1990 Nissan Sentra Basic 2Dr sedan review from North America

My battery died, but I was told it looked old and probably hadn't been replaced in a long time.

I had to replace the alternator at the same time the battery died (August 2003).

I had the clutch replaced at 96,000 miles (Feb. 2004).

My driver's seat was ripping on the side close to the door.

It attained an exhaust leak under the hood, but only affected the emissions. I only needed to replace a valve and hose, but decided to just weld the leak closed (slightly illegal in NY state).

For a reason yet to be determined, the bright head lights would not work.

The speedometer lights burned out and needed to be replaced.

My father bought the car for $300 and used it to drive to and from work for about 1 year. He then gave it to me, and I drove it from June 2003 to February 2004. My car was put to rest when I was hit in the passenger door by a car which ran a red light. The chassie was bent and is irreparable. My passenger didn't even receive a scratch, and the medics said it looked as though she possibly should have died. So I say, the body held up well under the impact.

When I first got the car, I had new tires put on it. It ran great, and I drove it back and forth between Long Island, NY and Columbus, OH. I averaged between 25-30 mpg. We topped the speed at 105 mph.

The car always ran very cool!

The acceleration was very slow until I replaced the clutch. After that, it accellerated very quickly and smoothly. It was a 4 speed manual, but I rode it often in what should have been fifth gear, and it never had a problem.

The seats were VERY comfortable, and for the car's small size, I managed to pack it with almost everything I owned during my trek to and from college in Ohio, including a trunk mounted mountain bike.

I do have a few complaints about the car. The windows always fogged up, and made it very hard to see out of.

Because there was no power steering, turning the car was difficult, and making three point turns or parallel parking would wear out (I'm an athletic 20 year old).

The gears or clutch, or something would grind briefly when I tried to put the car ion reverse, but I think it just sounded worse than it was.

The car was fairly easy to modify. I added a stereo, seat covers to front and rear seats, mounted a toggle switch for lighted racing pedals, etc.

Overall, the car was awesome. I am so upset I had to part with it. It was fast, smooth, and reliable. It looked great and ran wonderfully. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for an affordable vehicle, but I would look into getting a model higher than the basic sedan. I will miss my baby!