same. Check www.nissandriven.com for info.
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    Wait for the SE-R or Se-R Spec V. The Spec-V should run nearly comparable to the old Civic SI and have the benefit of 4 doors.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    <<<The Spec-V should run nearly comparable to the old Civic SI and have the benefit of 4 doors. >>>
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    The Se-R Spec V will run circles around the '01 Civic Si... easily.

    The magazines are saying it is faster then the current Integra Type-R around a road course.

    That's a lot of performance. :-)
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