1994 Nissan 200SX S14 2.0 turbo
Summary:
Quick, reliable, fun
Faults:
Not much. Broken bolt connecting the exhaust to the turbo unit, this caused a loud rattling sound under acceleration. Easy to fix, however the part was very difficult to reach. Took some 16 hours of work to replace 10 euros worth of parts.
Everything else is just regular maintenance (tires, oil)
General Comments:
This is the European/Japanese S14 model (never sold in the U.S.). The car handles very well and has a good top speed (done 250km/h on the German highways). Acceleration below 3000 rpms is somewhat lacking, but when the turbo kicks in, things start moving. I used to own the S13 model (1.8 turbo) before this one. The S13 feels somewhat quicker because it has a more pronounced turbo gap, you really get a turbo push at 3000 rpm. The S14 does not have this turbo-push, but instead accelerates more linear. As a consequence it feels slower, but after timing it (with a stopwatch) it seems a full second quicker in the 40-80 time (3rd gear).
After all, quick car, good handling, not a really big eye-catcher (the looks are not as prominent as those of the S13).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th July, 2002