Faults:

Burst coolant pipe.

A small hole appeared in one of the coolant metal pipes which leaked out all my engine coolant onto the motorway. Both problems happened within three days of each other.

Thermostat not working.

Rear de-mister not working.

General Comments:

The car itself is a wonderful car. I find that it's best feature is comfort. I love to just sit in it with the stereo up loud.

In the dry, the traction is wonderful, but as soon as it gets wet not much power is required to send the rear end up to meet the front. While the factory 8psi is fine, when it is cranked up to 14-16psi the car is lot quicker and the major I face is traction, it doesn't have any!

Larger tires on the back would improve traction, say 225's or even 235's would make it much better.

Otherwise it is the best car to have fun in while still having money in your wallet!

Faults:

Front wing re-spray after a roundabout problem in the wet 3 hours after purchase.

Exhaust after 1 month.

Problems with the clutch slave cylinder and pedal after 1 month, and ongoing.

Rust found in the boot due to spoiler mounting after 2 months.

Lots of screws missing due to bad servicing.

General Comments:

A good fast car with a solid engine.

The handling improved with 225 55 15 tyres put on the back.

Watch out for rust in the boot and police, especially on the motorway, it doesn't feel as if you're going as quick as you are!!!

Faults:

The starter motor needed replacing as it would only operate if the solenoid was struck sharply. This was tricky as the starter is quite difficult to locate (under the inlet manifold).

Small amounts of rust needed treating around the rear wiper and under the spoiler. The spoiler is worth removing as it can hide some serious rot.

Other than these minor faults the car is extremely reliable, even after 133000 miles.

General Comments:

Performance is amazing, its acceleration always makes me smile when it surges at 3000 revs. Top speed is more than enough, I've hit 130mph many times and it still had more to come.

The driving position is a little uncomfortable, my throttle foot aches painfully during a long drive.

The seats don't give enough side support.

These cars must be the ultimate, bargain performance car, 0 - 60mph in under 7 seconds for less than £3000. Beat that!

Faults:

Rust on rear inner sills and boot lip.

Turbo manifold gaskets needed replacing.

Slight wind noise starting from passenger window.

Engine starting to show signs of wear.

Cigar lighter not working.

General Comments:

There is no doubt about it that if you are looking for a bargain performance car the 200sx is a top consideration. Front engine, rear wheel drive lay out makes for great dry road handling.

UK availability is moderate with the usual Auto Trader and Exchange and Mart being good places to source one.

I would advise prospective buyers to note the following:

Service history is vital, save time by ask vendors over the telephone to go through the cars service record.

I change the oil and filter on mine every 5000 miles which seems to be the norm amongst caring owners.

I did switch from mineral to synthetic oil, but the car started to lose oil due to synthetic being so thin. I am currently using semi synthetic which works well.

My car was originally supplied in Portsmouth, which explains why it has suffered from rust in the well known boot lip and rear sill areas.

I drive the car quite hard and rear tyres are worn after 8000 miles.

The interior does not wear that well, the drivers seat has started to lose some base support. Overall the interior's are relatively comfortably but lack a sense of sporting occasion.

During the 26,000 miles I have cover I have changed the brake pads twice and discs once. The discs warped so I opted for Tar-Ox drilled and grooved replacements which work tremendously well.

The 200sx should run effortlessly, the engine note should be smooth throughout the full rev range, check that yours is.

Finally a good 200sx will provide great entertainment if a good, looked after example is bought. Currently a 91 model in good condition with 70-75,000 miles can be bought for £2300 - £2800. Go and enjoy an overlooked performance bargain.

My scores are relative to cost.